Curated OER
Get to Know Your Bill of Rights
Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...
Carolina K-12
Minnesota v. White: Exploring a Judicial Candidate’s First Amendment Rights
After watching a documentary on the Supreme Court case Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, class members research how the First Amendment and free speech issues influence judicial elections and then conduct a mock judicial election.
Curated OER
A Close Reading of Learned Hand's "I Am an American Day"
Judge Learned Hand's "Spirit of Liberty" speech delivered during the July, 1944 "I Am an American Day" celebration is the subject of a close reading activity that models for learners how to approach a dense, difficult text.
Curated OER
Newspapers in the Digital Age
Is journalism more or less reliable with the influx of Internet sources? Learners investigate the issues of freedom of speech, journalistic ethics, and social responsibility in the age of Twitter and Facebook. After examining the...
Curated OER
Individual Rights -- Freedom of Speech at School
Young scholars examine their individual rights at a public school. In groups, they identify the most common ways of expressing themselves and why they should limit their speech in public. They compare and contrast two cases in which they...
Curated OER
Freedom Of Expression In Special Places
Students learn about First Amendment rights as they pertain to school and school newspapers.
Curated OER
"I Believe..." Podcast Style
Use this communication skills lesson to emphasize evaluating a speaker's main point and argument. After reading Martin Luther King's, "I Have a Dream Speech" and John F. Kennedy's speech, "I Believe in an America Where the Separation of...
Humanities Texas
A President's Vision: Abraham Lincoln
Invite your learners to take a close look at Abraham Lincoln's presidency through analysis worksheets of several images and primary documents, presented on an educational poster entirely dedicated to this great United States...
Curated OER
Painting Inside the Lines
Students examine how freedoms of expression and religion are shaped within democracies. They consider reactions to controversial art exhibit in Moscow. They compose reaction papers supporting or refuting a quotation from the article read...
Curated OER
Free Speech Comes At a Price
Students use communicative activity strategy, Go, Ask and Tell, or more traditional whole text comprehension activity to read, discuss and explore issues in article, Free Speech Comes at a Price, by Hugh Mackay.
Curated OER
A Study of the First Amendment Rights in the Bill of Rights
Pupils become aware of the basic liberties of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition through study of Supreme Court cases. Student groups analyae some cases heard by the Supreme Court to further their understanding of the First...
Shell Education
A Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
How much do your learners know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Set up an opportunity for kids to learn about Dr. King while practicing reading fluency with a reader's theater activity. The script is for four voices and includes...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Ronald Reagan, Excerpt from Reagan's First Inaugural Address
A key challenge in teaching kids how to read informational text, particularly primary source documents, is finding suitable resources and then developing questions that guide readers. Never fear, help is here in the form of a series...
Curated OER
Across The Centuries
Students analyze the American Bill of Rights, compare it to the English Bill of Rights and note the differences in an essay. They access websites imbedded in this plan to do their research, then present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
My Secret War: Lesson 5
Fifth graders determine how freedom comes with rights and responsibilities through literature and poetry about World War II. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders use the letters in the word "infamy" to write an acrostic poem. They...
Curated OER
First Amendment: Bill of Rights
Twelfth graders explore the First Amendment and the rights that are protected by the First Amendment. They discuss how the First Amendment is important to their daily lives. Students research the amendment and complete a concept map.
Curated OER
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
Learners read selections from the Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the Wilmot Proviso of 1846. They contrast the maps of 1820 and 1854 to analyze developments in the national debate over slavery. They...
Curated OER
The ABCs of Citizenship
In this instructional activity, students read the book that focuses on the ascpects of citizenship/ Students imagine a scene in which each statement is actually happening. Students descirbe rights, repsonisbilities. Assess students by...
Curated OER
Scrapbook of Freedom
Third graders create a scrapbook using personal narratives and samples of artifacts to connect to maps of geographical locations of the Underground Rail Road. they describe at least one of the feelings a child slave might have had...
Curated OER
Dependent Clauses and Types of Sentences
In this dependent clause/sentence types worksheet, students complete 10 multiple choice questions. Answers are included, labeled as a quiz, but may be used as practice.
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Excerpt from Reagan's Farewell Address
Here's a worksheet designed to help learners develop their skill reading primary source documents. The questions, based on an excerpt from Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address, encourages close reading and analysis.
Curated OER
Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution
Learners examine how the French and American revolutions influenced and emergence of free press in these countries. Students explore the link between government control of the press and the type of government. They compare and contrast...
Curated OER
First Amendment: Crossword Puzzle
In this United States history worksheet, students use the 14 clues in order to fill in the crossword puzzle with the appropriate answers pertaining to the First Amendment.
Curated OER
What is "The American Dream"?
Students read the story Marriage is a Private Affair and analyze the 'American Dream.' For this American Dream lesson, students free write about the American Dream. Students read the story and discuss the themes. Students write a letter...