Curated OER
The Kids are All-Right
Students explore alcohol abuse. For this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "The Kids are All Right", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity based on the content...
Curated OER
A Time for Justice
Young scholars explain the protections and privileges of individuals and groups in the United States.
Curated OER
Constitution Web-lesson
Learners examine multiple sources like america's founders, court cases, headilnes and more to learn about the Constitutional Convention of 1787
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
VA Statute for Religious Freedom, II. Matching Activity
Students read and analyze primary source documents. In this matching instructional activity, students read sections of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Students match the document sections with paraphrased sections and discuss...
Curated OER
Judicial Review
Students visit the Missouri Bar Civics Library to examine the process of judicial review. After completing a worksheet, they discuss the questions to determine what they learned, what more they would like to know, and how the...
Curated OER
Freedom to Worship
Fifth graders read the biographies of seven colonists and determine their position on the freedom of religion. They conduct a panel discussion of seven personalities and debate the religious freedom in America.
Scholastic
Now that You Have Them, What Do You Do With Class Rules?
Establishing classroom rules within the first two weeks of school is important. But what do you do with the rules after they've been created, and how can you establish them so that they have a lasting effect all year long? Use an...
National Constitution Center
Born in the U.S.A: Music as Political Protest
Though often used in shows of patriotism, Bruce Springsteen's 1985 song "Born in the U.S.A." is critical of America's role in the Vietnam war and its treatment of American veterans. High schoolers analyze the song's lyrics in an activity...
Teaching Tolerance
Understanding the Prison Label
Break the chain. An engaging lesson examines why it is so hard to break free of the prison system in the US. Academics participate in a reader's theater, read primary sources, and discuss their thoughts. The lesson explains the hardships...
Teaching Tolerance
Parallels Between Mass Incarceration and Jim Crow
Is history repeating itself? A riveting lesson examines the parallels between mass incarceration in the U.S. and the Jim Crow Laws of the past. Academics review Jim Crow Laws and compare them to mass incarcerations of African Americans....
Teaching Tolerance
Free to Believe!
The United States: One nation with countless religions. An interesting lesson focuses on the freedom of religion protected under the First Amendment. Academics learn why it is important to protect all religions, why there is a separation...
Judicial Branch of California
Fayette v. Take Two: The First Amendment
An informative lesson provides scholars the opportunity to study a Supreme Court case regarding the First Amendment and make a ruling with the members of their group. Class members also participate in group discussion and prepare a...
Judicial Branch of California
The Constitution: What It Says and What It Means
Learners get the chance to act as representatives to the Constitution Convention, and must decide whether or not to recommend your state ratify the new framework. After examining the Constitution line-by-line, they consider their...
PBS
Civic Engagement and How Students Can Get Involved
There is no age limit on civic engagement. Even if your pupils are not old enough to vote, they are old enough to get involved. Show them how with a PBS lesson that underscores the importance of civic participation and models ways young...
Judicial Branch of California
The Power of the Press: The First Amendment
Was what happened in 1886 at the Haymarket riot a crime or a case of xenophobia? Using political cartoons from the time, young historians consider the role the media played in anti-labor sentiment during the time and how that influenced...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Petition about Slavery
Practice analyzing primary sources in a thought-provoking lesson on the impact of slavery. Young historians read a petition regarding the Fugitive Slave Law and answer a series of questions to understand the importance of the document....
Carolina K-12
Marsh v. Chambers and the Establishment Clause
1983 Supreme Court case Marsh v. Chambers, which centers on whether opening a legislative session with a prayer violates the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the US Constitution, is the focus of a series of discussions and...
Annenberg Foundation
The New Nation
The conclusion of the American Revolution brought about a new conflict—choosing the stye of government for the newly formed United States. Using the views of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, learners work in pairs and groups to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Puritan Massachusetts: Theocracy or Democracy?
Was Puritan society governed as more of a theocracy or democracy? After comparing and contrasting a series of primary source documents, middle and high schoolers form small groups and debate the question.
Reading Through History
The Slaughterhouse Cases
Do modern citizens interpret the Fourteenth Amendment the way it was intended? Scholars study the Slaughterhouse Cases to see how judges interpreted the amendment in the 1800s. Following the reading on the subject, they answer...
National Constitution Center
Federalism, the Commerce Clause, and the Tenth Amendment
How do the state and federal governments relate to each other? The Constitution has a lot to say about that! Using an interactive online tool, pupils explore the Tenth Amendment. They apply their knowledge to political cartoons and news...
Judicial Learning Center
The Constitution
Supreme Court justices debate the meaning of the US Constitution, but we expect teachers to explain it to scholars with far less training and experience. A daunting task for sure, but it's not insurmountable with resources that simplify...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Day for the Constitution
The "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" law requires schools receiving any federal funding to provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution. The lesson plans, materials, videos, questions, and activities...