Curated OER
Bill of Rights
US history classes explore constitutional rights as they relate to court cases involving teens. Your class must already be familiar with the Bill of Rights before beginning this series of exercises. In preparation for a debate-style...
City University of New York
Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
To understand the controversy surrounding the US 2000 presidential election, class members investigate the rationale behind the Electoral Collage, the intimidation involved in the election of 1876, and the 2004 American League...
ProCon
Gun Control
According to some estimates, there are more guns than people in the United States. Learners decide if America should enact more gun control laws. They analyze information about gun deaths in the United States by year, read about the...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Conservation, Preservation, and the National Parks
Going green? Scholars investigate the creation of the US National Park program. Through diary entries as well as expert testimony, they synthesize information and analyze the need for conservation and preservation. Finally, they display...
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Federalist - Antifederalist Debates
Who should have the power—individual states or the federal government? Scholars research the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the formation of the United States Constitution. Online resources, including a vast...
Classroom Law Project
How do we hire a President?
What are the job requirements for the office of president of the United States? What attributes should a candidate possess? Are the qualities needed to govern the same as those needed to win? What can an analysis of the...
Curated OER
Anne Frank: Citizenship Laws
Learners study early civilizations and the contributions they made to the foundations of human culture. They discuss why citizenship is valuable and the Constitutional Amendments that are associated with it.
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights and the News
Students examine current news stories and from them develop "BIG" questions related to individual and group rights. They then relate their questions to the U.S. Constitution and supreme court decisions.
Curated OER
Perseverance
Students examine how the failure of Reconstruction led to the systematic passage of Jim Crow laws in states across the South and the negative impact these laws had on the growth and development of the US.
Curated OER
Imposing Democracy
Twelfth graders discuss the probability of imposing a democracy in a country in which there is no history of this type of government being successful. Using the internet, they work together to research Japan's experience with democracy...
Curated OER
Limits of Power
Students examine the importance of limiting power in governments. In this government instructional activity, students investigate the importance of placing limits on government by looking at the US Constitution. They look at ways that...
Curated OER
Events Leading to the War of 1812
In this US History worksheet, students read a selection of the War of 1812 and fill in the blanks for 10 sentences using a word bank.
Curated OER
The U.S. and Iroquois Constitutions
Students receive and interpret copies of US Constitution and Iroquois Constitution. Then they reference (look up) the articles mentioned by Daly in the Iroquois Constitution text, and analyze for parallel meaning in the US Constitution....
Curated OER
U.S. Government & Indian Nations
Learners explain the Constitutional basis of the Federal Indian relationship. They summarize the Constitutional references to American Indians, and evaluate the importance of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. They examine Utah's...
Curated OER
US Patriot Act: Security vs. Privacy
High schoolers use readings, worksheets and discussion to explore the ramifications of the US Patriot Act which was passed by Congress shortly after September 11th. They review Constitutional Amendments and consider how they relate to...
Curated OER
United States v. Thomas Cooper --
Students compare the Alien and Sedition Act to the First Amendment. They read and analyze a primary document and write a synopsis. They brainstorm challenges to the Government or President of the US.
Curated OER
Foundations of the Constitution
Eighth graders explore the Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact.
Curated OER
Are We the People?
Students investigate their elected officials and their roles. In this governmental leadership lesson, students discuss the Constitution and research their elected officials. They also organize the information they find regarding the...
Curated OER
American Justice on Trial
Young scholars role play a trial in which they consider if the United States government violated the rights of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor.
Curated OER
Discovering American Symbols
Help youngsters get to know their states and capitals, explore their own country, and study American symbolism. They take a "trip" across America collecting symbols, images, and information about each state as they go (through text and...
Curated OER
Picture Books and the Bill of Rights
Students identify the basic freedoms of citizens in the United States. In this Bill of Rights lesson plan, students act out scenarios about the Bill of Rights. Students create a picture book describing the rights they've...
PBS
President Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Policy Statesman or Bully?
Can a negative perception of a president's foreign policy harm his or her historical legacy? A project that winds the clock back to the date of Theodore Roosevelt's death puts students at the editorial desk of a fictional newspaper....
Curated OER
Demonstrating an Understanding the Evolution of Democracy in the United States
High schoolers explore how democracy in the United States changed and evolved from its birth to the present. They participate in a mock testing environment. Students write a multi-tasked essay on American government and politics.
Curated OER
Conferences and General Courses Framework for the Law Elective: Mainstreaming Law-Related Opportunities in the Local Curriculum
High schoolers study background information on the laws and customs that make up our legal system, our legislative system, and our executive branches of government.