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Unit Plan
US Department of the Treasury

Department of the Treasury for Kids

For Students 3rd - 8th
Click on the U.S. Mint and Bureau of Engraving and Printing for informative and colorful pages on the Department of Treasury. Site also provides information on other government offices.
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Website
US Department of the Treasury

U.s. Department of Treasury Education

For Students 9th - 10th
"We are pleased to welcome you to Treasury's Learning Vault, where you can learn all about the history of the Treasury Department, its role in the Federal government, and its mission to serve you."
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Primary
US National Archives

Nara: Charters of Freedom: The Power of the Courts: Marbury vs. Madison, 1803

For Students 9th - 10th
Website with primary source material on the making of the U.S. government and Constitution explains how Marbury vs. Madison brought the power of Judicial Review to the Supreme Court.
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Website
The White House

The White House: National Security & Defense

For Students 9th - 10th
Read general information about the establishment of the National Security Council, current staff, and its function within the government.
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Anatomy of the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This instructional activity gives an article-by-article overview of the structure and function of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process, and the role of the...
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Handout
Other

Middle East Institute: Middle Eastern Economies

For Students 9th - 10th
Economic trends will provide a very important part of the context in which President Obama's policies play out in the remainder of his term until January 2017. The Middle East's economic recovery from the 2008-2010 global economic crisis...
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Website
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation

For Students 9th - 10th
The Federal Bureau of Investigation(F.B.I)is an independent agency of the U.S. government. This homepage contains a wide variety of information, such as: Your FBI, Contacting the FBI, Major Investigations, Employment, etc.
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Website
Other

Federal Judicial Center: What the Federal Courts Do

For Students 9th - 10th
U.S. government-sponsored site that provides excellent information on the distinction between civil law and criminal law. It is part of a larger website that is dedicated to explaining the workings of the federal judicial system....
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Lesson Plan
Cynthia J. O'Hora

Mrs. O's House: Government Travel and Staffers

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Who should pay for politicians traveling before it violates ethical codes of abuse of power? Legislators and their staff were offered and accepted millions of dollars worth of free trips. This lesson explores the ethics of our...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Tough Issues

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Separation of Powers

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses what separation of powers is, what it looked like in the past, and how it is interpreted in countries around the world and in the United States.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court

For Students 5th - 8th
John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but his decisions, especially in Marbury v Madison, set the influence of the Court for the next many decades. Read about Marshall's decisions and why they were so important.
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Nationbuilder in Chief

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn about some of the decisions and actions the first presidential administrations took to make sure the United States would be strong enough to last.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Completing a Final Draft

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the committee that produced a final draft of the Constitution to present to the entire Constitutional Convention. Find out what the delegates to the convention kept in the final draft and what they changed.
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Handout
BBC

Bbc News: Profile: Condoleeza Rice

For Students 9th - 10th
BBC News: Profile: Condoleezza Rice
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Handout
Tennessee History For Kids

Tennessee History for Kids: Part Four, New Nation and Statehood

For Students 3rd - 8th
This website page includes information regarding how Tennessee became a state beginning with King George III's Proclamation of 1763 and ending with Tennessee becoming a state and moving the capitol to Knoxville.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Majority Rule vs. Checks and Balances [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
It is interesting to read how the delegates to the Constitutional Convention thought as they debated important issues such as the checks and balances that should be written into the new Constitution. Read these conversations based on...
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Website
Other

Pennsylvania General Assembly

For Students 9th - 10th
Official site of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislative branch of the state government of Pennsylvania. Find a mix of useful resources, including a state-legislator finder, a virtual tour of the capitol building, a guide to...
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Website
Other

International Constitutional Law: Bangladesh Index

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides background material on Bangladesh's 1996 constitution It also describes the Bangladesh political parties and history of the current government.
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Graphic
Georgetown University

Georgetown University Pdba: Bolivia Cabinet/gabinete

For Students 9th - 10th
A current list of the governmental leaders of Bolivia who form the Executive Branch of the government. It includes the President/Vice-President and the Ministers names.
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Activity
US National Archives

Nara: Teaching With Documents: Anti Railroad Propaganda Poster

For Teachers 9th - 10th
From the National Archives and Records Administration site, this lesson, focusing on a poster circulated in Philadelphia in 1839 to discourage the coming of the railroad, relates to the struggle to define the powers of the national and...
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Website
US Navy

U.s. Military History and National Security

For Students 9th - 10th
An internet guide to US military history and national security. Includes links to the history of the US armed forces and specific branches as well as information on the different federal organizations involved in national security.
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Lesson Plan
American Bar Association

American Bar Assoc.: Separation of Powers, Connecting the Separate Powers [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th - 6th
This lesson involves role-playing to help the students understand the separation of powers. [PDF]
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Activity
Schools of California Online Resources for Education

Score: The u.s. Constitution Power Grab Game

For Students 9th - 10th
Politicians like power, but who actually gets to use their powers in different situations? Take this quiz to sort out the checks and balances that are used on the various power plays.