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Primary
Other

Wake Forest University: History of Compromise Legislation

For Students 9th - 10th
Annotated chronology of various compromise legislation, including the Northwest Ordinance, the Constitution, the Missouri Compromise, 1850 Compromise, and Kansas-Nebraska Act.
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eBook
Digital History

Digital History: The Equal Rights Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
In 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution. The ERA subsequently failed to be ratified by the necessary number of states and was never added to the Constitution.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: What Americans Don't Know About the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the woeful lack of understanding Americans have of their own guding document, the Constitution.
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: Biographical Directory of the u.s. Congress: Oliver Ellsworth

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief biography of Oliver Ellsworth, the delegate from Connecticut to the Constitutional Convention. He also served as a senator and as a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: The First Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
In this activity learners will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the different phrases found within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Us Government for Kids: Constitution Amendments

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the amendments in the United States Constitution. Seventeen not included in the Bill of Rights of the twenty-seven total.
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Unit Plan
Washington State University

Washington State University: Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A timeline of the social, political, historical, and literary history of America from the 1500s to the 1920s. It offers links to primary sources including historical and literary works including the original U.S. Constitution. RL.11-12.9...
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Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Debate and Compromise

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The 18th-century statesmen who met in Philadelphia were adherents of Montesquieu's concept of the balance of power in politics. This principle was supported by colonial experience and strengthened by the writings of John Locke, with...
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Website
A&E Television

History.com: American Presidents: James Madison

For Students 9th - 10th
This easy-to-navigate site has James Madison's biography, significant events in his life, an image gallery, and several video clips.
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Biographies: Jonathan Dayton

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the University of Groningen provides a biographical account of Johnathan Dayton's political life - the U.S. Constitution, Hamilton's banking plan, and Jay's Treaty - with links to the events, people, and achievements he is...
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: The Responsibilities of Citizenship

For Students 9th - 10th
Outline discusses the responsibilities and duties of citizenship that go along with the rights and freedoms expressed in the U.S. Constitution.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Creating New State Governments

For Students 9th - 10th
See how state constitutions were the incubator of ideas that eventually became embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Benjamin Franklin's Rising Sun

For Students 9th - 10th
Franklin, as the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention, recognized the arguments against the proposed new government and the strength of the Federalists. The essay gives insight into Franklin's views on the drafted...
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Lesson Plan
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress Link: Lesson Plans

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.
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Unit Plan
Choices Program, Brown University

Choices: Teaching With the News: Surveying State of the Union Addresses

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learning module with multi-media resources helps students understand the constitutional basis and history of the State of the Union Address, identifying important historic themes and significant topics. Includes video, graphic...
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Lesson Plan
Other

Freedom Forum: Lesson Plans for the First Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
These lessons address constitutional principles and contemporary issues involving the First Amendment. They intend to have explore how freedoms began and how they operate in today's world. Students will discuss just how far individual...
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Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: What Is the Definition of Citizenship?

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief, easy to read definition of citizenship, with links to closely related subjects like how to become a citizen, the definition of naturalization, the Constitution on citizenship, and the history of citizenship in the United States.
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Handout
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.

New Georgia Encyclopedia: Abraham Baldwin (1754 1807)

For Students 9th - 10th
An excellent informative biography on Abraham Baldwin who was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, founder of the University of Georgia, a member of the Georgia State Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives, and a U.S....
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: Nation Building: Different Visions for Vietnam

For Students 9th - 10th
Collaborative learning activity on the concept of nation-building in which students examine historical events in Vietnam and use what they learn to develop a vision for 21st Century America.
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Handout
Soylent Communications

Notable Names Database: James Wilson

For Students 9th - 10th
A short but detailed biography of this delegate to the Constitutional Convention from Pennsylvania. Wilson later served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
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Activity
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: The American Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Teachers will find an assortment of readings to enhance teaching about the revolutionary origins of the American Government.
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Website
Other

Founding Fathers

For Students 9th - 10th
Find information about the founding fathers and what they accomplished. Presents the Federalist Papers, The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and The U.S. Constitution. Also includes images, quotes, a history of the...
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eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Franklin Roosevelt and New Deal 1932 1941: Rise of Franklin Roosevelt

For Students 11th - 12th
Examines the election of 1932 and why Franklin Roosevelt appealed to voters. After the election, the country had to wait a whole four months, called an interregnum, before Roosevelt's inauguration, prompting Congress to amend the U.S....
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs News Hour: International Criminal Court's History and Uses (Lesson Plan)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson that asks learners to analyze the history of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to discuss what constitutes an international crime. The lesson also directs young scholars to compare the ICC to U.S. courts and to discuss...