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Are We the People?
Students investigate their elected officials and their roles. For this governmental leadership lesson, students discuss the Constitution and research their elected officials. They also organize the information they find regarding the...
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Government by the People
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning activity, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...
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Tally of the 1824 Electoral College Vote
Twelfth graders study the parts of the Constitution that address presidential election. They complete a variety of activities designed to spark debate about the flaws in the Electoral College system.
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Words That Hold Court
Students research legal terminology used in the Supreme Court. In this legal terminology lesson, students study a quote from President Obama about the Supreme Court. Students make a list of facts about the Supreme Court and the justices...
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The 1808 Slave Trade Abolition Deadline
Students study the trans-Atlantic Slave trade. In this slave trade activity, students study the Constitutional Convention Notes and the impact on United States slavery. Students research the slave trade database and other primary sources...
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Words That Hold Court
Students recognize the importance of the Supreme Court. In this legal terminology lesson, students define a list of words to understand the Supreme Court and the language used in cases. Students revise a case summary.
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In His Own Words: James Madison On the Problem of Faction
Students are introduced to the writings of James Madison and explain why he is often called "The Father of the Constitution". Using primary source documents, they examine his view of the Bill of Rights and what he meant by faction. In...
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Fires of the 21st Century
Students explore historical perspectives. In this contemporary history lesson, students listen to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," discuss they lyrics, and add a new verse to the song for the years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
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Eating Right with a Little Help From the VT
Students explore the food pyramid. For this nutrition lesson, students identify the 5 food groups and sort foods according to the group in which they belong. Students use the Visual Thesaurus to complete a food groups worksheet and...
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Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
Students examine Abraham Lincoln's political views about slavery. In this American Civil War lesson, students determine how Lincoln's beliefs led to the restriction of slavery in American territories. Student also analyze the party...
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How the Court Became Supreme
Students investigate how the Supreme Court changed under the leadership of John Marshall. In this Supreme Court instructional activity, students recognize the role of the Supreme Court as well as the significance of Marbury v. Madison....
National Endowment for the Humanities
Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency Not to Be Excused"
High schoolers examine slavery in the revolutionary and colonial eras of the United States. In this slavery lesson, students investigate the presence of slavery in early America, the language of the Constitution, and the intent of the...
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Thomas Jefferson on the Sedition Act
Young scholars research and cite arguments Jefferson used in objecting to the Sedition Act. They discuss Jefferson's opinion on how constitutional questions about the Sedition Act could be resolved.
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Emancipation Proclamation
Students analyze key components of a portrait and relate the elements to the historical context. In this lesson students evaluate the "Emancipation Proclamation" and it's significance.
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Civilizations: Rise To Power
Students discover details about the rise of civilizations. In this Roman history lesson, students watch "Civilizations: Rise to Power," and read primary sources from different periods of the empire's history. Students write essays that...
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Introducing Culture
Students analyze what it is that constitutes culture. They describe how the concept of culture relates to their own experience and imagine that they are extraterrestrials-peaceful, intelligent creatures from another planet who have...
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Henry Laurens in the Tower of London
Eighth graders examine primary sources regarding Henry Laurens and his time in the Tower of London. In this American Revolution instructional activity, 8th graders create illustrated journals based on their research of imprisonment of...
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Independent - To Be Or Not To Be
Students examine national symbols of freedom and speech strategies. They study the constitution, forefathers, and the Declaration of Independence.
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U.S. Immigration Policy and Hitler's Holocaust
Students read about immigration to the U.S. during the Holocaust. In this immigration activity, students write answers to discussion questions. Students role play members of the 1951 U.N. conference and create guidelines for an...
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The Gettysburg Address (1863): Defining the American Union
Learners explore the Gettysburg Address. In this U. S. history lesson, students examine Abraham Lincoln's speech and it's themes of freedom, equality, and emancipation.
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Anti-federalist Arguments Against: A Complete Consolidation
Students analyze Anti-Federalist debates. For this Anti-Federalists lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the Anti-Federalist argument against extended republic tendencies. Students...
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Frederick Douglass: If There Is No Stuggle, There Is No Progress
Learners explore Frederick Douglass's method of resisting slavery. In this Frederick Douglas lesson, students read a speech given by Douglas regarding his theories of resistance. Learners discuss the speech and then write their own...
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Marcus Garvey and the Rise of Black Nationalism
Fourth graders explore the differing beliefs of African American activists. In this American history lesson, 4th graders examine the views of racism resistance that Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Marcus Garvey held.
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William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Conflict Resolution and Happy Endings
Students analyze the characters and conflicts in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream. For this conflict resolution lesson, students read the play and track the character actions with the specific plots. Students then predict endings...