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Unit Plan
Other

Portland State University: Iroquois Confederacy and the Us Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
A unit of study that examines the impact Native Americans had on ideas about democracy and government, and how this influenced the writing of the US Constitution. Students will compare the Iroquois Confederacy's Great Law of Peace with...
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Website
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Rights of Citizens: The Bill of Rights (Grades 6 8)

For Students 6th - 8th
Ben's Guide is a fun way to present US laws to students grades K-12. This site presents a brief history of the Bill of Rights. Links to related sites are available.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Structure of Congress and the Legislative Process Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This instructional activity explores the structure of Congress and the legislative process. There is an introduction, a research activity, an assessment, and a role play activity.
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Handout
Illinois Institute of Technology

The Oyez Project: Katz v. United States

For Students 9th - 10th
Katz v. United States altered the meaning of the 4th Amendment, the right to search and seizure, appealing his case in 1967 regarding the investigator's use of electronic surveillance. Oyez features the facts and recordings from the...
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: The Constitution at Work

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the U.S. Constitution. Students will then make connections between the documents they have examined and the big...
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Primary
Claremont Institute

Founding.com: The Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
The Constitution of the United States with its amendments is here.
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Website
Other

House of Representatives Judiciary Committee

For Students 9th - 10th
The website of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee which is responsible for overseeing the administration of justice at the federal level and plays a role in impeachments.
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Primary
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Archiving Early America: Jack Rakove and Original Meanings

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This interview with Pulitzer Prize Winner Jack Rakove about his book Original Meanings is very informative. He discusses the ideology of the framers of the US Constitution and the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
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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
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Iv: National Supremacy

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides a review of Clause 2, Article VI, "Supremacy of the Constitution, Laws and Treaties."
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Iii: Judicial Power

For Students 9th - 10th
Annotations to Article III on the characteristics and attributes of judicial power as related to specific Supreme Court decisions. The author distinguishes between judicial power and jurisdiction.
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Handout
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Fourth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information on the reference to Rochin v California, that is found in the annotations page to the 4th Amendment. Specifically, focusing on the section covering "Property subject to seizure".
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Handout
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Iv: Development of the Modern Rule

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information about Article IV of the United States Constitution.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Iv: Doctrine of the Equality of States

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource discusses Clause 1, Section 3, in Article IV. It outlines the parameters put in place to ensure that as new states entered the union, power was equitably distributed among all.
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Handout
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article I: Duties on Exports From States

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource explains Clause 5 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution by defining specific words and phrases contained within the clause. Also gives historical background to explain the purpose of the Clause.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Fourth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the text and fully annotated phrasing of the amendment.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Article I

For Students 9th - 10th
Complete text of Article I, sections 1-10, of the U.S. Constitution, establishing the Legislative Branch of the Federal government.
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Website
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Eighth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource contains the text of the Eighth Amendment and legal annotations.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Article Vii

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information about Article VII of the United States Constitution.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Vi

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides links to papers written about Article VI of the U.S. Constitution. Sample topics include: Validity of Prior Debts and Engagements, Supremacy of the Constitution, National Supremacy, the Power of Congress in Respect...
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Activity
Lectric Law Library

The 'Lectric Law Library's Lexicon: Eighth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This definition page at 'Lectric Library discusses the definition in the context of significant Supreme Court cases.
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Primary
US National Archives

Nara: Charters of Freedom: The Constitution: Amendments 11 27

For Students 9th - 10th
Check here to read the three amendments passed during the Progressive Era, the 16th, 17th, & 18th amendments. From the National Archives and Records Administration.
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Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
Collection of primary resources having to do with the constitution throughout American history.
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Nara: Teaching With Documents: u.s. Constitution Workshop

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
A workshop, appropriate for elementary, middle school, and high school young scholars, through which participants examine a variety of primary documents and their relationship to the U.S. Constitution. This resource provides workshop...