Fourth graders explore the U.S. Constitution and how is protects the rights and freedoms of American citizens. They run through various circumstances and decide whether a person's rights have been violated.

High schoolers investigate interrogation tactics at use in the world. In this global issues lesson, students watch "Torturing Democracy," and discuss the implications of interrogation techniques used by the United States following 9/11....

Young scholars discuss the purpose of the Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution. In groups, they write about the ten amendments and their purpose. They re-word the Amendments in their own way and answer discussion questions...

Why were laws created? Spark a group discussion on why we need laws to co-exist. Should the sale of some things be outlawed on Sundays? Read a case summary between Target and the state of Minnesota that debated this issue. Ask your...

Young citizens consider the American civil rights movement as part of the global struggle for human rights. After using a timeline activity to learn about the major events in the civil rights movement, class members study...

Even though American slaves were officially emancipated in 1865, the effects of slavery perpetuated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Middle and high schoolers learn about the ways that discrimination and the Jim Crow laws...

Can the federal government override the state government to protect the citizens of the United States? The 1962 Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr outlines the issue of equal protection under the law. Scholars investigate with a short...

Invite your class to reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as vehicles for citizens to voice their opinions. Using an article to gain factual info. about gov't strategies in dealing with current events in Kosovo, learners...

Through reading materials, worksheets, and a primary source activity, this resource provides an overview of the structure and powers of the legislative branch of government in the United States. Readings review how a bill becomes a law,...

The political system of the European Union is historically unique and has been constantly evolving. To better understand the structure of the EU, class members compare the EU's branches to those of the United States Federal Government.

America has always been seen as a melting pot to the world. Scholars research the concept of blending cultures in the United States and how it is changing over time. The final instructional activity of a four-part series analyzes the...

While the French were once the allies of Americans, the Napoleonic Wars saw the United States almost drawn into a war with its one-time friend. Wars in Europe threatened to draw in the early republic. A primary source-based activity...

How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research...

Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...

What if you had no choice but to leave everything behind and seek asylum elsewhere? Do countries have an obligation to accept refugees? To gain an understanding of the complexity of the issues of refugee rights, class members first...

What is the central idea of the Fourteenth Amendment? Scholars attempt to answer the question as they read and discuss the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the...

Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...

Tenth graders compare and contrast the patriotism of Imperial Japan to its presence in the United States today. In this patriotism lesson, 10th graders write essays and participate in a classroom debate that requires them to consider the...

High schoolers discuss the role of citizens in the United States. In groups, they evaluate how the role of citizens is important when selecting Supreme Court Justices. They read articles about internest groups and complete worksheets to...

Young scholars compare and contrast the United States laws with other countries laws on spanking children. After reading an article, they discuss how adults and children are treated differently within the law. In groups, they compare and...

Students investigate the concepts of ancestors and citizenship. In this citizenship lesson, students listen to Betsy Maestro's Coming to America . They learn the definitions of immigrants and melting pot using a recipe for Rice Krispie...

Seventh graders explore the goals of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  In this US History lesson, 7th graders read a newspaper article that reported a significant event during this era.  Students write a...

Students utilize oral histories to discover, analyze, and interpret immigration and migration in the history of the United States. A goal of the unit is fostering a discussion and encouraging students to make meaning of the bigger...

Students identify what a good government should provide for its citizens, and link their ideas to those of the founding founders by analyzing the Preamble to the Constitution. They create a mural depicting their understanding of the...