Learners examine the time after the Civil War known as Reconstruction. In groups, they role play a Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Reconstruction in which some members are senators and others are witnesses. They share their ideas on how...

Students examine the United States Constitution. They prepare a skit dealing with the Bill of Rights. They practice being responsible citizens and becoming involved in the community.

Pupils read an article about a pressing public policy issue. Using the text, they identify the themes, facts and ideas presented and develop an argument supporting or disagreeing with the position of the author. In groups, they analyze...

Students discuss reasons settlers settled in the Oregon Territory. Then, through the examination of primary documents, they compare the influences upon black settlers and how those influences were important to the settlement of the...

Eleventh graders examine the biography of Henry B. Gonzalez. They examine primary source documents from Congressman Gonzalez's personal papers related to his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

Young scholars examine the use of quotas and Jim Crow laws. They discuss discrimination against minority groups both historically and in contemporary society. Students examine an affirmative action case and discuss the controversies...

Students create campaign materials to encourage the passage of legislation supporting higher education for immigrant minors. They produce flyers, brochures, pins and a voter presentation for a school fair. To prepare the materials they...

Students discover the role zoos play in conservation of animals. They research the captive breeding programs that are in place at the Minnesota Zoo. They use the zoo's website to find the American Zoo and Aquarium Associations criteria...

Students use music software to create and refine a musical composition. They use music software to create a sequence of musical phrases. Students use music software to create and refine a musical composition and adapt it in the light...

Students analyze photographs for information about life in Virginia City Nevada in the late 1800s. In this Nevada statehood lesson, students work in teams to analyze photographs from Virginia City. Students brainstorm adjectives to...

Examine the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women voting rights.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), proposed in 1923, has never been ratified. Activists seeking gender equality have sought its ratification since its first proposal but that dream fell short after the anti-ERA movement fought against its...

Complete text of the thirteenth amendment of the United States Constitution.

A discussion of how the First through Tenth Amendments to the Constitution came to be written.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An article that discusses the 13-15th amendments and their impact on social history.

In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the different phrases found within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Information on the passage of the 14th and 15th amendments that helped to transform the women's rights movement.

After the SpanishAmerican War the American occupation of Cuba and the adoption of the Platt Amendment, which was forced upon the Cuban government when it formed its constitution, showed the signs of imperialism on the part of the United...

The question of the expansion of slavery into the territories of the United States was an old question that was addressed again in the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Read about the Tallmadge Amendment and the opinions supporting and...

In this video segment from The Supreme Court, learn about the 1883 Supreme Court decision that marked the end of federal protections for individuals in states and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation.

A history quiz about the Amendments to the Constitution.

What is the Bill of Rights? Why were they created? Find out the purpose of these ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution and how they work to protect the citizens in the U.S.

Provides a good basic introduction to the Constitution. Explains the founding principles, checks and balances, the rationale for it, the accomplishments of the Constitutional Convention, the debate and ratification, the structure of the...

Take a close look at the United States Bill of Rights, the ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It was written a long time ago-1791. Move your cursor over the picture below to see if you can read the rights given to American citizens.