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Interactive
Beacon Learning Center

Beacon Learning Center: If You've Seen One Source, You've Seen Them All. Right?

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
This is a tutorial teaching the difference between primary and secondary research sources. It provides specific examples and asks students to answer questions along the way. Java is required.
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Website
iCivics

I Civics: Games: Branches of Power

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Interactive and educational game puts players in control of all three branches of government and tests their abilities to turn issues of concern into full-fledged laws.
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: What Congress Does and Why It Matters

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Learners will analyze primary sources related to Congress to learn the specific powers of the Legislative Branch. Included is a chart to download and print, worksheets, materials, and an answer key. Primary sources to be examined are...
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Website
Other

Dirksen Center: The Ten Most Important Things to Know About the u.s.

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Website offers pertinent and comprehensive information about the U.S. Senate. Interactive site with links to related resource material.
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Lesson Plan
Other

Dirksen Center: Teaching About Congress

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Website with resources for teachers, including lessons, on the U.S. Congress and Congressional Elections. With links to related material and projects.
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Primary
Yale University

Article I of the u.s. Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Read all ten sections of Article I of the Constitution, which lay out the powers of the legislative branch of the federal government.
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Website
American Rhetoric

American Rhetoric: News and Information Index

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This website is a news and information index that offers links to news sources, newspapers, magazines and journals, search engines, polling data, legal resources, and citation guides.
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Website
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Legislative Branch

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Find out about the duties of the legislative branch of government. Check out Ben's Guide!
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: congress.gov: Contrasting Procedures of the Senate and House

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Clearly contrasts the two houses in the US Legislative Branch. It details the commonalities in the making of a law.
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Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: How Our Laws Are Made

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This page provides links to every step in the legislative process, from sources of legislation through publication.
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: The u.s. Congress: Resources a to Z

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Start your research of the U.S. Congress here! Superb links to any information you may need on history, current profile of Congress, and many other sites.
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Unit Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: History Firsthand: Primary Source Research

For Teachers 2nd - 8th Standards
History Firsthand has been designed to provide elementary children with experiences which enable them to begin understanding primary sources. Students move from personal artifacts to the vast American Memory collections and learn how...
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Website
Other

Easy Bib

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This citation site provides a means for formatting bibliographical information via MLA, APA, Chicago, and other referencing methods. Students can also find tools for note-taking and research on EasyBib.
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Activity
Georgetown University

Legal Research Guides: Secondary Sources Research Guide

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This tutorial discusses how to perform legal research in a library--from locating relevant cases, statutes, and regulation to using secondary sources that include Periodical Indexes, Treatises, Legal Encyclopedias, and Annotated Law...
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PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Research Sources: Websites

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This slideshow lesson focuses on the use of websites for research sources. It gives the pros and cons to using websites as sources and discusses the need to evaluate websites and what to look for.
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Activity
US Senate

U.s. Senate: Oath of Office

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
At the start of each new Congress, certain members of Congress perform the constitutional rite of take the Oath of Office. Here is the history of this ritual.
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Website
US Senate

The United States Senate

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The official site of the United States Senate. Offers many resources for study of current and historical legislation. Also provides forms to contact your senator.
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PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Research Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This slideshow lesson focuses on research sources by listing 10 types of sources: books, periodicals/magazines, newspaper articles, scholarly articles, databases, reviews, interviews, lectures, media (film, television), and websites. It...
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Unknown Type
University of California

Uc Irvine: Distinguishing Between Primary & Secondary Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site has an online quiz to test your knowledge of primary and secondary sources.
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Activity
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Interactives: Historical and Cultural Contexts

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This interesting interactive website explains kinds of primary sources and gives you the chance to identify them in some games.
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Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Critical Reading as a Learning Strategy

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This tutorial focuses on critical reading using a downloadable PowerPoint presentation, "Critical Reading 101," which includes separating fact from opinion, 6 propaganda techniques, and 6 common fallacies in reasoning. Also provided is...
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Handout
Duke University

Duke University Libraries: Finding Primary Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Finding primary sources can be difficult and confusing at times. This site provides a list of history databases, rare books and manuscripts, and research guides for those looking for primary resources such as diaries, letters,...
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Handout
University of Sydney (Australia)

The Write Site: Why & How to Use Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This University of Sydney reference explains the importance of using reputable sources in academic writings. Then the site provides steps to follow to assist students with using bibliographic sources. Click on the sections list to...
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: Primary Documents in American History: United States Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A compendium of primary resources that are valuable pieces of American history, as well as exhibitions, teaching resources, and bibliographies. Together, this site is a goldmine of materials for studying constitutional history.