The role of the U.S. Constitution as a model for an influence on the establishment of governments in other nations offers an effective vehicle for expanding education about this nation's civic values, rights, and responsibilities. By studying how the ideas and principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights have been adopted, adapted, and integrated into the political and social systems of other nations, under what circumstances these ideas have been transported and adopted successfully, and under what circumstances they have failed, students can gain insight into the Constitution and Bill of Rights, thereby developing a fuller appreciation of their own democratic tradition, and of the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. This work consists of a series of 31 lesson plans with handouts. The section dealing with Canada focuses not on the obvious similarities between Canada and the United States, but with the differences. The section on Mexico emphasizes that an important part of cross cultural understanding is recognizing the differing perceptions of the role of law in society. The similarity of the U.S. and Mexican constitutions is compared to the enormous differences in history and culture. The section on Japan seeks to provide a historical context for analyzing the Meiji and Showa constitutions and to help students recognize the importance of culture in shaping both the description and actual practice of government. The section on Nigeria provides a background in the ways some traditional cultures of Nigeria viewed the concept of rights. (DK)