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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Law or Scientific Law?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this natural law and scientific law study guide worksheet, students read the notes provided and add notes of their own.
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Article
University of Groningen

American History: Biographies: William Blackstone (1723 1780)

For Students 9th - 10th
A thorough biography of Sir William Blackstone. Blackstone is a recognized lawyer born in England and played an integral part of the development of the common law legal system in the United States during the Revolutionary War, and the...
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Handout
University of Georgia

University of Georgia: Scientific Thought: Facts, Hypotheses, Theories, Etc.

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides explanations of terms used in science: fact, deductive inference, inductive inference, hypothesis, multiple working hypotheses, theory, evidence, Ockham's Razor, natural law, and paradigm.
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Activity
Other

Guide to American Political Parties

For Students 9th - 10th
Complete directory of the political parties that are active in the United States. Links to each party's website are included along with a brief overview of each one with major players.
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: St. Thomas Aquinas, Natural Law, and the Common Good

For Students 9th - 10th
Learning activity in which students survey the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and his ideas on government, natural law, and the common good to create policies or programs the U.S. government could enact. Questions for discussion and...
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Article
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Archiving Early America: Original Intent and the Free Exercise of Religion

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a well-written and supported essay on the Constitution. It describes natural law as the basis for understanding the Constitution and argues that all constitutional interpretation should be based on the framers' intent.
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Handout
Stanford University

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Saint Thomas Aquinas

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a very detailed site about the life and the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 CE). This site provides the reader with a brief biography, comparisons between Aristotle and Aquinas, commentary on Aquinas' work, and also a...
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Article
Other

Archiving Early America: Greg Bailey: Blackstone in America

For Students 9th - 10th
Sir William Blackstone, attorney at law, unsuspecting, created quite a stir in England when he began a lecture series in 1758. His delivery may have led to the turning point in the development of colonies in the New World and directly...
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Handout
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Natural Law

For Students 9th - 10th
Review this site for the definition of "natural law" based on varying theories with respect to morality in determining the authority of legal norms. Contents of the writing cover Two Kinds of Natural Law, Conceptual Naturalism,...
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Philosophy of Law

For Students 9th - 10th
Wikipedia offers detailed information on the Philosophy of Law, including a long list of philosophers of law with links to more information.
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Primary
Other

James's Liberty File Collection Index: Natural Law and Natural Rights

For Students 9th - 10th
Natural law and natural rights follow from the nature of man and the world. We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of the kind of animals that we are. True law derives from this right, not from the arbitrary...
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Article
Other

Blackstone Institute: Bashing Blackstone

For Students 9th - 10th
Sir William Blackstone, prominent English attorney, is featured in this article. Discover critical points to Blackstone's view of common law and why it may be "dangerous" to bash him for what his Commentaries on the Laws of England...
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Lesson Plan
Schools of California Online Resources for Education

Score: Mt. Carmel High School: In Praise of Political Parties

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Wonderful group lesson from Mt. Carmel High School that lets your students select a political party and do research and an oral presentation on that party.