The Founders believed that property is among the natural rights governments exist to protect. One of the ways the Founders protected property rights was in the Fifth Amendment. This amendment restricts the government's ability to take property and ensures that when it does take property, it must pay for it. This lesson explores the Fifth Amendment and its applications.

The Founders meant for the First Amendment to protect a wide array of expressive activities. The Supreme Court, recognizing changes in society and technology, has applied the First Amendment's protections in some ways that are broader than ever. Student speech in public schools, however, poses unique questions. This lesson will help students to understand the operation of the First Amendment in both their school and in the wider context of society, and it will help foster students' appreciation of their rights, preparing them for responsible and effective participation in their school, community, and nation.

For much of American history, the Supreme Court had very little to say about the Second Amendment until 2008 when the Court heard arguments in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. Richard Heller challenged the city's total ban on handguns on Second Amendment grounds. The Court agreed with Heller finding the ban unconstitutional.

55 min
This lesson addresses the virtue of justice, which requires that rules are applied and enforced equally for everyone. Students will analyze the virtue of justice by evaluating a letter from Jourdon Anderson to his former slave owner. They will consider how Jourdon received justice for himself and for his family and how they can seek justice on behalf of themselves and other people.

In this lesson, students will study the life of James Madison. They will learn about why he is called "The Father of the Constitution," his views on the Bill of Rights, his remedy for the problem of factions in a democratic republic, and much more.

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.

Students read both documents and fill out the venn diagram to compare and contrast them.

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.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Mapp v. Ohio. Dealing with incorporation of the Fourth Amendment and the legality of searches and seizures, this lesson asks students to assess the claim that the exclusionary rule helps ensure liberty and justice.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison. Setting the precedent of Judicial review, this lesson focuses on the question of whether or not the Supreme Court should have the power to overturn unconstitutional federal laws.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona. Dealing with the Fifth and Sixth Amendments and whether or not the accused needs to be advised of their rights upon arrest, this lesson asks students to evaluate the extent to which Miranda is the fulfillment of the legal tradition of the promise against self-incrimination.

In this lesson, students will trace the growing public voice of women in American society through various reform movements as well as organized womenâ"s rights movements in antebellum America. Students will analyze the writings of men and women central to the rise of the womenâ"s rights movement and analyze the contributions of several leading figures in the movement.

In this lesson, students will learn about the 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education and the succeeding efforts at responsible education reform in America. They will also determine ways they can be responsible.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Nollan v. California Coastal Commission. Dealing with whether or not regulations restricting property owners' actions on their own property are protected by the Fifth Amendment, this lesson asks students why property rights are sometimes referred to as a "bundle of sticks."

The Path to Independence: Use this lesson after students have read the Stamp Act Resistance Narrative, The Boston Massacre Narrative, and The Boston Tea Party Narrative. This lesson should be followed by the Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence Narrative and the Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776 Primary Source analysis.

In this lesson, students will learn about Eleanor Rooseveltâ"s diligence in helping to craft the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Students will learn how their diligence can help them advance freedom for themselves and others.

Popular Sovereignty and the Consent of the Governed: The Founders believed that the government’s authority needed to come from the people. Under the reign of King George III, the colonists believed that they were deprived of their opportunity to consent to be governed by Parliament through representatives, and, therefore, the British could not force their laws upon the colonies. The Founders made sure to uphold this right in the American Constitution. The people, through their representatives at state ratification conventions, had to ratify the document in order for it to become law.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Pottawatomie v. Earls. Dealing with students' Fourth Amendment protections when in schools, this lesson asks students to assess the Court's evolving definition of "reasonable" searches with respect to public school students.

In this lesson, students will learn about the work and life of Cotton Mather and how it was shaped by his purpose. They will explore how his actions and his identity helped him achieve a great advancement for modern medicine and through his example, learn how they can pursue their own purpose for the greater good of mankind.

In this lesson, students will learn how Benjamin Franklin purposefully tried to be virtuous throughout his life.