Lesson Plan
Los Angeles Unified School District

The United States Constitution

For Teachers 8th Standards
Ever wish your class could travel back in time and witness the making of the Constitution firsthand? This plan makes the classroom come pretty close. Eighth graders simulate the process of creating a constitution and design their own...
Organizer
What the Teacher Wants

The United States Constitution

For Students 3rd - 6th Standards
Help young historians explore the US Constitution with this graphic organizer learning exercise. Including a section for identifying the meaning of the preamble as well as the first three articles of the Constitution, this resource...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 2 James Madison: The Second National Bank—Powers Not Specified in the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second lesson of a...
Lesson Plan
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K12 Reader

Slavery in the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Your young historians will read excerpts from three parts of the United States Constitution—Article One, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment—and discuss how they each address the issue of slavery. 
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama's 1901 Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"We, the People of the State of Alabama. . ." Did you know that the Alabama State Constitution has 357,157 words while the US Constitution has only 4,400? And that it has 798 amendments while the US Constitution has...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

James Madison: Raising an Army—Balancing the States and the Federal Government

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...
Lesson Plan
1
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PBS

Constitution Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, learners go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short video...
Lesson Plan
1
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 4 James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act—Federal/State and Executive/Legislative

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...
Lesson Plan4:55
3
3
Curated OER

Our Classroom Constitution

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Develop a system of classroom rules created by the kids, for the kids with this three-part lesson plan series on the US Constitution. After learning about the structure of the Constitution and the government it established, young...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Focus on World Constitutions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upper graders read several passages to gain an understanding of the nations that have adopted a constitution similar to the United States Constitution. This is a scripted lesson that is intended to build content-specific vocabulary and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Regents Review Worksheet #1: Principles of the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 12th
Kids who take the Regents Exam really need to know a lot of information. This is a wonderful exam review tool that includes 26 pages of questions, charts, and suggested readings to help upper graders pass the test. It focuses on all...
Activity
2
2
Humanities Texas

A President's Vision: George Washington

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
Who knew that one poster about George Washington could have so many learning possibilities attached to it? Here you'll find an attractive learning display on the first president of the United States, as well as worksheets and...
Lesson Plan
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1
National Endowment for the Humanities

James Madison: Madison Was There

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Supreme Court: The Judicial Power of the United States

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners learn basic facts about the Supreme Court by examining the United States Constitution and one of the landmark cases decided by that court.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Sit back, relax, and transport to 1787! This lesson on the Constitution begins with guided imagery of the Constitutional Convention. The class reads A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution in an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

James Madison: From Father of the Constitution to President

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars investigate reasons why James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution." They discuss three events during his presidency that raised constitutional questions and look at Madison's opinions of those questions. They...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
Interactive
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iCivics

Branches of Power

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Learners take on the roles of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government in the United States and work to develop public policy issues and ideas into laws in this engaging and well-designed online interactive.
Activity
US Department of Commerce

Constitution Day

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Give your Constitution Day celebration a timely slant by discussing the census! An activity that includes analysis of the Constitutional call for a census, along with scaffolded worksheets, help pupils understand the connection between...
Interactive
iCivics

Immigration Nation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
If citizens are living abroad, can their children still be considered citizens? How long does citizenship last for someone who has been permitted to work in the country? Here is a fun online interactive game that will help your learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explain the differences between the three branches of government. Using the structure of a democracy, they listen to text about the United States Constitution. They discover how their government affects their lives in negative...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The U.S. Constitution

For Students 5th - 6th
Search the box of letters to find 18 different words related to the US Constitution. A word search is a great way to get kids thinking about new vocabulary words and recognizing them in a different context.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 3: Branches of Government

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Young historians climb through the three branches of the US government in the third lesson of this five-part series. While reading the first three Articles of the Constitution in small groups, children write facts on paper leaves...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Federalist Debates: Balancing Power Between State and Federal Governments

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the pros and cons of state sovereignty vs. federalism, as argued by the Founding Fathers. They identify the basic positions of each side, complete a worksheet, and write a persuasive essay arguing for Jefferson or Hamilton.