The Tired King  

(Grades K-2)

This short lesson introduces students to the three branches of government as they assist a hypothetical king with his daily tasks in a fairy-tale type kingdom.

Mr. Madison Needs Some Help

(Grades 4-5)

Here are three lessons to choose from or implement as a unit. The first lesson provides background on the Constitution, the second engages students in helping James Madison develop a Bill of Rights, and the third focuses on the First Amendment.

MyTown and the Three Branches of Government (English) (Spanish)

(Grade 3)

In this lesson, students assist the new mayor in solving problems in MyTown by setting up a city council and judge (legislative and judicial branches of government). They read and discuss letters from townspeople and decide which branch of the town’s government should handle the problem described in the letter.

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Plato and Aristotle on Tyranny and the Rule of Law

This lesson helps students examine the ancient philosophical roots of the rule of law before they apply those ideas to the modern American political system.

Rome: Republic to Empire 

This lesson links the content standards of 6th grade history-social science with our U.S. Constitution. It provides a reading on Roman kings, the republic, and the end of the republic for 6th grade. The application activity has students simulate members of a congressional committee deciding if a new amendment should be added to the U.S. Constitution

Teaching the Constitution with The Federalist Papers 

This lesson provides a reading on the Federalist Papers and engages students in role play and a variety of discussion activities and a debate focusing on issues around the adoption of the Constitution. 

Whip, Pillory, and the Gallows: Punishment in Puritan Massachusetts

How would the often-harsh punishments of Puritan Massachusetts hold up to the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishment”? Students answer that question together in this lesson.

Emancipation Day: Past and Present

Before the passage of the 13th Amendment ending slavery, Black Americans celebrated emancipation in free states where slavery had already ended. They used the constitutional freedoms of press and assembly. Students examine primary sources from the New York Public Library to explore Emancipation Days and the meanings of holidays to national culture.

The Bill of (Twelve) Rights: Contingency and the Constitution

This lesson allows students to consider different ways the Constitution and Bill of Rights could have gone.

Abolitionists and the Constitution

Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison were friends and passionate abolitionists, but they differed on whether the Constitution was a pro-slavery or anti-slavery document. This lesson helps students look at the diverse interpretations of the Constitution leading up to the U.S. Civil War.

The ‘Business Plot’ to Overthrow FDR

A study in treason, conspiracy, and the balance of federal powers, this lesson presents an infamous plot to overthrow President Franklin Roosevelt in 1934. Students simulate a congressional committee to decide and recommend how the alleged perpetrators should be charged.

Aristotle: In Search of the Best Constitution 

This lesson begins with a reading on Aristotle, his politics, and his views on citizenship and constitutions. Students then participate in an activity that has them weigh the pros and cons of two types of governments/societies.