Teachers | iCivics

Card View
List View

Lesson Plan

Slave States, Free States

The debate over slavery ultimately helped drive the United States into civil war, but before it did, there were decades of careful balance between slaves states and free states. In this lesson,…
View
Lesson Plan

The Federalist Debate (HS)

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 debate while…
View
Lesson Plan

Judicial Review

If Marbury was right, then why didn't he get the writ? Find out how the Supreme Court got the power to decide what is constitutional, and what the Court can do with that power.
View
Lesson Plan

Machiavelli Mini-lesson

Look into the ideas and writings of the Italian thinker and politician, Niccoló Machiavelli (1429-1527).
View
Lesson Plan

The Enlightenment Mini-lesson

The Enlightenment was a period of time, starting around 1715, when people developed new ideas about human existence, including people's basic rights and the purpose of government. When our Founding…
View
Lesson Plan

John Locke Mini-lesson

Introduce students to the ideas and writings of John Locke that influenced the likes of Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.
View
Lesson Plan

Montesquieu Mini-lesson

Meet the Baron de Montesquieu, one of the great thinkers of the 18th century. He spent a lot of time thinking about how governments should be created and maintained. These ideas guided the Founding…
View
Lesson Plan

Rousseau Mini-lesson

Explore the ideas of Enlightenment thinker, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His writings on natural and social freedom, the social contract, and democracy shaped the American system of government in a variety…
View
Lesson Plan

Benjamin Franklin Mini-lesson

"The First American", Benjamin Franklin, is the only Founding Father that signed all three major documents that founded the United States of America: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of…
View
Lesson Plan

George Mason Mini-lesson

Check out George Mason's role in the founding of the U.S. Even though he never served as a president and refused to sign the Constitution, Mason's work in Virginia and with the Anti-Federalists earn…
View
Lesson Plan

George Washington Mini-lesson

Review the variety of roles that George Washington played in America's early years. From commanding the Continental Army, to presiding over the Constitutional Convention, to setting the standard for…
View
Lesson Plan

Thomas Jefferson Mini-lesson

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, but he played many political roles throughout our nation’s history. His political life influenced the country in many ways, from the…
View
Lesson Plan

James Madison Mini-lesson

This mini-lesson digs into the 41 year political career of James Madison. Considered the author of the U.S. Constitution, Madison was a prime architect in creating a strong national government, yet…
View
Lesson Plan

Federalists & Anti-Federalists

Look at the debate, and eventual compromise, between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists that occured around the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
View
Lesson Plan

The Constitutional Convention Mini-lesson

After ten years under the Articles of Confederation, Americans realized they needed something different. Explore the major debates that occurred at the convention, as well as the outcomes that…
View
Lesson Plan

Early Rebellions Mini-lesson

As a new country, the United States experienced a lot of growing pains. Discover some of the citizen-led rebellions that occurred in the nation's first decades, and how the government grew to respond…
View
Lesson Plan

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned “separate but equal” in public schools. Students learn about segregation and “equality under the law,” and they use…
View
Lesson Plan

In re Gault (1967)

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that said juvenile offenders have a right to due process. Students learn about 14th Amendment due process, fairness, and the…
View
Lesson Plan

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that interpreted the Commerce and Supremacy Clauses of the U.S. Constitution and affirmed the federal government’s superiority with…
View
Lesson Plan

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that gave defendants in state criminal courts the right to a lawyer. Students learn about the 6th Amendment right to a lawyer, why…
View