Curated OER
US Constitution
Think about the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence with your budding historians. They analyze the importance of historical documents by examining several famous documents, and then they complete activities that check...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Defining Democracy and Freedom
This is a simple but effective introduction to democracy. It requires the class to generate working definitions of key terms (provided) and to determine the degree of democracy in various geographic locations today. After they conduct...
Curated OER
JUSTICE
Students analyze the role that Alabama played in three major events of American History and how those roles contributed to Alabama being dubbed the "Cradle of the Confederacy" and the "Birthplace of the Modern Civil Rights Movement."
Curated OER
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Students honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the principles he stood for: justice, equality, freedom, and peace.
Curated OER
Learning About the Civil Rights Movement Through Photographs
Students examine the racial inequality that existed in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement. After listening to song lyrics and viewing photographs, they discover the importance of the movement in helping society move...
Curated OER
In Search of Rights
Seventh graders research Supreme Court cases. They formally debate court rulings, write a scenario portraying a possible futuristic America and participate in a field practicum for media production, while evaluating various social,...
Curated OER
Freethought Day Lessons
Freethought Day provides a way for students to discuss the current justice system.
Curated OER
Making the Supreme Court Matter to Teens
Here are lessons and ideas to help social studies teachers enlighten students about the importance of the Supreme Court.
Curated OER
With Liberty and Justice for All
Fifth graders identify and define in their own words the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They are assigned a CDV or amendment from the Bill of Rights and create and present a one-minute skit demonstrating it.
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Journalist’s Report: The Better Vision for Black Americans
After reading a series of primary source documents detailing the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, class members craft newspaper columns assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each man's vision, and present their...
Shell Education
A Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
How much do your learners know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Set up an opportunity for kids to learn about Dr. King while practicing reading fluency with a reader's theater activity. The script is for four voices and includes...
State Bar of Texas
Hernandez v. Texas
What if the jury is not made up of people from your ethnicity or background—are they still considered your peers? Scholars analyze the impact the Supreme Court case Hernandez v. Texas had on jury selection across the nation. Paired...
Student Handouts
Comparing Countries’ Constitutions
Analyze the constitutions of five different countries and see how they relate to each country's culture and traditions. Pupils read the preambles to the constitutions of India, Ireland, Russia, Suriname, and the United States. After...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights
US history classes explore constitutional rights as they relate to court cases involving teens. Your class must already be familiar with the Bill of Rights before beginning this series of exercises. In preparation for a debate-style...
Curated OER
Ballots, Bloomers and Boycotts
Students compare a controversial issue or policy in need of reform in their classroom to the suffrage movement of the 1800's. They research important figures in the suffrage movement, produce written pieces and complete worksheets.
Civil Rights Movement Veterans
Timeline of Events: 1960’s Civil Rights Movement of St. Augustine, Florida
A timeline can be a powerful learning tool because it reveals a pattern in events. While few would consider St. Augustine, Florida a hotbed of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, a selection of background information and a timeline of...
Curated OER
Landmark Supreme Court Cases And The Constitution
Have an engaging class discussion on the Bill of Rights, U.S. Constitution, and the Supreme Court. Learners examine multiple aspects of the Marbury v. Madison case and the impact that case had on the judicial system in the U.S. Web...
Advocates for Human Rights
The Right of Indigneous Peoples in the United States
The sovereignty of U.S. Native American nations is the focus of a resource that asks class members to compare the Right to Self-Determination in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a fact sheet that...
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Those "Other Rights:" The Constitution and Slavery
Did the United States Constitution uphold the institution of slavery, or did it help to destroy it? Young historians study Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution and evaluate the rights of slaveowners as they compared to...
School Improvement in Maryland
Analysis of Marbury v. Madison
Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...
Brown University
The Candidates and Their Values: Election 2016
Voting for the next president of the United States is about finding the candidate who most closely aligns with your own values and sense of democracy. High schoolers become acquainted with the candidates from the 2016 election with a...
Freeology
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech "I Have A Dream" is hailed as one of the most eloquent and moving speeches of the 20th century. But what makes his words hit his listeners' ears in just the right ways? Young orators study Dr. King's...
Curated OER
Affirmative Action
Young scholars explore policies concerning affirmative action. After reading affirmative action handouts, students use the internet and other resources to research information about affirmative action laws, court cases, and arguments....
Curated OER
People Who Made a Difference
Students practice using new vocabulary related to equality, social justice and civil rights. They describe how one person can contribute to the common good. They research a person of their choice and share how they have made a difference...