Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Bill of Rights
Do citizens need protection from the federal government? Scholars investigate why the framers of the Constitution created the first 10 amendments and what these amendments mean to citizens of the United States more than 200 years later....
Newseum
Civil Rights: Your Stories of Change
Young activists examine local civil rights issues presented in news media sites to determine what elements make these stories attention-grabbing and trustworthy. Using this information and their worksheets from the first two lessons in...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments
Students explore the Bill of Rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students participate in classroom debate regarding the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Students then vote for the amendments they would like to ratify.
Curated OER
"Father" of Our Country vs. "Father" of the Bill of Rights
Students examine the relevance of the Bill of Rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students study the parts of the Constitution and the ten amendments. They investigate the rights and responsibilities that accompany being an American....
Curated OER
Individual Rights and Liberties: Free Speech
Students review free speech laws and the First Amendment in the Constitution. They discuss a current event involving free speech. They present the information to the class.
Curated OER
Freedom of Expression in Special Places
Young scholars analyze the judicial decision making process, and identify three places presenting First Amendment problems. They analyze how the 1st Amendment applies to school newspapers, and argue for and against limiting 1st Amendment...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Students work in collaborative groups to research an amendment of the Bill of Rights. They then design and present a skit that demonstrates and communicates the core values and concepts of the amendment to the class.
Curated OER
Regents Review Worksheet #1: Principles of the U.S. Constitution
Kids who take the Regents Exam really need to know a lot of information. This is a wonderful exam review tool that includes 26 pages of questions, charts, and suggested readings to help upper graders pass the test. It focuses on all...
Madison Public Schools
Journalism
Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...
Annenberg Foundation
Controversial Issues in Practice
Wow! This resource provides three related lessons on the First Amendment that challenge US government students to explore their personal opinion on the separation of church and state. Each lesson can be adjusted in length, but is...
K20 LEARN
Bill of Rights: Do I Have a Right?
Aliens have taken over the United States! Citizens can only keep two rights laid out in the first 10 amendments of the Constitution and must figure out which ones are best. Young scholars research the importance of each amendment and key...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
New York Times Co. v Sullivan: The Alabama Case that Changed Libel Law
Malice aforethought? Can the New York Times be held libel for false claims appearing in its ads? The Supreme Court case New York Times v Sullivan changed the interpretation of the First Amendment. Class members examine these changes and...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
US v. Alvarez
Is it illegal to lie about military service? Discuss the ways the First Amendment affects the Stolen Valor Act with a lesson that focuses on the Supreme Court case U.S. v. Alvarez. As high schoolers learn more about the history of the...
Curated OER
the Impact of the U.s. Supreme Court on High School Journalism.
Students study of the First Amendment, Tinker, Hazelwood and the Colorado Student Free Expression Law. They discuss the ramifications on the student press and recite their memorized First Amendment rights. They discover what can...
Curated OER
Religion and the First Amendment
Students examine the tenets of the First Amendment and how it applies to Islam. They observe a video about Islamic prayer and focus on rights, responsibility, and respect in relation to the religion. Students discuss the difference...
Curated OER
Teaching About Freedom of Speech on the Internet
Young scholars explore the first amendment in relation to their own personal use of the internet and discuss the legal implications that occur when schools and libraries put filters on computers to restrict access to certain websites.
Curated OER
Right to Privacy?
Young scholars listen to a teacher reading of the freedoms included in the First Amendment. They, in small groups, read two editorials about privacy, and compare and contrast the two.
Curated OER
Lesson 3: A Visitor From Outer Space
Students review provisions of Bill of Rights and First Amendment, choose five rights they would like to preserve, support their choices and ideas with reasoned arguments, and discuss consequences of keeping or losing particular rights.
iCivics
Drafting Board: Interest Groups
Does the influence of interest groups harm a political system? Your class members will analyze the role of interest groups in American politics, as well as consider the effect of perspective, bias, loyalty, and the...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Learners discuss the government as a whole and then each amendment is examined. They complete a Bill of Rights test in groups or on their own. Answers are gone over in class and discussion is encouraged.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Why Is the Declaration of Independence Important?
Fair or unfair? To begin a study of the American Revolution, class members review the treatment of the people of the American Colonies by the King of England and decide which were fair and which were unfair. Class members then annotate a...
Curated OER
Symbolic Speech
Ninth graders consider the right of freedom of speech as it is outlined in the U.S. Constitution. They receive background information for the US Supreme Court, the Bill of Rights, and free speech. They discuss a series of actual cases...
Curated OER
Progressive Reforms
Tenth graders analyze editorial cartoons focusing on progressive reform. They compare their analysis and research. Students discuss the cost of reform leading to the creation of a national income tax through the passage of the 16th...
Curated OER
The Era of Good Feelings
Setting the context for the first part of the 19th century, the slides presented here display the "Era of Good Feelings," including the presidencies of Monroe and Adams. Maps and photographs help students to contextualize the concepts of...