Curated OER
Ratification of the Constitution
Eighth graders view two resources from the ratification debates and infer the motives and concerns of people in the two states involved. They write a newspaper editorial in favor or opposed to ratifying the Constitution.
Curated OER
Readers Theatre: Presenting Historical Events Through Theatre
Students examine historical events. In this instructional activity on the US Constitution, students engage in a theatrical exploration of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They also engage in an extensive discussion, complete...
Curated OER
School Bill of Rights
Students study the Bill of Rights. As a class, they create a "School Bill of Rights," with amendments. Students discuss the difference between rights and responsibilities and examine Supreme Court decisions dealing with the first ten...
Curated OER
Powers of Congress
Have your class fill out this comprehension sheet while reading about the powers of Congress. There are ten multiple choice questions focused on the rights, powers, and limitations of Congressional law.
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Petition about Slavery
Practice analyzing primary sources in a thought-provoking lesson on the impact of slavery. Young historians read a petition regarding the Fugitive Slave Law and answer a series of questions to understand the importance of the document....
Curated OER
Pilgrims and Puritans
With graphic organizers galore, learners will follow the changes of church and state in early colonial America. They look at the differences between the pilgrims and the puritans in terms of beliefs and life ways. Myths and...
Curated OER
Analyzing a Writer's Stance
Should college admissions decisions be based on whether whose family members attended? Secondary students read and respond to a New York Times article on the issue of 'legacy preferences' in college admissions. Following class...
Curated OER
World War II Home Front
Eleventh graders examine the political demands put on one of four groups living in America during WWII. Each class member is asked to research and write a paper describing the homefront experience for women, Hispanics, African-Americans,...
School Improvement in Maryland
Analysis of Marbury v. Madison
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,...
Curated OER
Understanding The Preamble
Young scholars explore the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. In this government activity, students write a preamble to encourage cooperation in their classroom as they study the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution.
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Letter from Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Before her career as a Supreme Court Justice, the Notorious RBG was a legal activist for women's rights. Using a letter from then-Professor Ginsburg, young historians carefully examine a letter from Ginsburg to a member of Congress...
K20 LEARN
Oklahoma and Segregation
It was not just the states of the Deep South that practiced segregation. Young historians investigate the history of segregation and desegregation in Oklahoma. They begin by reading, annotating, and analyzing an article about the impacts...
School District of Detroit
The Articles of the Confederation
Primary historical sources can be a challenge for some readers, so these seven guided-reading questions will be very useful to US History or Government classes studying The Articles of Confederation. Each question has multiple parts and...
Curated OER
More than a Hostess: The Role of First Ladies
A study of the country's First Ladies deepens understanding of their role in history.
Curated OER
First Amendment and the Future
Students read the Knight report and discuss key findings before deciding what aspects of the findings students can replicate in their own school and conduct a survey. They write survey questions and test them on sample group before...
Curated OER
First Amendment and the Future
Learners develop a strategy for furthering the First Amendment interest and knowledge in the school through posters, school-wide announcements, speakers, contests and more during the rest of the school year. Student research about free...
Curated OER
Go To The Head of the Cloud
Young scholars pretend they are water droplets traveling through the water cycle. Using their text, they discover the steps in the cycle and the different paths water can take. They write a report about their journey through the water...
Curated OER
Let's Meet The Presidents
Create a digital movie documenting research about an American President. Using internet sources, students with special needs gather information about their chosen president. Working in groups, they use this information to create a...
Curated OER
Court Cases Testing the Establishment of Religion
Although the PowerPoint this lesson plan calls for is unavailable, you could easily create a presentation to fulfill its purpose. Learners listen to a presentation and keep track of the information with a graphic organizer that looks at...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?
Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Cultural Change
High schoolers research the passage of the 19th Amendment as an illustration of the mutual influence between political ideas and cultural attitudes. They also read the Seneca Falls Declaration and explore the cultural shifts it both...
Curated OER
What Constitutes a State?
Students examine the differences between various state constitutions in the United States. Then, using their own
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Curated OER
Get to Know Your Bill of Rights
Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...