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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat

For Students 5th - 8th
By 1788 eleven states ratified the Constitution, more than enough to put it into effect as the document establishing rules for the nation. Read about the goals of the Federalists in estabilishing a national government and find out how...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: After the Fact: Virginia, New Yok, and "The Federalist Papers"

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the necessity for Virginia and New York to support the ratification of the Constitution. See what influenced the vote in Virginia and how the legislature of New York was finally convinced.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Federalists

For Students 5th - 8th
A brief look at the men who supported the new Constitution and the reasons they supported it.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Political Experience

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about how the state governments in the new American nation served as the laboratory to try out new ideas of governing and treating citizens. See how remarkably similar the ideas put forth in state constitutions were to each other.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article V: Judicial Review

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of the proposition that ratification of constitutional amendments is exclusively within the purview of Congress, either because of commitment or because the courts lack basic criteria of determination to pass on them.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Bill of Rights

For Students 4th - 8th
The Constitution spelled out the powers of the national government, but many Anti-federalists felt there should be equally explicit a guarantee of individual rights. Read about the compiliation of what became known as the Bill of Rights...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Ratification Process: State by State

For Students 5th - 8th
The ratification of the Constitution was placed at the hands of the state legislatures. Read about which states supported the ratification, which were opposed, and why. Find out why, even after the requisite number of states had voted...
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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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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: A Cast of National Superstars

For Students 5th - 8th
A brief look at some of those who served as delegates to the Philadelphia Convention, which morphed into a constitutional convention. Pay attention to the class of people who made up the delegates.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Radical Reconstruction

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the frustration the Radical Republicans in Congress had with the Reconstruction plans of Andrew Johnson. Find out what legislation they were able to pass over Johnson's veto, and how they attempted to protect emancipated...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: New England Colonies: The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony

For Students 5th - 7th
Read a brief description of the Pilgrims' journey to North America. Find out how many travelers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims, and find out why a mistake in navigation led to the first written constitution in the New World.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Articles of Confederation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This lesson looks at the development of the constitutional government in the United States. Young scholars use technology to explore history concepts.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Circling the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This is a hands-on, inquiry project to create a 3-D graphic organizer for the research and study of the Bill of Rights. It may be a stand-alone activity or may be included as part of a unit of study on the Constitution. Learners will...
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Schechter Poultry Corporation v. United States (1953)

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource contains the full text of the opinion delivered by Chief Justice Hughes of the Supreme Court. This case was about unfair competition.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Declaration of Independence

For Students 9th - 10th
The Declaration of Independence, made by the second American Continental Congress and adopted July 4, 1776, announced the separation of the original thirteen North American British colonies from Great Britain making them into the United...
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Us Senate Facts

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Detailed facts and information on the United States Senate, a part of Congress that has the power to pass, amend and repeal bills that are made into the law of the land.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Us Congress Facts

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Article provides an overview and interesting facts about the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Sixth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource contains the text of the 6th amendment. It has several pages of annotations covering the major concepts in the rights of the accused.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: New Jersey Plan

For Students 9th - 10th
New Jersey Plan was presented in the form of eleven resolutions drafted by William Paterson. It detailed a legislature of only one house and featured equal representation in which each state had the same number of representatives thus...
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Virginia Plan

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the Virginia Plan that was based on a national and state government system with a separation of powers consisting of legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also contained a resolution for proportional...
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: A New Government

For Teachers 6th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart discusses the events following the American Revolution and how the new government developed. The Articles of Confederation and their replacement by the US Constitution are explained....
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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.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Drafting the Constitution

For Students 5th - 8th
Problems with the new government of the United States led to rethinking the rules of governing. Read a brief overview of what the results were.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Plessy vs. Ferguson

For Students 9th - 10th
Transcript of the infamous Supreme Court decision that established the constitutionality of the principle of "Separate but equal," public facilities for members of different races. This was eventually overturned by the 1954 and 1955...

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