At a time when the country was in deep conflict over slavery, the Supreme Court decided that Dred Scott was not a “citizen of the state” so it had no jurisdiction in the matter, but the majority opinion also stated that Dred Scott was not a free man. This resource includes teacher materials, guides, and activities for teaching about this Supreme Court case.

It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck. We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America. Thank you for your vote.

In this lesson, students will evaluate contradictory viewpoints concerning liberty and security. They will evaluate Supreme Court decisions regarding fair trials, due process, and the war on terror and evaluate whether the Constitution takes on different meanings during wartime.

This three-part lesson asks students to investigate and think critically about the nature of the War Powers identified by the Constitution. Beginning with the historical and philosophical foundations of the War Powers as they are written in the Constitution, students will be asked to explore why the Founders identified the War Powers as they did, using primary sources to back up their arguments. Students will then consider how War Powers have changed over time, evaluating the evolving dynamic of powers between the three branches of government.

Solve and create American history and civics challenges to explore Library of Congress primary sources—and look closer.
Eagle Eye Citizen is a freely available resource designed to help middle and high school students think critically about civic participation, Congress, and American history using primary sources from the Library of Congress.

The ink was barely dry on the Constitution when the first challenges to its protections arose. These early challenges to the new constitutional republic often involved the meaning of the Constitution itself. What did its words actually mean, and who would get to decide?

Economic Inequality in America Developing a New War on Poverty Lesson Plan by Michaels Gonchar Includes maps, videos and activities. Needs computers with internet connection.

It is almost election time and it is time to revisit the electoral vote process. The constitution and its amendments have provided a subjective method for awarding electoral votes to states. Additionally, a state popular vote, no matter how close, awards all electoral votes to the winner of that plurality. Create a mathematical model that is different than the current electoral system.

Go to National Archives and search for the electoral college, if the link does not work, this Text/HTML has a ton of information on the electoral college as well as historical results. You can also see the actual ballots sent in by each state as well as all electors chosen by each party within a state. LW

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History provides elementary lesson plans, student activity sheets and professional development for teachers centered on American History. This unit is focused on the US Constitution.

At OSPI, part of our mission is to prepare students for civic engagement throughout their lives. We believe our schools must engage and empower students, from an early age, with opportunities to participate in civil conversations, examples of effective civic engagement, and tools to find peaceful solutions to community problems.OSPI’s Social Studies and Social-Emotional Learning teams have put together resources for educators, families, and students to help with these difficult conversations.

This is a case about whether public schools may also play a role in teaching faith to God through the daily recitation of a government-endorsed, teacher-led prayer. This resource includes teacher materials, guides, and activities for teaching about this Supreme Court case.

Article I Section 8 of the Constitution lists powers expressly delegated to Congress. This lesson has students learn about the concepts of enumerated and implied powers of Congress and explore real life examples of these powers. Students will use the Constitution Clips resources to summarize the specific enumerated powers and identify the additional powers of Congress implied by them. This lesson works well in classes with one-to-one devices or could be adapted to fit a flipped classroom.

In this lesson, based on the Annenberg Classroom video âYick Wo and the Equal Protection Clause,â students explore the cause-and-effect relationships between historical events and the development of constitutional principles that protect the rights of all people in America today. The words inscribed on the U.S. Supreme Court building are a reminder of that protection: âEqual Justice Under Law.â

The original thirteen states that formed the United States included individuals from a variety of religious traditions. To ensure that the national government respected freedom of belief, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religious practice, the First Amendment prohibited the federal government from either establishing a national church or interfering with existing state religions. Since then the Supreme Court has created various "tests" to determine if government practices violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. This lesson explores the history and principles behind this clause.

In this one-minute video, students learn about the executive branch of the United States government. A host explains the qualifications and expressed powers of the presidency, and students consider what informal powers the president has.

Students will learn about the executive branch, including the unique role and powers of the president and the function of executive departments and agencies. They will explore key facets of foreign policy and the president’s role in it.

Who wants to be President? Players must use their multitasking skills as they consider bills to sign, fly off for diplomatic meetings and act as commander-in-chief to handle a military crisis.

In this interactive game, students experience the decisions that have to be made by the President of the United States. Ever wanted to be President for a day? In Executive Command, you can be President for four years! Try to accomplish what you set as your agenda while facing the challenges and responsibilities that crop up along the way. Being commander-in-chief and chief executive is no easy job! See how you do!