Stephen Byrne
History for Kids: United States Constitution
History for Kids provides an overview geared toward elementary age students of the history of the United States Constitution. Includes links to resources for teachers.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: John Stuart Mill and Individual Liberty
Lesson for high school students on the philosophy of John Stuart Mill. Through reading, writing, and small group activity, students explore Mill's ideas on democracy, women's rights, and what constitutes a just government, then apply...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Social Darwinism and American Laissez Faire Capitalism
Activity-based resource in which students apply Constitutional ideas to evaluate the Federal State Tax Law as they make a case for or against abolishing the tax. Site contains comprehensive resources on the topic.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Centralized vs. Decentralized Rule: The Articles of Confederation
Activity comparing the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. Using a variety of articles, students research and create a chart with explanations and critical comparisons of the two governing documents.
Other
World Socialist Web Site: Lieberman's Holy War Against the Bill of Rights
The World Socialist Web Site's editorial analysis of a comment by Joseph Liberman (Democratic vice-presidential candidate for the 2000 election), "the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion." (1 September...
University of Missouri
Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Marsh v Chambers, u.s. Supreme Court
Chief Justice Burger's majority opinion in the case of MARSH vs. CHAMBERS, 463 U.S. 783 (1983). The case dealt with whether an opening prayer in the Nebraska Legislature violated the First Amendment.
Other
Semper Liber: American Rule of Law the American Way
American rule of law is based on the premise that increase in government means decrease in liberty. That being given, the underlying assumption about American rule of law is that limits must be placed on government, since the tendency of...
Center For Civic Education
Center for Civic Education: James Madison and Executive Power
James Madison has been called the "Father of the Constitution". His ideas have shaped the role of our government, the role of political parties, the Bill of Rights and more. This lesson offers extensive background, critical thinking...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: George Mason 1725 1792 Introduction
This site is provided for by the University of Groningen. Leader of the Anti-federalist faction against strong national government, Mason fought the ratification of the U.S. Constitution for protection for individual rights; read this...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Alien and Sedition Acts: Defining American Freedom
Lesson with activity in which students study and analyze the challenges surrounding constitutional rights and national security by focussing on the Alien and Sedition Act, 1798 and definitions of American freedom. Links to primary...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Conflict of Cultures: President Polk and the Taking of the West
Lesson and activity on conflict of cultures in which students study U.S. overtaking lands of Mexico and California and form policy on property rights and citizenship of conquered cultures. Activity guidelines, questions for discussion...
Other
Indigenous Corporate Training, Canada: Bill C 31; An Indian Act Amendment
From 1869 until 1985 (116 years), if an Indian woman married a non-Indian man, she and the children of the marriage were denied Indian status. In 1985, the Indian Act was amended by the passage of Bill C-31 to remove discrimination...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Political Experience
Read about how the state governments in the new American nation served as the laboratory to try out new ideas of governing and treating citizens. See how remarkably similar the ideas put forth in state constitutions were to each other.
Other
Us Courts: Sixth Amendment Activities
Activities for the classroom in which students apply landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to the right to counsel and right to a fair trial. With plan for teachers, word bank, and links to related resources.
Other
Us Courts: First Amendment Activities
Activities for students that make learning about the 1st Amendment relevant by applying landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to the five parts of the First Amendment and rights to freedom of religion, speech,...
SMART Technologies
Smart: Amendment Review
In this interactive activity, students match the given right to the proper amendment from the Bill of Rights.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Is Torture Ever Justified?
Activity for students promoting a critical analysis and relevant discussion on whether torture is ever justified. Students are presented with the literature on U.S. law and international law on torture as well as Bush administration...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Annotation 2: Fifth Amendment
This resource explains the phrase "double jeopardy," including a look at its development through history.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Building Democracy: Every New Generation
Activity in which students read and write about whether or not today's generation of youth are prepared for the leaderhip and citizenship roles of tomorrow. Students will evaluate the role of schools and recommend approach to civic...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: King and Parliament in Medieval England
Activity in which students read and write about the development of democratic ideas in Medieval England, then in small groups, compare U.K. Parliamentary system to U.S. Presidential system.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Are We Headed for a Sixth Mass Extinction
Activity in which students analyze the information on biodiversity and extinction presented in the article and answer questions for discussion, then develop policy to meet modern environmental challenges. Individual and small group work.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Columbian Exchange
Article and activity in which students about the Columbian Exchange answer questions for discussion and then analyze and prepare a solution to the contemporary problem resulting from the introduction of non-native deer to California's...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: What Caused Egypt's Old Kingdom to Collapse?
Activity on Egypt's Old Kingdom and how societies meet the environmental challenges faced. Students review the article on the Old Kingdom and in small groups, develop a strategy to deal with the Nile River. Questions for writing and...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: How Political Parties Began
Activity in which students examine the history of political parties in America and evaluate the role they play and reasons they emerged. Questions for discussion and small group work to compare the late 1700s visions of Republicans and...