Curated OER
Burning Hatred
Young scholars examine the constitutionality of various forms of expression; they then take part in a mock trial on the issue of cross burning. Divide the class into three groups; Supreme Court Justices, and two groups that don't agree...
Curated OER
Creating A Bill Of Rights In Space
Students define rights, analyze and apply the U.S. Bill of Rights to hypothetical situations, and create an Intergalactic Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
Understanding Procedural Justice
Students analyze procedural justice by identifying unfair decisions by ruler in play, stating procedural guarantees that a Bill of Rights should include, and comparing their list of guarantees to those provided by the U.S. Constitution...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court
Students explore what the United States would be like today if the Bill of Rights had never been written. In this exploring the constitution lesson, students research Supreme Court cases that were heard in the early years of the...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Elonis v. U.S.
With the explosion of social media sites, with online threats and cyber bullying, issues of freedom of speech have taken on a whole new aspect. Elonis v. U.S. represents the first time the Supreme Court has considered whether or not...
Curated OER
Should Hate Be Outlawed?
Students investigate hate crime legislation. In this hate crime lesson, students examine the St. Paul city ordinance that outlawed hate crimes. Students explore the fine between hate crime legislation and First Amendment rights.
Curated OER
Hate Crimes Legislation
Learners investigate hate crime legislation. In this hate crime lesson, students examine the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act Learners explore the fine between hate crime legislation and First Amendment...
Education World
Every Day Edit - Women Get the Vote
In this everyday editing worksheet, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about suffrage. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.
Curated OER
Breaking Barriers
Determine how African-Americans have broken barriers in this history activity. Middle schoolers discuss the 15th Amendment and the American civil rights movement prior to analyzing Barack Obama's speech "A More Perfect Union," taking...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Women's Suffrage: 140 Years of Struggle
Students create PowerPoint presentations about women's suffrage. In this women's rights instructional activity, students use primary documents to study the women's suffrage movement. In pairs, students create a PowerPoint presentation...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Guest-Worker Program
The U.S. Guest-Worker Program and the H-2A visa are the focus of a social studies activity. First, class members assume the role of advisors who must present the president with four proposals that would amend the visas given to...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: January 2016
Looking for an exam that uses primary sources to test young historians' analytical muscles? Check out a standardized test that asks learners to answer multiple-choice and essay questions to demonstrate their understanding of American...
Curated OER
Private Property Vs. the Public Good: the Problem of Eminent Domain
Learners view video The Electric Valley, discuss film clips and review news articles and other documents pertaining to eminent domain, prepare declarative statement on issue that has pro or con side, and present case to opposing side in...
Curated OER
The Kid Who Ran for President
In this reading worksheet, students answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "Why did Judd change his parakeet's name?"
Curated OER
Internet Fact Hunt at the "Fact Monster" Web Site- Hunt #33
In this Internet fact hunt worksheet, learners access the "Fact Monster" web site to locate the answers to 5 multiple choice questions. They answer questions about US history, geography, literature, and science.
Curated OER
Reorganizing the Bill of Rights
Eighth graders look critically at the 26 amendments to the United States Constitution.
Curated OER
Divided We Fall
Students investigate the consequences of eliminating one or more of the amendments to the Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
In the Light of Reverence
Students watch a documentary prior to participating in a Supreme Court simulation in order to study how religious practices are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. They interpret conflict from a number of perspectives...
National First Ladies' Library
Government: Defending the Bill of Rights
Pupils examine the proposition of a country without the Bill of Rights. In a role-playing activity, teams of students gather information to build a case for retaining the Bill of Rights and present it before their congressperson.
Curated OER
Freedom Of Expression In Special Places
Students learn about First Amendment rights as they pertain to school and school newspapers.
Curated OER
Bill of Rights -- Texas v. Johnson, 1989
Middle schoolers examine the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. During a visit to the George Bush Presidential Museum, they watch a video about the Texas v. Johnson flag burning case. In groups, they discover the role of the Supreme...
Curated OER
History of the Bill of Rights
Young scholars study the history of the Bill of Rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students read and use two handouts to learn about the history of the Bill of Rights. Young scholars then work in groups to study the Bill of Rights....
Curated OER
Should Your Hairstyle Be A Constitutional Right?
Students examine the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. In this U.S. government lesson, students read the Amendments and interpret them in order to respond to essential questions regarding constitutional rights.
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights
Ninth graders examine various Supreme Court Cases. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders research a specific Supreme Court Case. Students create a multiple choice assignment based on their assigned case.