SS.8.CG.2.5

In this lesson, students will review the support and opposition to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #1 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, in which students will be able to understand the historical context of the setting and time period in the text and make connections between the novel and real-world events during that era. By the end of this pre-reading lesson, students will be able to understand the historical context of the setting and time period in the text and make connections between the novel and real-world events during that era.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using their understanding of the Bill of Rights, students will work with various scenarios, newspaper headlines, and other forms of information to identify and apply specific amendments in the Bill of Rights, what rights were violated (if any), and how it applies to current events today. Students will understand how the amendments apply and protect civil liberties and rights in current times.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the Bill of Rights, students will delve into the specific language and interpretation of each amendment to gain a deeper understanding of their intended scope and limitations, as well as connect the infringed rights of the colonists to the Amendment created to protect those rights. Using the primary source (Bill of Rights), students will analyze and interpret the amendment in their own words using a graphic organizer.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will develop their own amendment to the U.S. Constitution to increase the rights of citizens. This is part of a 3 lesson mini-unit integrating social studies and civics.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will examine the rights protected by the Bill of Rights. This is part of a 3-lesson unit on the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and the Bill of Rights with an integration to civics. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the Federalists and Anti-Federalists using primary source documents. This is part of a 3-lesson unit on the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #3 in the text unit series for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. In this lesson, students will examine the character of Boo Radley and his acts of kindness through the gifts he leaves in a tree, focusing on chapter 7. Students will then write a journal entry, poem, or lyrics to a song from Boo's point of view.

This unit is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is the final lesson #5 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, in which students will complete a culminating writing activity following the completion of the novel by examining provided source material outlining three major real-world court cases from the Civil Rights Movement.

This unit integrates ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will describe the many impositions of King George on the colonists and match some of those to specific amendments in the Bill of rights (i.e., how quartering of troops led directly to the 3^rd Amendment).

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use prior knowledge of the American Revolution and events leading up to the Declaration of Independence to understand the necessity for a Bill of Rights. The lesson will start with reviewing the events leading to the American Revolution. Students will then examine and analyze excerpts from the viewpoints of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and determine the meaning of the excerpt in small groups. Using the excerpts, students will create a text message thread in two groups (Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists). As a formative assessment, students will demonstrate their understanding by connecting the viewpoints expressed to the necessity of a Bill of Rights in a short exit ticket.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #4 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, which will ask students to identify prevalent themes of chapters 22-31, centered around racial inequity, prejudice, injustice, and empathy. Students will work in small discussion groups to analyze and interpret instances that exemplify their assigned theme within the chapter(s). Once completed, a whole class discussion will allow students to share their findings and interpretations, as well as the connections between the themes, the social issues, and core civic virtues addressed in the novel.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze support and opposition for ratification of the Constitution. Additionally, students will be exposed to how the Bill of Rights protects rights of individuals.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #2 in the text unit series for To Kill a Mockingbird. After reading chapters 1-4, students will do a group read-aloud of the exchange between Scout and her new teacher on her first day of school in chapter 2 of the book. As they read, they will use their question handout to analyze the Freedom of Expression issue that is presented when the teacher finds out that Scout can already read. Students will begin to form opinions on how Scout was treated by her teacher.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use their understanding of the habitability challenges on Mars (developed during Part 1) to create a Martian Bill of Rights that will guarantee civil rights and liberties of future Martian citizens in this integrated lesson plan.  This lesson is Part 2 of 2.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will be analyze, describe and explain the meaning and purpose of each amendment in the Bill of Rights and how the Bill of Rights affects citizens and the government.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and analyze how they expanded opportunities for civic and political participation for African Americans.   

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will recognize the views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists on adding the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Students will evaluate primary source excerpts from the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers and explain which perspective each provides.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will review and make connections between the Bill of Rights, their lives, and the past debates on the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.  

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will begin this lesson by creating a social media post regarding the Anti-Federalists.  They will then collaborate by working in different roles that dissect the text and meaning of the Bill of Rights.  Students will share out their information with the group and then complete a quick write.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is meant to engage students in critical thinking about their rights within the Bill of Rights through image analysis and dicussion. Students will collectively rank their evaluation of the most important rights in our nation. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn the characteristics of the archetype of The Hero, compare the hero archetype with American heroes, and identify how the archetype characteristics and American hero characteristics connect to elements of the Bill of Rights in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn the historical arguments for and against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution with this interactive civics tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, explore several landmark cases of the Supreme Court to see how the Court's decisions have impacted the rights of individuals and society throughout American history.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial hosted by "Bill" O. Rights, learn in great detail about the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, analyze all 10 Amendments that make up the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. You'll learn not only about the rights and freedoms guaranteed by each, but also the limits of those rights.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This Grade 8 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 2 at this grade level.

Type: Teaching Idea

This Tic Tac Toe activity is intended to allow students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the Bill of Rights and to explore the impacts of rights and liberties. 

Type: Teaching Idea

Luis Martínez-Fernández was born at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Dr. Martínez-Fernández immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 2 years old after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. His family moved to Lima, Peru after his father was offered employment there. Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s family left Peru after the President of Peru was ousted from power. The new government in Peru concerned Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s father and the family moved to Puerto Rico where they become U.S. Citizens. Dr. Martínez-Fernández moved to the U.S. after graduation from The University of Puerto Rico. He is a Professor of History, an author, and is civically engaged through his nationally syndicated column.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation