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Bill O'Rights
Students discuss and identify the first ten amendments to the Constitution and apply their understanding of the material to how they currently affect their lives. They discover the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen, and...
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Divided We Fall
Students investigate the consequences of eliminating one or more of the amendments to the Bill of Rights.
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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.
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Government: War Powers Limitations
Students examine historic examples of authority during wartime. They interpret the Fifth Amendment. They debate the merits of the Patriot Act.
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Universal Suffrage
Young scholars examine suffrage. They participate in a classroom activity in which some students get to vote and others do not get to participate. Young scholars discuss how they felt and how it wasn't fair. They write a one page essay...
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Which Freedom?
Fourth graders choose on the freedoms in the Bill of Rights and research it on the internet. They answer specific questions using their research and produce a written document using a computer.
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The Eiserloh Story
Students read "The Eiserloh Story" and evaluate decisions made by the government in time of war. They determine if the government violated the rights of innocent civilians. They identify the Bill of Rights and analyze each Right.
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Breaking Barriers
Students investigate racism in the 20th century by exploring U.S. History. In this Civil Rights lesson plan, students review the history of slavery, the Civil War and the fight for equality in the mid 1900's. Students complete Civil...
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The Rule of Law
Students continue their exploration of the concept of rule of law. As a class, they discuss how Civil Rights leaders followed the rule of law in their protests. After reading various articles, they participate in a discussion and...
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Hodgson v. Minnesota
Students investigate the role of and develop opinions of the court in weighing competing interests in making decisions. They examine the power of the courts and legislature to regulate constitutional rights.
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Near v. Minnesota
Students discuss what free press means and what it would be like without this right. They read the summary from the Near v. Minnesota case. In groups, they analyze a problem and report to the class.
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Exploring the Bill of Rights
Students examine, discuss, and research the Bill of Rights. They, in groups, develop a presentation about their amendment for the class.
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Judges in the Classroom
Students study the history of the Bill of Rights and discuss the first ten amendments. The class is put into groups and each group is responsible for knowing 5 statements from the history of the Bill of Rights. Then the class plays a...
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Freedom of Religion
Pupils use this lesson to focus on the freedom of religion. In groups, they discuss how the separation of church and state applies to the public schools across the country. They compare and contrast the establishment and free exercise...
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Introduction to Law I
Students identify four basic values (economic, social, moral, and political) protected by law, examine different definitions of values, and correlate laws to values they aim to protect.
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The Final Question
Students analyze their own feelings about the death penalty before considering court cases involving the death penalty. They determine what their definition is of cruel and unusual punishment, and analyze how different states handle the...
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How was the Constitution Used to Organize the New Government?
How did the United States Congress determine how the new president and vice president would be named when the nation was first established? Who would provide money for the government, and how would the executive branch be organized?
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American Government Worksheet 1
In this American government worksheet, learners respond to 12 true/false, 11 alphabetical order, 15 fill in the appropriate articles, 15 matching, and 1 cryptogram about the structure of the American government.
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We Are the Government
Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...
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Making Democracy Work for Everyone, 1877-1904
Students investigate the culture of the post Reconstruction South. They participate in a jigsaw research activity, conduct Internet research on an assigned topic, and write a report to present to the class.
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Worksheet #61 Questions - James Madison
In this James Madison historical term quiz, students define the meaning of several terms relating to the aforementioned topic in order to advance their historical knowledge.
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We the People Lesson 2
Pupils compare the Federalists and Anti-Federalists visions for the U.S. government. In this government lesson, students conduct research on Federalists and Anti-Federalists figures. Pupils use their findings to help them write position...
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Women's Suffrage
Students investigate the changes of attitudes about Women's suffrage over the passage of time. They read a background on the fight for women's suffrage and its eventual success in the United States and also around the world.
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Blasphemy: Salman Rushdie
Learners discover the definition of blasphemy and examine examples of it in history. In this blasphemy lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding details of blasphemy throughout history. Learners respond to...