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Discover how William Blackstone and his Commentaries on the Laws of England influenced America’s founders, founding documents, and legal system.
Help your students view any political debate — local to national, historical to live broadcast.
Discover the debate that surrounded the Constitution before it became the law of the land. Excerpts from Federalist 84 and Anti-Federalist 46 offer insight into both sides of the…
View the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles. Consider the Founders' intentions and the Constitution itself as you discover how the constitutional…
Learn how the Constitution has changed over time and what methods created those changes. Analyze specific examples of change including amendments, Supreme Court decisions, and…
Jump into the big debate over the Bill of Rights, and see how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists battled over the fate of the U.S. Constitution. Where did the idea come from? How…
Compare and contrast the U.S. and Ohio constitutions in this hands-on lesson using excerpts from both documents. Dig into how they structure the government, address individual…
View excerpts from Ohio's original 1802 state constitution and the major changes made in the 1851 version as students learn about the history of Ohio's constitution in this unique…
Even presidents have to worry about making the grade! Discover the history behind the “First 100 Days” and its impact on the American presidency with this new lesson plan that…
This lesson plan teaches the fundamentals of Supreme Court Justice nominations and helps students understand the politics behind the nominations. It challenges students to cut…
This mini-lesson highlights some of the most critical additions to our Constitution and how those additions guarantee students' rights.
How does Washington’s state constitution compare and contrast with the U.S. Constitution? Look no further for the answer! Guide your class through some basic similarities and…
Washington’s initiative and referendum powers let regular people participate directly in lawmaking! This lesson presents the initiative and referendum powers as tools and shows…
Water rights are a big deal for many reasons. In this lesson, students learn where water comes from, what water rights are, and how a variety of competing interests factor into…
Discover the different types of congressional committees and their responsibilities. What's more, teach students about bias and balanced reporting. In the closing activity,…
Students learn about midterm elections, their role as a referendum on the presidency, and how a shift in party control impacts the legislative and executive branches. Page two of…
Meet your PALS—Power, Authority, Legitimacy, and Sovereignty! In this lesson, students are introduced to these characteristics of government and consider how…
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…
Lesson Plan
