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Social Studies: Church and State
Discuss the separation of church and state as it relates to government entities. This is a great way to launch a discussion on the relationship between these groups. Learners analyze this relationship in governments throughout the world,...
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Government: Missouri Bar Civics Library
Students visit the Missouri bar Website to examine information about the U.S. Constitution and its Amendments. They complete a variety of activities from the provided lessons including the judiciary, Fourth Amendment issues, civil law,...
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The Constitution
Eighth graders watch as their teacher presents information on the Constitution, government and laws through a PowerPoint presentation. In groups, they discuss the importance of government and laws and identify the main ideas in the...
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The Bill of Rights
Students examine the intent Bill of Rights. In this American government lesson, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Bill of Rights." Students discuss and debate the 4 Supreme Court cases featured in the video.
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The Federalist Debates: Balancing Power Between State and Federal Governments
Young scholars examine the pros and cons of state sovereignty vs. federalism, as argued by the Founding Fathers. They identify the basic positions of each side, complete a worksheet, and write a persuasive essay arguing for Jefferson or...
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The Evolution of the Preamble
Reading and comprehending informational text is vital in all subject areas. Upper graders use primary sources and worksheets to better comprehend the historical importance of the Preamble of the US Constitution. Web links, handouts, and...
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The Executive Branch
Students study the federal government, which is divided into 3 branches. They have a minimal understanding of the responsibilities of each branch.
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Supreme Court Decisions and Their Effect On Us
Consider five Supreme Court cases and how their outcomes have directly affected the American population. Government students research and compose a 1-2 page pager outlining the examples of our daily life that have specifically been...
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Creating a Bill of Rights
Creating a Bill of Rights isn't easy! Help your scholars experience what the Founding Fathers did by challenging them to write a Bill of Rights. Groups pretend they are a new democratic country and proceed to create that country's Bill...
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Constitutional Struggle Over Centralized Power
Students participate in a classroom simulation to discover the issues facing those who formed the new U.S. government. They compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Using resource sheets and working in...
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Writing a Classroom Constitution
Young scholars work together to write a Constitution for their classroom. As a class, they discuss the need for laws and how the concept of compromise is important. In groups, they compare the process they used for writing the...
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The Constitution and The Bill of Rights
Studnets explore the events and issues surrounding the Constitutional Convenetion and the Bill of Rights through web-sites interacting with such topics as the framers, court cases, games and more.
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Limited Government
Students write a letter to King George III from the point of view of Thomas Jefferson. They defend constitutional democracy and explain the differences between limited and unlimited government.
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We the People. . .
Students explore the United States Constitution. In this government lesson, students write newspaper editorials that reflect their opinions about Amendments.
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Constitutional Convention
Eighth graders gain a greater understanding of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the issues surrounding the development of our Constitution. They participate in an activity and listen to lecture on the Convention, then search...
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Checks on Presidential Power
Students examine presidential powers. In this checks and balances lesson, students identify the constitutional and informal restraints of the president and consider the reasons for the limitations.
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When Property Rights and the Public Good Clash
Students analyze a case involving a government's use of eminent
domain powers to construct a comprehension of property rights and how they might be viewed as essential protections for citizens in a constitutional democracy. They Use the...
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Church and State Separation: The Challenge and the Debate
Students describe the basic elements of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment as it relates to the separation of church and state and freedom of religion.
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First Things First: Using the Newspaper to Teach the Freedoms of the First Amendment
Students use the newspaper as a tool to make connections about what the five freedoms guarantee in the First Amendment. For this first amendment lesson plan, students analyze events in the newspaper to form conclusions about the freedoms...
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Amending the Constitution
Students research the history of the process of amending the US Constitution to explain the latest amendment that failed on June 28, 2006. They complete the research and view images online.
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The Constitution & Native Americans
Students identify and consider US Constitutional origins in American Indian culture. They discuss and consider what it means to them to attribute the origins of the US Constitution to American Indian oral tradition. They compare the...
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It is Our Right-Don't Waste It!
Learners explore the basic rights granted to all American citizens by the U.S. Constitution in the light of women's issues. The women's suffrage movement, the role of Susan B. Anthony, and the timeline of events on voting rights are...
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The Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention
Eleventh graders explore the major points covered during the Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention. They discuss the Federalists and the Anti federalists. They discuss the Bill of Rights and the drafting of the Constitution....
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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?