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Unit Plan
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids: Amendments

For Students 3rd - 5th
Read a brief synopsis of the Amendments to the Constitution and then complete the matching activity by clicking on the link at the bottom. Includes other links in the section titled "play more" at the bottom of the second page.
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Handout
Illinois Institute of Technology

The Oyez Project: Katz v. United States

For Students 9th - 10th
Katz v. United States altered the meaning of the 4th Amendment, the right to search and seizure, appealing his case in 1967 regarding the investigator's use of electronic surveillance. Oyez features the facts and recordings from the...
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Activity
Lectric Law Library

The 'Lectric Law Library's Lexicon: Eighth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This definition page at 'Lectric Library discusses the definition in the context of significant Supreme Court cases.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article V: Judicial Review

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of the proposition that ratification of constitutional amendments is exclusively within the purview of Congress, either because of commitment or because the courts lack basic criteria of determination to pass on them.
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Primary
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: Eighth Amendment Further Guarantees in Criminal Cases [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides the various court rulings as to what has been interpreted as "excessive bail", etc.
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Website
Scholastic

Scholastic: u.s. Constitution Changes With the Times

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Clear, concise overview of the "voting" amendments to the Constitution. Includes quotes from 20th century Justices and Presidents about Amendments they thought were needed.
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Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Osu History Teaching Institute: u.s. Constitution: The Bill of Rights

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders will examine the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution.
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Primary
Curated OER

National Park Service: Andrew Johnson Historic Site: Fourteenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
The complete text of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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Activity
Other

Us Courts: Fourth Amendment Activities

For Students 9th - 10th
Activities for the classroom on the 4th Amendment in which students apply landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to search and seizure issues at school, in the car, and the home. With lesson plan and links to...
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Activity
Other

Us Courts: First Amendment Activities

For Students 9th - 10th
Activities for students that make learning about the 1st Amendment relevant by applying landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to the five parts of the First Amendment and rights to freedom of religion, speech,...
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Sixth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource contains the text of the 6th amendment. It has several pages of annotations covering the major concepts in the rights of the accused.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Fifth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides both the text of the amendment and annotations as explanation of various words and phrases.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed account of the Supreme Court case of Mapp v. Ohio with the ruling that states are required to exclude evidence seized by illegal search and seizure in violation of the 4th Amendment.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: U S. Constitution: Annotation 18: First Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
Information about the boundaries of seditious speech and the permissibility of governmental measures which are directly concerned with the content of expression.
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Handout
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: 10th Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
Short, simple summary with the full text of the 10th amendment of the Bill of Rights that states that any powers that the Constitution does not give to the US government, belong to the individual states and the people.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Us Senate Facts

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Detailed facts and information on the United States Senate, a part of Congress that has the power to pass, amend and repeal bills that are made into the law of the land.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Us Government for Kids: United States Bill of Rights

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the Bill of Rights of the United States government. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed description of the United States Supreme Court decision on the appeal of the case Escobedo v. Illinois, which ruled on the right to have counsel under the 6th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.
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eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Congress and the Remaking of the South, 1865 1866

For Students 11th - 12th
This section from a chapter on "The Era of Reconstruction" describes the efforts made by Congress in 1865 and 1866 to bring to life its vision of Reconstruction and explains how the Fourteenth Amendment transformed the Constitution.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: u.s. V. Butler (1936)

For Students 9th - 10th
This Supreme Court case dealt with provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act conflicting with the Federal Constitution. Read the complete text of the court's opinions and decision. Registration for a free Findlaw account may be...
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Activity
Other

Us Courts: Sixth Amendment Activities

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Activities for the classroom in which students apply landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to the right to counsel and right to a fair trial. With plan for teachers, word bank, and links to related resources.
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Website
Scholastic

Scholastic: Explaining the Bill of Rights

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the need for a Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution. Find out what each of the first ten amendments means.
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Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Forgetting the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the story of a young Japanese-American girl whose family was sent to an internment camp after Pearl Harbor.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Naacp v. Alabama (1958)

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this site to learn about this Supreme Court decision delivered by Justice Harlan in 1958 that dealt with the NAACP conducting business in Alabama and failure to reveal its membership lists.

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