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How do states make laws? Students track the state lawmaking process as they learn about the people, organizations, and official efforts that help a bill become a law.
States have their own governments, but what powers do they have, and where does that power come from? In this lesson, students will explore the nature of state power as…
Even before the Constitution was ratified, the relationship between state and federal power was unclear. Students will learn the source of that tension and why this tug-of-war has…
State governments play many roles. Go beyond basic state government structure to examine how states use their police powers and taxation systems to further state goals, act as…
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 lesson plan that includes…
For the winning candidate, campaign promises evolve into an official presidential agenda. And despite the doubting general public, 75% of agenda goals since Woodrow Wilson have…
The president isn’t alone when it comes to the day to day work of the Executive Branch. This lesson takes a look at the history of the presidential cabinet, how the cabinet is…
From Commander-in-Chief to Chief Executive—keep track of the many roles of the president with this printable infographic for your classroom!
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…
The United States has 3,069 county governments acting as a bridge between state governments and the people. This lesson covers the diversity in county government structure, duties,…
What's the closest form of government to the American people? Why municipal government, of course! In this lesson, students will explore the varied functions and structures of…
Kick off this project-based unit by asking students to examine what it means to make change in the world. Students think about why people are motivated to advocate for change, what…
Do your students breeze through internet search results, easily weeding out irrelevant results and finding exactly what they need? No? This step offers a detailed look at how to…
In this step, students read and annotate the sources they identified in Step 2. The lesson discusses investigative reading and offers strategies for staying organized when faced…
Lesson Plan
