Curated OER
Building the Foundation
Students understand the purpose of the judicial branch of government. In this judiciary lesson, students participate in exercises to understand how the court system works. Students complete activity sheets to develop understanding of...
Curated OER
Supreme Court Newspaper
Young scholars examine the purpose and responsibilities of the Supreme Court and its justices. In groups, they research a specific case and identify how the Supreme Court affects their lives. Using the information they find, they...
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
Shays’ Rebellion: A Massachusetts Farmer’s Account
Students analyze the effects of Shays' Rebellion. For this Shays' Rebellion lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the rebellion and the events that led to it. Students respond to...
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Constitutional Convention and Federal Constitution
After reading this section of the chapter on "Creating Republican Governments", students will be able to identify the central issues of the 1787 Constitutional Convention and their solutions and also describe the conflicts over the...
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: Creating the Us Constitution
The sources in this primary set document the creation of the US Constitution. Includes teaching guide.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1754 1800: Constitutional Convention and Ratification
A quick comprehension check over the Constitutional Convention and debates over ratification.
The History Cat
The History Cat: The Constitutional Convention: Creating the Constitution
Explains why the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough to hold the country together. One result was a farmers' rebellion in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, which was precipitated by a debt crisis that caused many farmers to...
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina: Constitution 101 [Pdf]
Provides a good basic introduction to the Constitution. Explains the founding principles, checks and balances, the rationale for it, the accomplishments of the Constitutional Convention, the debate and ratification, the structure of the...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: The New Nation, 1783 1815
[Free Registration/Login Required] This website documents the United States through its struggles to become a new nation. Site includes primary source documents for the Articles of Confederation, US Constitutional Convention, and George...
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress for Kids: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 is explained in kid-friendly terms. Suggestions for research projects, resource links and some activities are included. The rest of the site has lots more information on the US government.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Constitutional Convention
The delegates of the Constitutional Convention framed the Constitution of the United States as a basis of government to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1754 1800: The Constitutional Convention
Shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War, American leaders realized that the nation needed a new, stronger Constitution. But what would the new system of government look like?
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Slavery and the u.s. Constitution
Lesson focuses on the debate over slavery at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Drafting the Constitution
Essay covers from the Articles of Confederation and the problems of disunity of the new states after the Revolutionary War, internally as well as externally, to the Constitutional Convention, an attempt to address the Articles' problems....
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Constitution or Articles?
In this lesson, students will observe the political climate at the time of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and read the writings of the delegates who refused to sign the proposed Constitution, as well as those who supported it....
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress for Kids: Signing the Constitution
This site has a brief summary that describes the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. This group is sometimes called the "Founding Fathers."
Digital History
Digital History: Writing a Constitution [Pdf]
This site is from a unit called 'Writing the US Constitution.' It looks at the documents that preceded the Constitution, and the major issues that were debated while the Constitution was being created.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1754 1800: The Federalist Papers
In the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay made the case for ratifying the new US Constitution.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1754 1800: The Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the US Constitution guarantee citizens' essential freedoms and rights.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: The Three Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise that was presented at the Constitutional Convention resolved the issue of counting slaves towards the population in regards to representation in the House of Representatives.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: The Great Compromise
Covers details of the Great Compromise which was presented at the Constitutional Convention. It consisted of the idea of proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Slave Trade Compromise
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise was reached at the Constitutional Convention by stating that Congress could not prohibit the slave trade until 1808, but that any imported slaves could be taxed.
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress Link: Lesson Plans
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.