The Laws of the Land

From where do United States citizens derive their laws? This resource offers an overview of the various sources of law, such as the Constitution, statutes passed by Congress, and judicial precedents established through court cases. It...

From the Magna Carta. Code of Hammurabi, and common law to today's special interest groups and law enforcement agencies, test your young historians on the evolution of the rule of law in society with this multiple choice assessment.

"Promises Denied," the second lesson plan in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live up to the...

The system of checks and balances is integral to the functionality of the United States government. Learn more about the ways the three branches of the government work together—and about the limitations of their power—with an informative...

A review of the rule of law in American society would be incomplete without an exploration of the types of consequences that exist for breaking the law. Learners discover the various punishments for convicted persons in the United...

The history of voting rights in America has always been rocky, especially in the time period after the Civil War. Learn about the ways that Jim Crow laws affected the voting rights of African Americans with a lesson featuring primary...

As part of a study of immigration law, class members read a summary of the Supreme Court case, Arizona v. United States. They then examine a series of examples and acting as federal court judges, must determine if the scenarios meet the...

Young historians envision what life was like for African Americans living in the Jim Crow South through hands-on, experiential activities. 

Don't just talk about the rule of law and the importance of protecting individual rights and preserving the common good, have your class members experience it by acting in skits! Then follow the activity with several corresponding...

Did you know that prior to the American Revolution, Alabama was a part of the British empire and called New West Florida? Class members research the economic, political, and social realities of this territory and compare them to those of...