Join Patrick Henry in 1798 as he reflects on his career and life as a renowned orator, firebrand politician, and advocate for American liberty.
Yorktown, Virginia was the location for the American and French army's most significant victory of the Revolution on October 19th, 1781. This victory, led by General George Washington, would set the United States on the path to independence. Join General Washington and General Lafayette as they discuss the campaign of 1781 and the siege of Yorktown.
America has a long history of protest, and how to protest appropriately” is a hotly debated issue today. What did some of the nation’s founders think about the right way to protest?
This library of mini-lessons targets a variety of landmark cases from the United States Supreme Court. Each mini-lesson includes a one-page reading and one page of activities. The mini-lessons are designed for students to complete independently without the need for teacher direction. However, they also make great teacher-directed lessons and class discussion-starters.
Learn how laws are made in an updated version of LawCraft. Select a district to represent in the House of Representatives, then review letters from constituents. You'll dig into survey data and select an issue that's important to you and the people who live in your district. Take that issue to the House and jump into the law-making process. See if you can make the compromises necessary to get your bill passed by the House and Senate and still make a law you're proud of.
Lawcraft from icivics.org. this online game helps students experience the ins and outs of taking an idea and turning it into a law while dealing with the political travails in Washington.
Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Lawrence v. Texas. Dealing with a citizen's constitutional right to privacy, this lesson asks students to analyze how the Court's definition of privacy evolved from 1965 to 2003.
In Lawrence v. Texas (2003) the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Texas law prohibiting same-sex couples from engaging in sexual activity, even in the home, was unconstitutional. The case overturned Bowers v. Hardwick, a case in which the Court had upheld an anti-sodomy law in Georgia a few decades prior.
Learn about historical documents that helped shape the U.S. Government.
In these Learning Adventures, we will be learning about important Historical Documents that helped to shape the United States as a Nation.
In these Learning Adventures, we will be learning about important Historical Documents that helped to shape the United States as a Nation.
Learn about historical documents that helped shape the U.S. Government.
Students will learn about the structure, function, and powers of the legislative branch of government. They will explore the legislative process, as well as the influence of citizens and political parties.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R., Texas) explain the complex process of turning a bill into federal law in discussions with high school students.
Independence Day, commonly referred to as the Fourth of July, is a time to remember and appreciate our heritage of a democratic form of government and to reflect on our country's fundamental principles. The following lesson for high school students and youth groups is designed to respond to Jefferson's call to "educate...the whole mass of the people" and Mason's call to refer to fundamental principles. It concludes with an opportunity to add one's signature to those of the Founders of this nation who signed the original documents. We hope you have a pleasant Fourth of July and find this lesson plan useful with your students.
Read the letter from the Federal Convention President to the President of Congress transmitting the Constitution
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the American Studies Program and History Department of Columbia University have joined together to observe the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth in 1809 and to mark the publication of Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World, edited by Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History, Columbia University (W.W. Norton & Company).
Students read both documents and fill out the venn diagram to compare and contrast them.
Overview: This course contains five projects that are organized around the following question: “What is the proper role of government in a democracy?” Each project involves political simulations through which students take on roles that help contextualize the content required by the new College Board course framework.
Founders' Intent
Elections
Supreme Court
Congress
Government in Action
Openly licensed PDF unit plans of all the above units are available at this Sprocket Lucas Education Research Platform (scroll to bottom of web page).
Alternately, educators may sign up for free access to the online AP U.S. Government and Politics course that includes additional instructional supports:
https://sprocket.lucasedresearch.org/users/sprocket_access
Subject: U.S. History Level: High School Grades: Grade 11, Grade 12 Material Type: Full Course, Lesson, Unit of Study Author: Knowledge in Action, Lucas Education Research, University of Washington Date Added: 09/11/2018
Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council. Dealing with the "regulatory taking" of property, this lesson asks students how much they think the government should be able to regulate property before it becomes a "taking" requiring just compensation.