These primary sources follow the content and narrative structure of the Annenberg Classroom film “The 19th Amendment: A Woman’s Right to Vote.”
Handout includes poems, songs, photos, papers, as well as highlights important people and events associated with the 19th amendment.
In this lesson, students analyze a daring challenge to the legal and social order of the time: Susan B. Anthony’s casting of an illegal ballot in the 1872 presidential election. Anthony was ultimately put on trial, convicted, and fined $100 for her “crime.” In this lesson, students close read an excerpt from Anthony’s speech Is It a Crime for Women to Vote? in which Anthony defended her actions. The speech, written prior to Anthony’s trial in 1873, contains many themes that resonate with contemporary debates about membership in American society. At a time when voter suppression, gerrymandering, and election interference dominate the headlines, this lesson prompts students to draw connections between the past and present, especially around acts of civil disobedience, the role of voting in a democracy, and the meaning of equality.
This short lesson provides students an opportunity to learn who can be a candidate for state, local and federal offices in Wisconsin.
Use this module to help students learn about being and engaged citizen. Evaluate the obligations citizens have to obey laws, pay taxes, defend the nation, and service on juries. Experience the responsibilities of citizens at the local, state, or federal levels. Conduct a service project to further the public good. This teaching module comes with lesson plans, readings, student guides and handouts, practice, games, a review, a gallery walk, and an opportunity for student simulation/engagement.
This is a video learning module that teaches about citizenship and the 14th amendment. The module goals are: define citizenship as stated in the Fourteenth Amendment, describe the process of becoming a naturalized citizen, and to evaluate the impact of the naturalization process on society, government or the political process.
September 17th is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1787 when, at the end of a long hot summer of discussion, debate and deliberation, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed America’s most important document. George Washington, on behalf of the Convention, transmitted the proposed Constitution to the Congress assembled under the Articles of Confederation. Eleven days later, the Congress by unanimous resolution passed the proposal on to conventions of delegates to be chosen in each state. It was in these state conventions that the Constitution was thoroughly discussed, debated and eventually ratified.
The United States Constitution is the oldest written national constitution still in operation, and many of the nations that have established themselves in the centuries since have turned to this document as a model for their own constitutions. As a document that defines the structure of our federal government and delineates the rights of the states within the union, and of individual citizens within the nation, the Constitution has become a symbol to Americans and to the world of our political principles and the democratic way of life that flows from them.
Who is included in the phrase "We the People"?
How do we form "a more perfect union"?
What makes the U.S. Constitution a living document?
To what extent does the Constitution influence people's lives on a daily basis?
iCivics offers a variety of different ways to engage in the celebration of Constitution Day. They offer a simple one-day lesson, but also expand to more in-depth WebQuests, DBQs, and online games related to the Constitution and its effect on our government and our way of life. To gain full access, educators must establish a free account.
This website offers a wide variety of ready-to-use lessons related to the Constitution for students K-12. Developed by the Center for Civic Education, the lessons include: matching with the US Constitution (K); the Constitution Rap (1-3); Basic Ideas in the Preamble (3-6); 9/11 & Civil Liberties (3-5, 9-12); Citizenship & the Constitution (9-12); and so many more topics that lend themselves to celebrating Constitution Day or for a more in-depth study of our government & the founding documents.
Website Description:
When the Founders wrote the Constitution, they didn’t pull their ideas out of thin air. They created a government based on a set of fundamental principles carefully designed to guarantee liberty. This lesson lets students look at the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles. Students make direct connections between these principles, the Founders’ intentions, and the Constitution itself, and they learn why the constitutional principles are critical to a free society.
Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
*Analyze the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution
*Identify relationships among popular sovereignty, consent of the governed, limited government, rule of law, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances
*Describe how these principles are incorporated into the Constitution
*Explain the concerns that led the Founders to value these principles
In this simulation, students will run a county and make decisions that affect the success of their county. Constituents in the simulation pose problems for studenst to determine if they should solve and which department inthe county should be responsible.
Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.
