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William Blackstone: Mini-Lesson

Discover how William Blackstone and his Commentaries on the Laws of England influenced America’s founders, founding documents, and legal system.
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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…
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Lesson Plan

Constitutional Principles (HS)

View the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles. Consider the Founders' intentions and the Constitution itself as you discover how the constitutional principles are critical…
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Lesson Plan

No Bill of Rights, No Deal (HS)

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 did they decided…
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Lesson Plan

Comparing Constitutions: Ohio (HS)

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 rights, outline the…
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Lesson Plan

History of Ohio's Constitution (HS)

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 before and after…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-Lesson: The First 100 Days

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 includes extension…
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Lesson Plan

Comparing Constitutions (WA)

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 differences as well as…
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Initiative & Referendum (WA)

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 students how to use…
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Washington's Water

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 managing water…
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Mini-lesson: Congressional Committees (HS)

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 put their news…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-lesson: Midterm Elections (HS)

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 this Media Moment…
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Foundation Basics

Meet your PALS—Power, Authority, Legitimacy, and Sovereignty! In this lesson, students are introduced to these characteristics of government and consider how governments establish and maintain these…
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Philosophically Correct

Trace how philosophers throughout history have envisioned the ideal government. Explore ideas from Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and more in this new high school lesson.
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Familiar But Flawed

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 tyranny in favor of…
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Lessons from Antiquity

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 from these great…
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Colonial Beginnings

From the first settlers in Jamestown to the first shots at Lexington, American colonists set up their own governments. How did colonial government take shape and what exactly did it look like? In…
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Got Grievances?

You bet we do! What economic, political, and social factors led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence and American Revolution? Find out what caused the colonies to break from Great…
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Major Clash? Compromise!

Welcome to the Constitutional Convention! In this lesson, students learn how delegates met at the Convention with different ideas and came out of the Convention with a compromise that we now call the…
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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.
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