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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let Me Tell You About My State

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research one of the 50 U.S. States that they were unfamiliar with.  In this U.S. Geography instructional activity, 5th graders utilize encyclopedias as well as the Internet to research a chosen U.S. State in order to write...
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Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

To Sign or Not to Sign: The Ultimate Constitution Day Lesson Plan

For Teachers K - 12th
Students examine the ratification process. For this U.S. Constitution lesson plan, students discuss the ratification process and read a play based on the process. Students debate the ratification process and determine whether they...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

What Basic Ideas Are in the Preamble to the Constitution?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Introduce young historians to the US Constitution with this upper-elementary social studies lesson plan. Beginning with a general discussion about the role of government in society, students go on to work in small groups identifying and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Federal System Created by the Constitution?

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Explore the unique structure of the federal system of government in the United States. Class members will learn about how most nations were organized before the establishment of the Constitution, how power is currently divided between...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

James Madison: Raising an Army—Balancing the States and the Federal Government

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Covenants, Compacts, Constitutions and By-Laws... Written Documents that Guide Governing

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discuss documents in our government. In this government lesson, 3rd graders look up vocabulary words and illustrate them. They examine a historical document to discuss and answer questions. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students cite connections among Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754, his Plan of Confederation of 1775 and the U.S. Constitution and/or the Declaration of Independence. In an essay, they give examples of the philosophical and political...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders survey how controversial court cases have changed the viewpoints of civil rights.  In this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders work in small groups to prepare summaries of specific court cases, then present their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits Of Power: American Presidents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners discover the responsibilities of the presidency. In this U.S. government lesson plan, students watch "Portraits Of Power: American Presidents," and then compose essays regarding the citizens' relationship to the presidency.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 8th Amendment: The Death Penalty

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take a closer look at the death penalty. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch a Discovery video about capital punishment in the United States and then compose letters to the editors of newspapers about their stance on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sizing Up The Senate

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider Senate leadership by examining specific positions and staging a mock legislative session. They write reflective essays considering the inner workings of the Senate.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pay to Play?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...
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Lesson Plan
Advocates for Human Rights

The Right of Indigneous Peoples in the United States

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The sovereignty of U.S. Native American nations is the focus of a resource that asks class members to compare the Right to Self-Determination in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a fact sheet that details the...
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Naturalized Citizens and the Presidency

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution takes center stage in a lesson plan that asks class members to assume the role of state senators, debate a resolution to amend the U. S. Constitution to permit naturalized citizens to run...
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Lesson Plan
American Bar Association

What Is Separation of Powers?

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Who has the power? Scholars investigate the creation of the three branches of government in the United States Constitution. They analyze just why the framers created the branches the way they did.
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Guest-Worker Program

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The U.S. Guest-Worker Program and the H-2A visa are the focus of a social studies activity. First, class members assume the role of advisors who must present the president with four proposals that would amend the visas given to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introducing Elections Unit

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students discover the political parties of our country by participating in a role playing activity.  In this U.S. Government instructional activity, students visit several different classrooms that each represent one of the political...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recognizing and Combating Segregation in U.S. Schools Today

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the prevalence of racism and statistical segregation in America's schools. They design a project to investigate how the racial makeup of their school compares to other schools. In addition, they evaluate their design...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 7 "Hats" of the President

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners explore the responsibilities of the President. In this U.S. government lesson, students examine the provided sources related to the President' s roles as Chief of State, Chief Executive, Chief Jurist, Chief Diplomat, Chief...
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Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Educating Non-Citizens

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students distinguish between the privileges of being a U.S. Citizen and privileges that are forfeited if not a U.S. Citizen.  For this history activity, students analyze the rights of people in a democratic society through research,...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

What Is Authority?

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children learn about...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Government Protecting Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore tribal sovereignty. For this American Indian lesson, students learn about tribal sovereignty, watch a movie, take notes, and complete a reaction paper.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights is for US Today

For Teachers 7th - 9th
The first ten Amendments of the U.S. Constitution are vital for young people to understand. Provide the foundation of the laws that govern our country with this junior high school lesson. Groups use the newspaper to identify rights...
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Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Voting

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars read about voting rights and compulsory voting in democracies. For this voting rights lesson plan, young scholars analyze the reasons for supporting and opposing compulsory voting and discuss whether compulsory voting is...

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