How Does Government Secure Natural Rights?

In an engaging activity on universal and unalienable rights, learners work in groups to establish a democratic nation and determine what principles they want to protect to ensure a democratic society. They conduct a "rights auction" in...

Your high schoolers may be tabula rasa about political theory until they learn about John Locke. Use a thought-provoking video to teach them about his philosophies on the natural rights of all humans, religious tolerance, and of course,...

Having a government may feel complicated and cumbersome, but as John Locke contends in his Two Treatises of Government, it is better than allowing human nature to regulate itself. A short video presents high schoolers with an explanation...

What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...

Writings of philosopher John Locke on religious toleration, government and society from which students will gain an understanding of the underpinnings of American government.

Why do people create governments? Where did we get our ideas about government? This is a fantastic introductory lesson for your American government class that begins by reviewing the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke in...

Introduce students to the ideas and writings of John Locke that influenced the likes of Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.

This lesson introduces students to some basic ideas the Framers used in creating the kind of government they thought would best protect the natural rights of each individual and promote the good of all. At the end of the lesson, students...

This video lesson from Khan Academy discusses the foundational democratic ideas of the US Government, primarily stated by John Locke. This lesson is intended for students taking high school or college level American Government and Civics...

By imagining life in a state of nature, John Locke was able to answer some important questions about government.