SS.912.CG.1.5

Students will analyze amendments 1-4 and complete a graphic organizer. Then students will match real world examples with the correct amendment. Finally, students will paraphrase amendments 1-4 in their own words.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will learn basic information about impeachment as it is established in the U.S. Constitution. Students learn what impeachment is, why it is included in the Constitution, who is subject to impeachment, why someone may be impeached, who has been impeached, and how impeachment works. Students will complete a graphic organizer, create a timeline, and complete an assessment quiz.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is #2 in an ELA/Civics Integrated Text Unit designed to support students with the integration of civics into the ELA classroom through the reading and study of Homer’s The Odyssey. After reading excerpts from Part 1 of The Odyssey, students will complete a research activity and include information in their writing plan for a comparative analysis of democracy in Ancient Greece and republicanism in the United States.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read and analyze the Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will explain how the U.S. Constitution and its amendments uphold the political principals of checks and balances, limited government, and separation of powers. Students will complete a graphic organizer to describe the compromises made during the Constitutional Convention that allowed for the U.S. Constitution to be a document that governs our country. Students will analyze the democratic approach that took place, the ability to discuss the two sides presented, and the end products that came as a result of the compromise.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this integrated lesson plan, students will use an interactive program in Scratch to create an informational interactive presentation identifying key factors regarding the impact of Landmark Supreme court cases on the law.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will be able to identify philosophies of the Enlightenment era in the foundation of the American government. They will create a booklet to take notes on Enlightenment philosophers and their ideas.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will become familiar with James Madison's influence on the creation of a three-branch government system in the United States. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will learn about James Madison and his contributions to American government. Students will review the three branches of government and simulate the system of checks and balances.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will learn about Magna Carta by watching a short video. Then, in groups, they will analyze some original text from Magna Carta, translate it into “modern” English, and make connections to the U.S. Bill of Rights. Students will end the lesson by responding to a writing prompt to show what they have learned.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will extend their understanding about individual rights in the U.S. by examining how the English attempted to protect individuals from unrestrained monarchial power. By examining the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution, students will analyze primary sources so they may better understand how rights for individuals were incorporated into the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will review key terms and people behind the Constitution.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze the U.S. Constitution and other primary sources to evaluate the power and impact of the presidential veto. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of checks and balances by answering a higher-level short-answer question about the power of the veto.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students analyze excerpts from the Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist Essays and determine the founding principles presented in each one. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students identify various foundational principles reflected in the U.S. Constitution and its amendments.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will learn to evaluate how ideas from the past influenced the political thinking of the Framers when writing both the Declaration of Independence and in reforming the country under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will develop an understanding of the implied, express, enumerated, concurrent, and reserved powers of Congress. Students will spend time analyzing parts of the U.S. Constitution in order to identify the powers of Congress, where they came from, and the impact structural decisions had on the practice of Congressional power.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will use text analysis and historical context to explore the impact of foundational documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, on the U.S. Constitution and The Bill of Rights. Students will engage in close reading and analysis of the documents and provide some contextualization of the principles included within each document. A graphic organizer is designed to assist with a formative assessment writing assignment. The intention is for this lesson to follow 200022, but it is not essential provided students have a background understanding of the Mayflower Compact. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students analyze the meaning of “compromise,” differentiating the term from commonly confused concepts such as negotiation or acting responsibly. In groups, they will examine primary source excerpts to identify the major compromises of the Constitutional Convention and recognize the necessity of the compromises.

Type: Lesson Plan

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Continue learning about Watergate -- a political scandal that represents a significant chapter in American history--with this interactive tutorial. The events of Watergate led Richard Nixon, President of the United States, to resign his office.

This is part 2 in a six-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about Watergate -- a political scandal that represents a significant chapter in American history with this interactive tutorial. The events of Watergate led Richard Nixon, President of the United States, to resign his office.

This is part 1 in a six-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This Grades 9-12 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 1 at these grade levels.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will participate in a debate using the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. This could be a verbal, silent, or alley debate. One group will represent the Federalists and be given information relating to their arguments. The other group will act as the Anti-Federalists and be given information relating to their arguments. Provide students time to prepare their arguments either individually or as a team, then commence the debate.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will debate which foundational ideas found in American documents are most important in the Great Mini Debate. Students will use evidence from the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble and the Bill of Rights to support their arguments. The Great Mini Debate Cheat Sheet will prompt beginning debaters as to what should go in each speech of the debate.

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