Curated OER
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
Students create a series of drawings to show the process of how the Supreme Court does its work. The drawings may be in strip cartoon form or a series of separate illustrations.
Curated OER
Successful Deaf Leaders in Government
Students create a "Who's Who" compilation of local, state, national and international leaders that advocate, introduce legislation, and lobby for the deaf. They use internet research to create a catalog of biographies and then conduct a...
Curated OER
TE Activity: Pollution Politics
Students examine how a bill becomes a law in the US Congress. They investigate legislation about global warming. They determine the role of engineers as they educate Congress, the public and other government institutions about global...
Curated OER
A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: A SIMULATION
Pupils discuss two computerized options to change the current U.S. government. In this Constitutional Convention lesson plan, students write a statement advocating for one of the choices and participate in a mock modern Constitutional...
Curated OER
How government Works
Students read to understand the process of lawmaking. In this lawmaking instructional activity, students define vocabulary and create an organizer showing the law making process. Students role play the various people involved in the...
Curated OER
How the Supreme Court Affects the Lives of Teens
Students describe the structure and function of the United States Supreme Court. They examine and analyze decisions made by the Court. They participate in a debate about recent issues.
Curated OER
New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101
Learners read a USA Today article about U.S. democracy and then complete questions about the topic. In this democracy lesson, students read the article 'New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101.' Learners learn about the test for U.S....
Curated OER
The Roles of the President
High schoolers list the many jobs of the U.S. president and explain the reasons for them. They compare current and past roles of the chief executive of the United States.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2 James Madison: The Second National Bank—Powers Not Specified in the Constitution
How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second lesson of a...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights and the News
Learners examine current news stories and from them develop "BIG" questions related to individual and group rights. They then relate their questions to the U.S. Constitution and supreme court decisions.
Curated OER
Citizen Me
Fifth graders examine what it means to be a citizen. Using the Constitution, they discover the functions and purpose of government. They compare and contrast the difference between a democracy and a monarchy. As a class, they discuss...
Curated OER
Representation of the Common Citizen From Declaration of Independence to Present
Students create working definition of common citizen, and investigate and discuss important sections of Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other Amendments. Students demonstrate...
Curated OER
Who or What is Un-American?
Students explore concepts about civil liberties, research the history of sedition-related legislation in the U.S. and create a position paper on the topic.
Center for Civic Education
Constitution Day Rap
Engage your class while learning about the US Constitution with this fun primary grade social studies lesson. After viewing a picture of the US Constitution, young learners piece together a US flag using stars and stripes with facts...
Curated OER
Just how broken is the Senate?
Twelfth graders examine the role of the Senate in the United States. In this American Government lesson plan, 12th graders read various articles and answer questions to these articles. Students write a letter to their Senator on a...
Ohio Center For Law-Related Education
Four Activities: Thurgood Marshall and the Nomination and Confirmation of Federal Judges
The process of nominating and confirming federal judges can sound like a lot of bureaucratic hoops, but a resource breaks down the steps of the Supreme Court nominations in a simpler manner. Learners participate in four activities that...
Curated OER
American History Through the Len of the Supreme Court Decisions
Students examine the historical background of Supreme Court decisions and the basic principles behind legislation. As part of the lesson, students discover legal concepts and terms and write sentences using the vocabulary they have...
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...
C-SPAN
14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause
Two Supreme Court cases, Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education take center stage in a lesson about the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Class members research both cases to compare and contrast the rulings.
National Endowment for the Humanities
George Washington: The Precedent President
Everyone knows that George Washington was the first president, but do your scholars know why that was so important? The lesson plan, the third in a sequence of three, allows learners to understand how George Washington set a precedent...
Curated OER
Who Gets the Job?
Students explore the process for presedential Cabinet appointments. They determine common characteristics found in members of the Cabinet.
Curated OER
A Dream and an Idea: Searching for a Roadmap to Create a Country
Students compare and contrast opposing visions of government held by the founding fathers. They evaluate the roles of historical leaders in shaping the U.S. as an emerging nation.
Curated OER
A Day as President
Youngsters identify the President as the leader of the United States government, as well as learn about the jobs and responsibilities of the head of the executive branch. Including a simple printable and detailed instructional points,...