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Trial Simulation Project on First Amendment Cases
Students engage in research and role play to discover the history and importance of certain First Amendment court cases. They act out the cases in different roles in order to understand different perspectives from the prosecution to the...
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Arguments Against Ratifying the Constitution
Students define federalism, Federalist, and Anti-Federalist, debate issue of ratification in classroom convention, and take vote on whether to add bill of rights. Three lessons on one page.
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Explaining the Bill of Rights
Students define the terms Bill of Rights and amendment. They successfully explain the meaning of each amendment of the Bill of Rights. Students work together in cooperative groups.
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Constitutional Rights
Students read an account of a students reaction to the Vietnam War. They complete comprehension questions from the reading passage. They read arguments from the Supreme Court Justices and decide which arguments they agree with.
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A New Planet
Students, in gorups, develop a Bill of rRghts for a newly discovered planet. They give the planet a name and they decide upon ten human rights they think are the most important. Then they compare their list with the lists of other...
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Bill of Rights Booklet
Young scholars design a booklet that explores the Bill of Rights. They summarize each of the rights, write a personal response to each entry and create an illustration to interpret each of the rights. Students then make a cover and title...
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Flag Wars
Students consider how zoning policy shapes the character of neigborhoods. They see how zoning and loan policies have been used historically in the U.S. to benefit some people and discriminate against others. They examine tensions between...
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The Mayflower Compact-Freedom Contract
Students examine the main goal of the Pilgrims and the first amendment of the Constitution. They read and discuss "The Mayflower Compact," role-play excerpts of the reading, and write a journal entry.
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The Bill of Rights
Students practice their reading comprehension skills by reading about the Bill of Rights. They answer questions after reading to test their comprehension.
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Mightier than the Sword
Students complete a variety of activities as they use the Washington Post Newspaper in the study of editorial cartoons, cartoonists, social commentary and freedom of speech.
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Teaching about the First Amendment
Students defend the Constitution against a group of Senators who decide that all media must be approved by the government, all Americans must take a loyalty oath, join an official U.S. religion and subscribe to approved clubs.
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The Pledge of Allegiance
Learners study the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. They investigate the First Amendment concept of separation of Church and state using Internet resources.
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Amending the Constitution
Students research the history of the process of amending the US Constitution to explain the latest amendment that failed on June 28, 2006. They complete the research and view images online.
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A Burning Desire: A Focus Group Turns Its Attention To Old Glory
Students explore the issue of a Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. They simulate the role of a Senator's aide, conduct Internet research, write and prepare an oral and a written response based on research,
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Ohio's U.S. Presidents
Fourth graders investigate the state of Ohio's claim to be the "Mother of Presidents." Nine U.S. presidents were from the state and their contributions and terms of office are examined in this lesson.
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Constitutional Rights Of Students
Twelfth graders brief Supreme Court cases about student rights that they have studied over the past year, and apply them to a contemporary situation.
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Constitution
Ninth graders simulate a U.S. Supreme Court hearing concerning a First Amendment case about school prayer by participating in a hearing.
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The Bill of Rights Is in the News!
Students determine currency of the Bill of Rights by locating current newspaper articles or editorials that support or refute each of the 1st Ten Amendments.
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Do You Agree?
Students recognize bias in a political cartoon, evaluate how the media uses both positive and/or negative political cartoons, and assess the influence a political cartoon can have on a person.
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Search & Seizure Opinion Poll
Pupils examine federal and state constitutional law relating to search and seizure. They analyze various scenarios, participate in an opinion poll, and discuss difficulties in balancing individual privacy rights with the need to fight...
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Separate But Equal Video
Eighth graders watch the video "Separate But Equal." They choose an incident or event from the video that is interesting or meaningful to them and write an objective news article and an editorial.
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Constitution Repatriation Simulation
Students work cooperatively in groups to present the specific needs of an assigned territory to a mock meeting of government officials in an attempt to amend an existing law.
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Women: Stride Toward Freedom
Students read facts about women'ts suffrage and research topics related to women's rights. Optional films for viewing and books to read.
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The Bill of Rights in Times of National Crisis
High schoolers examine the ability of the government to suspend individual rights in times of national crisis. They formulate a constitutional amendment that clearly states if, when, how and by whom the rights of individuals can be...