Students will work individually or in pairs to design 3D-printed visual representations of one or more individual rights found in the Bill of Rights.

Students will examine the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution and determine what situations would be included within the first amendment. By analyzing differing cases and the Supreme Court rulings on those cases, students will determine if the Court is consistent in their rulings about an individual’s freedoms. Once students analyze different court cases, they will write a paper answering the driving question and create a podcast using their paper as a script.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Allegheny County v. ACLU and the 1st amendment. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students explore the controversial issue of religion (prayer, bible study, etc.) in public schools through an analysis of serveral court cases. Discussion questions are provided. In an associated activity, students will review and discuss the Supreme Court's theory that the government should remain neutral on this issue.

Students compare their state's constitution to the U.S. Constitution, explain how the two documents illustrate federalism, and evaluate the need for state constitutions.

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of students’ rights and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. By investigating the compelling question, students consider the ways in which their rights provide a unique perspective on learning about the First Amendment and the extent to which schools are “special areas,” in which various courts have made rulings that may be seen as limiting students’ First Amendment rights.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Bethel v. Fraser and the 1st amendment. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

This divide over gun control is animated by different interpretations of the Constitution: specifically the Second Amendment, its meaning, and its applicability in 21st century America. In this eLesson your students will explore some of the constitutional issues and policy proposals that make up the gun control/gun rights debate.

Students will explore the Supreme Court case Board of Education v. Earls, in which high school sophomore Lindsay Earls challenged her school's drug testing policy. Students will watch a documentary on the case, apply the Fourth Amendment to the case, and further their understanding by participation in activities such as creating an anti-drug campaign and a moot court or mock trial.

In this lesson, students draw a connection between George Washington’s establishment of the two-term precedent for the presidency and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s breaking of that precedent nearly 150 years later. In this lesson, students will analyze multiple primary and secondary sources, both collaboratively and independently. Discussion and debate is a large focus of this lesson. Students will make interdisciplinary connections between history and government/civics.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore and the 2000 presidential election. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is an extension activity at the lesson.

In this lesson, students use secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Cantwell v. Connecticut and religious freedom. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In Democracy in America. Alexis de Tocqueville referred to America as “The Great Experiment.” But what did he mean by saying that America’s constitutional democracy was an experiment? America was founded on key principles which, are the same principles that govern our nation today.   America’s Founders initiated the experiment in democracy by trying out a new form of government, including the ideas that power should ultimately come from the people, that government power should be limited, and that individual liberties of all peoples should be protected.

In this activity, students analyze primary source documents in order to better understand the content, impact, and perpetual relevance of the U.S. Constitution to the daily lives of American citizens.

In this Teaching with the News lesson, students will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. foreign policy regarding drones.

In this Teaching with the News lesson, students will analyze the issues that frame the current debate on U.S. policy towards Syria. They will consider the role of the U.S. public, the president, and Congress in the decision of whether to use military force. Students will work cooperatively within groups to integrate the arguments and beliefs of the options into a persuasive, coherent presentation. Finally, they will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy towards Syria through a role-play activity.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Dickerson v. The United States and the 5th and 6th amendments. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller and the 2nd amendment. Students then answer analysis questions about the case.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court case about federalism and due process. Students then answer an advanced placement style document based question. There is a teacher answer key at the end of the lesson.

In this lesson, students will role play state senators from their home state. Imagine Congress has just passed a joint resolution to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow naturalized citizens to run for president. The terms of the resolution are close to Senator Orrin Hatch’s proposal in 2004. The students have the task of deliberating the resolution, coming up with arguments for and against it, and deciding whether to support it. Students have the option of suggesting changes to the resolution.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Edwards v. South Carolina and freedom of speech and assembly. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key and extension activity included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale and the establishment clause. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students will learn about the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution through a documentary about Romer v. Evans. Students will consider the constitutionality of special legal protections that are afforded members of some minority groups in an effort to achieve equality. They will also learn about the mechanics of state politics, including the interactions between governors, special interest groups, state citizens, and the judiciary.

In this lesson, students will consider the implications of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by learning about the landmark Supreme Court case Van Orden v. Perry. Through the documentary of Van Orden v. Perry, students will begin to examine whether or not a Ten Commandments monument on government property violates the US Constitution. Students will continue their exploration of the issue by creating and administering a poll to gauge the school community’s opinions on the issue. Using information gathered from the poll, students will create a mock editorial page that displays their findings. The lesson culminates in a class discussion of the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling.

In this lesson, students will explore judicial review, elastic clause, individual rights of citizens, and the supremacy clause by participating in a pro se court regarding Bethel School District vs. Fraser.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case F.E.C. v. Wisconsin Right to Life, the 1st amendment, and campaign finance. Students then answer analysis questions about the case.

Students examine the freedoms granted to the press by participating in a partner evaluation of the rights and limitations outlined for the media, as well as examine the constitutionality of the Sedition Act and other government decisions.

In this lesson, students learn about the force and limits of the First Amendment's protection of free speech through a documentary about the landmark Supreme Court case Virginia v. Black. The students will investigate where the permitted use of a symbol may blur into a prohibited threat of violence by grappling with the meaning of a sign that is particularly charged with history: the burning cross. Students will also consider the duty of an attorney to an unpopular client by comparing and contrasting Black's attorney to other famous attorney/client pairs in history.

Narrated by Bowdoin College Government Professor Andrew Rudalevige, "Founding Principles" provides an introductory overview and basic understanding to American government, but one that is crucial to building citizen-leaders, promoting civic engagement, and working toward the common good.
Chapter Fifteen reviews the important aspects of the American system of government and encourages viewers to use their knowledge to get involved in their own political world.

Narrated by Bowdoin College Government Professor Andrew Rudalevige, "Founding Principles" provides an introductory overview and basic understanding to American government, but one that is crucial to building citizen-leaders, promoting civic engagement, and working toward the common good.
Chapter Fourteen discusses the rights of citizenship, including the right to vote and to be free from unjust discrimination.

In this lesson, students explore the free exercise clause in the first amendment by reading about various court cases throughout history. Discussion questions are provided. In an associated close-reading activity, students will review the two tests used by the Supreme Court in the Sherbert and Smith cases and apply the tests to the 1972 case of Wisconsin v. Yoder.

In this lesson, students will learn about the US Constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion granted in the First Amendment. Focusing on Sikhism, students will explore the concepts of intolerance and prejudice as they relate to religion, learning the importance of education and open mindedness in combatting these issues. To culminate this lesson, students will work in groups to design and present an educational campaign focused on a particular religion and encouraging religious tolerance in general.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court cases National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977) and Brandenburg v. Ohio (1968) and freedom of speech. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden and federalism. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright and the 6th amendment. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Gonzalez v. Raich and the commerce clause. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Gregg v. Georgia and the 8th amendment. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut and the right to privacy. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students learn about Supreme Court case Hamdi v. Rumsfeld and executive power. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Hammer v. Dagenhart and federalism. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.