Constitutional Rights Foundation
Immigration Enforcement Raids
Class groups take on the role of advisors to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy & Planning of ICE. Their charge is to prepare a report for the secretary on the effectiveness of enforcement actions of the ICE in stemming...
Judicial Learning Center
The Judge and the Jury
Unless you are a lawyer, you might not understand just how unrealistic Law and Order and other legal dramas actually are. Here's a great resource to help scholars of criminology gain a more realistic perspective. The lesson outlines the...
Museum of Tolerance
Documents That Shape Society
The Bill of Rights is a foundational document of American democracy, much like the Nuremberg Laws were a foundational document of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany. But that's where their similarities end. Engage high schoolers in a...
Curated OER
Songs the Express American Ideals
First graders will learn the words to two American ideals songs: "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and "America the Beautiful." They will also learn the Pledge of Allegiance and what it means to recite it. This is a great resource for your...
Curated OER
Case Study of a Campaign
Students read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...
Curated OER
Voters and Judges
Learners analyze the work on independent judiciaries. In this federal courts lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on details of federal cases. Learners respond to discussion questions and participate in an activity...
Curated OER
Learning from the Past: A New Approach
Young scholars research nonprofit organizations. As they research, they learn how those living in the colonial period formed community organizations to provide for the common good of their society. Each pupil chooses one organization to...
NYC Department of Records
Citizenship and Elections: The Importance of a Ballot
Approximately 58 prcent of those eligible voted in the 2016 US Presidential election. In an attempt to impress upon learners the importance of voting and voting rights, class members examine primary source documents related to the...
Curated OER
Like Father, Like Son: Presidential Families
Students examine the role of the President. They discuss the President's responsibilities and compare both father/son presidents (Adams and Bush).
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Runaway Slaves in Alabama: Individual Freedom Fighters in the 1800s
Class pairs examine eight runaway slave advertisements from the mid-1800s to develop an understanding of the conditions slaves faced and of race relations.
Curated OER
Cartogram of the Great Compromise
Students create cartograms of populations during 1790.
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.9
With a nice description of what the standard means, an idea for a class activity, and a quiz with answers, this resource should deepen your (and your pupils') understanding of the targeted Common Core standard. The provided activity is...
Curated OER
Do I Have a Right To Privacy?
Students, in groups, explore the Fourth Amendment and their right to privacy. They explore reasonable search/seizure, sanctity of a man's house, right to privacy.
Curated OER
Does My Vote Count? Teaching the Electoral College
Students comprehend the purpose, function, origin, and historical development of the electoral college. They evaluate issues of fairness and representation in the electoral process, both individually and through group discussion....
Curated OER
Washington Irving in Context
Students examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in many...
Curated OER
Fighting for Democracy, Fighting for Me
Students consider how African American responded to social injustice. For this social injustice lesson, students compare and contrast the visions of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois for obtaining civil rights for African Americans.
Curated OER
What Made George Washington a Great Leader?
Students examine the leadership attributes of George Washington. In this George Washington lesson plan, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the leadership of first president. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
The Leadership and Impact of Booker T. Washington
Twelfth graders explore the life and leadership of Booker T. Washington. In this Booker T. Washington lesson, 12th graders examine images of Washington, listen to audio of his voice, and his most famous speech. Students wrote responses...
Curated OER
Lee Yick: Fighting Racism
Students study the 14th Amendment, then review and analyze a Supreme Court brief. There was much racism exhibited toward the Chinese immigrants by the European Americans; this came in the form of institutional racism and mob violence....
Curated OER
50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
Students examine a poster of Brown v. Board of Education and discuss what the important details are. They read the story behind the poster and court case. They role play different sections of the case such as the court case or Linda...
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Sioux Treaty of 1868
Students study the Sioux and their lives in the Black Hills before 1868. They engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities which give them a good understanding of the Sioux culture.
Curated OER
Lesson 2: The Tired King
Middle schoolers are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). They read and discuss a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Students give a description...
Curated OER
War of 1812
Eighth graders locate the major land forms and bodies of water on a map of Louisiana. In groups, they discuss the role of the Mississippi River in the Battle of New Orleans and how land and water affect the outcome of battles. To end...
Curated OER
Cuban Missile Crisis: Teaching Activities
Learners create a timeline of the important events of John F. Kennedy's presidency. They construct a timeline of the major events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They compare the Missile Crisis events with their presentation in the movie...