Website with different lessons focusing on:
1.Analyze primary and secondary sources representing conflicting points of view to determine the proper role of government regarding the rights of individuals.
2.Analyze primary and secondary sources representing conflicting points of view to determine the Constitutionality of an issue.
3.Assess the short and long-term consequences of decisions made during the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
4.Compare the components of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights with the Constitutions of other nations.
5.Evaluate contemporary and personal connections to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
6.Compose a reflection and assessment of the significance of Constitution Day and the U.S. Constitution.
Freedom of speech or the press did not exist in the colonies before the Constitution. British subjects were under the authority of the king, and the king punished dissenters. The king also controlled the press and censored content before it was published. After the colonists fought and won independence from England, the rules were changed when the Constitution was written.
Remembering the king’s actions, the Framers designed a government with three branches and a system of checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power. They also made the federal government responsible for protecting individual liberties and accountable to a separate, but all powerful group, the People.
Thomas Jefferson viewed the press as the “only safeguard for public liberty” and an informed citizenry as “the best army” for the task. Freedom of the press was seen as vital for protecting democracy so the Framers linked it to speech and included both in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law … abridging freedom of speech, or of the press…”
Experience not only made its mark on the Constitution, but it also affected judicial interpretations that followed. In World War I, the Supreme Court upheld government actions against people in the interest of national security. Over the next 200 years, the Court would continue to grapple with freedom of expression issues in wartime. All the while, a watchful press would keep the public informed and debate alive. In 1971, the Supreme Court reaffirmed freedom of the press even in the midst of a war by allowing the publication of the Pentagon Papers. It had come full circle in its views.
This lesson is based on the Annenberg Classroom video that explores the evolution of the free press doctrine, Freedom of the Press: New York Times v. United States
Website Description:
Take a close look at the structure of Athenian democracy and how it influenced the U.S. government. In this lesson, students explore the democratic ideals and practices of the ancient Greeks and search for evidence of them in the U.S. Constitution.
Student Learning Objectives:
* Identify political institutions and principles in ancient Athenian democracy
* Explain the organization of Athenian democracy and the importance of citizenship
* Analyze the purpose, strengths, and shortcomings in the rules and structure of Athenian democracy
* Discover aspects of Athenian democracy found in the U.S. Constitution
Website Description:
Make your students’ gameplay more meaningful by using our constitutional rights activity and assessment set designed specifically for Do I Have a Right?. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and purpose to the game, as well as reinforce and assess the game concepts. That means deeper learning for students and best practices around game-centered learning for you! Extension Packs require PowerPoint and are designed for use with projectors or interactive whiteboards.
This Extension Pack now includes English language learner (ELL) supports. We've included tips and practice that help make differentiated instruction a breeze. Best of all, new instructional scaffolds now mean this lesson is adaptable for a wide range of learners!
Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to...
*Describe the arguments for and against listing people’s rights in the Constitution (Bill of Rights).
*Identify key rights granted by the Bill of Rights and the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments
*Recall the specific amendment that guarantees a particular right
*Recognize complaints not involving constitutional rights
Support your students to embrace the larger questions featured in American Creed that ask:
What ideals unite us as a nation?
Where does a nation’s identity come from?
These lesson plans bring together teaching strategies, videos, and activities that will help you explore themes such as common ideals and national identity.
Students watch a video in which teens reflect on the concept of fake news, and then discuss their own experiences with misinformation.
Students learn why news matters and how to distinguish between the different media-related terms they might hear being thrown around.
This mini-lesson looks at the variety of roles that George Washington played in America's early years. From commanding the Continental Army, to presiding over the Constitutional Convention, to setting the standard for the American presidency, Washington led the way.
This WebQuest has students explore immigration and why people "came to America". It also has students look at what it means to be a citizen, what the requirements are, and the process of naturalization that new citizens take part it.
Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.
This webquest has students explore the process of a trial, explains the difference between civil and criminal and the differece between trial and appellate court. This webquest will pose questions, problems, or scenarios and then provide students with a web link or resource to explore to compose their response.
Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.