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Discover the four features of a sovereign state. Graphic organizers and mini-quizzes help reinforce the information, while students create a fictional country to apply what they've…
Students learn about the different forms of government that exist, including democracy, autocracy, oligarchy, and others. They compare and contrast these types of government, and…
Explore the five basic limits on government through the true story of Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, and other fictional cases of government power gone wild.
Great question! We ask Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to help us find an answer. The thing is, they don't agree. Dig into the philosophers' ideas and see how they've influenced those…
This skit-driven lesson explores the six factors that make up the rule of law and how they protect individual rights and freedoms in our day to day lives. Students then connect the…
This mini-lesson highlights some of the most critical additions to our Constitution and how those additions guarantee students' rights.
Meet your PALS—Power, Authority, Legitimacy, and Sovereignty! In this lesson, students are introduced to these characteristics of government and consider how…
What is a monarchy and why has it been one of the most common forms of government throughout history? In this lesson, students explore the advantages and disadvantages of…
Trace how philosophers throughout history have envisioned the ideal government. Explore ideas from Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and more in this new high school lesson.
Did Americans find fault in every ounce of the British government? Maybe not. Learn how America's Founders improved upon familiar structures of British government to contain…
Where did democracy get its start? In this lesson, students learn about direct democracy in Athen's and Rome's republic, how each took shape, and the ideas our Founders borrowed…
The Founding Fathers had many influences. Discover how aspects of Athenian democracy shaped the structure and ideals of the U.S. government.
What does the right to free speech actually mean? Students examine the types of speech the Supreme Court has interpreted as protected by the First Amendment, and those that have…
The First Amendment includes a two-for-one deal in its protection of religious freedom. This mini-lesson explains the difference between the Establishment and the Free Exercise…
The 14th Amendment defined natural born citizenship for the nation. Over a century later, the clause is still making news. This mini-lesson examines the 14th Amendment’s…
Learn about one of the hardest working passages in the U.S. Constitution: the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Students learn why the clause was created and discover how…
Meet the superhero legislation of civil rights. Students are introduced to eleven categories of civil rights protections with a focus on Title VII, which bans discrimination in the…
Students examine the key voting rights protected by this landmark civil rights law. This mini-lesson also provides an overview of the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the law in…
Nothing is set in stone. And that includes our rights. In this lesson, students learn how and why the courts can limit people’s civil rights and liberties. Students take on the…
Can a constitutional democracy function if the people don’t know the issues? In this lesson, students learn what freedom of the press means and why it was considered so important…
Lesson Plan
