Curated OER
Preamble to the Constitution: What is Good Government?
Students identify what a good government should provide for its citizens, and link their ideas to those of the founding founders by analyzing the Preamble to the Constitution. They create a mural depicting their understanding of the...
Curated OER
Launching the New U.S. Navy
Students analyze United States Constitution, locate general references to common defense, and specific references in document to U.S. Navy. Students then respond to questions on Document Analysis Worksheet, and discuss relationship...
Curated OER
Government: Balance of Power
Fifth graders conduct Internet research about the governmental balance of power. They create Kidspiration projects demonstrating the workings of the three branches of government. They compare U.S. democracy with other forms of government.
Curated OER
Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers
Middle schoolers cite connections among Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754, his Plan of Confederation of 1775 and the U.S. Constitution and/or the Declaration of Independence. In an essay, they give examples of the philosophical and...
Curated OER
Our National Documents
Learners explore the significance of National Documents. In this National Documents lesson, students read handouts regarding the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Learners complete the provided...
Curated OER
U.S. Involvement in Nation-Building Before Iraq
Students analyze U.S. involvement in Iraq. In this foreign policy lesson plan, students listen to their instructor lecture on America's nation-building policies. Students respond to questions pertaining to nation-building practices.
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Center for Civic Education
What Is Authority?
Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children learn about...
National Endowment for the Humanities
James Madison: Raising an Army—Balancing the States and the Federal Government
To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...
K20 LEARN
Tribal Sovereignty and the Indian Reorganization Act: Tribal Governments
Sovereign nations or wards? High schoolers investigate the history of the Indian Reorganization Act and other legislation that impacted Native Americans. They also research different tribes' constitutions, compare them to the U.S....
Curated OER
Democracy: An Introduction.
Students study the U.S. Constitutional System and how it compares with forms of democracy that developed in ancient Greece and Rome. They list and explain the requirements it takes to form a society to be considered a nation.
Curated OER
Understanding The Preamble
Students explore the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. In this government instructional activity, students write a preamble to encourage cooperation in their classroom as they study the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution.
Curated OER
Changes In The New Nation: New Beginnings
Students consider the role of American newspapers in the revolution and plans for new government. In this early American history lesson, students determine how communication provided by newspapers contributed to the organization of the...
Curated OER
Understanding Procedural Justice
Learners analyze the concept of procedural justice. For this judges in the classroom instructional activity, students role play the ways the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights established certain procedures to protect people from...
Curated OER
The First Amendment: Freedom of Expression
Learners explore First Amendment rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson plan, students examine the freedom of expression as they view a PowerPoint presentation and listen to the lecture that accompanies it.
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights is a-Rockin
Young scholars explore the U.S. Constitution through music. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students discuss a hypothetical case regarding lyrics by Madonna and the historical Massachusetts Blue Laws. Young scholars use the Bill of Rights...
Curated OER
Checks and Balances
Students take a closer look at the responsibilities of the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. In this U.S. government lesson plan, students read articles 1, 2, and 3 of the Constitution and then use Venn diagrams to compare...
Curated OER
American Focus on World Constitutions
Upper graders read several passages to gain an understanding of the nations that have adopted a constitution similar to the United States Constitution. This is a scripted lesson that is intended to build content-specific vocabulary and...
Curated OER
American Focus on World Constitutions
Eighth graders describe essential components of a constitution and cite cultural factors affecting international law-making.
Curated OER
The President's Roles and Responsibilities: Understanding the President's Job
Students examine the roles and responsibilites of the president of the U.S. They identify and discuss the three branches of U.S. government, view and discuss a White House Photo essay online, and create a class book entitled, 'If I Were...
Curated OER
United States Constitution Framers
Students view a PowerPoint presentation based on the framers of the Constitution. Students create notes on each of the delegates featured. Using their notes, they write a paragraph on the Constitutional Convention delegate they believe...
University of Arkansas
Our Responsibilities
The fourth in a five-lesson plan unit examining human rights and personal responsibility asks class groups to investigate a current rights issue, and using the provided graphic organizer, summarize the issue, consider which rights are...
Curated OER
Comparing the 1945 Vietnam Declaration of Independence and Constitution of 1992 with the United States Declaration of Independence and Constitution
High schoolers compare and contrast the Vietnamese and American plans for government. In this government systems lesson plan, students analyze and compare excerpts of the 1945 Vietnam Declaration of Independence, the Vietnam Constitution...
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...