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...
Federal Reserve Bank
Constitutionality of a Central Bank
Considering the expressed and implied powers of Congress, was it constitutional for the United States to establish the Second National Bank in the early nineteenth century? What is the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve System?
Curated OER
The First (and Last) Words
What does "freedom of speech" mean to your class, especially in the context of Internet communications? In round-table discussion format, middle and high schoolers address the issues discussed in "State Legislatures Across U.S. Plan to...
Curated OER
The Role of the Executive Branch in the Lawmaking Process
Students examine Article I, Section 7, and Article II, Sections 2 and 3, of the U.S. Constitution, explain the president's role in the lawmaking process, and define the term veto.
Curated OER
American Government Worksheet 1
For this American government worksheet, students respond to 12 true/false, 11 alphabetical order, 15 fill in the appropriate articles, 15 matching, and 1 cryptogram about the structure of the American government.
Curated OER
Lesson 3: Branches of Government
Young historians climb through the three branches of the US government in the third lesson of this five-part series. While reading the first three Articles of the Constitution in small groups, children write facts on paper leaves that...
Curated OER
It's in Your Pocket
Students examine American coins. In this American currency lesson plan, students study how American money came to be as well as the responsibilities of the U.S. Mint. Students discover details regarding American coins and design their...
Curated OER
Why We Chose Our Constitution
Students examine the American plan for government. In this American government lesson, students examine selected Internet websites regarding the Magna Carta, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Curated OER
Presidential Powers
Students study and discuss the section of the Constitution that refers to the executive branch. They write a new section or clause describing a new duty for the president of the United States. Students define the word power and proposal.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 4 James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act—Federal/State and Executive/Legislative
Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...
Curated OER
We The People
Students consider the main concepts of the Preamble of the United States Constitution They research different issues explored in the Constitution which have both historic and modern connections.
Curated OER
Get to Know Your Bill of Rights
Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...
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
Cultural Lit. 31: The U.S. and Iroquois Constitutions
Students identify and compare major elements of Iroquois and United States Constitutions.
Curated OER
Do We Need a New Constitutional Convention
Learners analyze the adaptive nature of the U.S. Constiution. For this Amendments lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the amendment process. Learners respond to question regarding the amendment process...
Curated OER
A Nation Counts
Students explore the functions of the U.S. Census. In this civics lesson plan, students understand the origins of the census and its role in U.S. history, recognize the political importance of apportionment based purely on population,...
Curated OER
Census and Apportionment
Students manage census data. In this U.S. Census lesson plan, students understand and describe the role census data play in apportionment decisions as they analyze the connection between apportionment and the Electoral College.
Curated OER
Interview With the Signers of the Constitution
Students work in small groups to develop three questions that a newspaper reporter assigned to cover the signing of the Constitution might have asked each of the following signers of the Constitution: George Washington, Benjamin...
C-SPAN
Choice Board: Expressed and Implied Powers
Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution expressly lists powers given to Congress. Over the years, lawmakers have expanded the enumerated powers to include powers implied by the list. To better understand the significance...
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 Three Branches of Government
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson plan, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
If Men Were Angels: Teaching the Constitution With the Federalist Papers
Much like the methods of group work, the writers of the Federalist Papers worked together to advocate for their viewpoints against the anti-federalists. The resource enables learners to break into small groups and conduct research before...
University of Arkansas
Assessment and Discussion
"Without concerned citizen action to uphold them (human rights) close to home; we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. . ." Eleanor Roosevelt's comment is used to set the stage for the conclusion of a five-lesson unit...
Curated OER
American Revolution and Constitution Take-Home Assessment
In this early American history worksheet, students draw diagrams of that feature the responsibilities of each of the 3 branches of the federal government and then create their own original visuals that highlight the formation of American...