A compilation of diverse lesson plans, project ideas, and resources for teaching the United States Constitution to junior high and senior high school students is presented. The document contains seven sections: (1) Teaching the Constitution: An Interdisciplinary Approach; (2) A Sampling of New Books on the Constitution; (3) Films and Videotapes;…

This instructor's guide was prepared in conjunction with the bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution and to accompany a four-part series about the document's impact on citizen's lives. A separate guide, for use in secondary school classrooms, is included for each of the programs. Each guide contains: (1) a brief discussion of the…

Published six times a year, the newsletter keeps educators abreast of assessment studies; forthcoming reports; staff announcements, meetings, and services rendered; notes of interest; and publications. The newsletter allows for dissemination of current information of the National Assessment which provides data to measure student knowledge, skills…

Stating that students should learn more about the U.S. Constitution than superficial details, Vile advocates the teaching of 12 basic constitutional principles that are essential to the nature and success of the U.S. government. These principles include the rule of law, individual rights, and the dangers of concentrated power. (GEA)

Focusing on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the high school text and teacher's guide are intended to be the basis of study for the competitive component of the "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" civic education program. The 40 lessons in the text are divided into 6 study units…

Aiming to educate adult learners on the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, this teachers' guide focuses on cases and controversies about individual rights which are most relevant to the lives of adults. The worktext for adult learners provides some basic background information about the development and interpretation of the Bill of…

Aiming to educate students in grades 8-12 on the Bill of Rights, this student guide focuses on each of the of the first 10 amendments and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Organized by amendment, each section includes the text of the amendment and its counterpart in the Maine Constitution; an introduction to the legal…

It is widely believed that the judiciary can maintain the rule of law and guarantee fundamental rights only if it is independent from political and other pressures. Most countries have provisions in their constitutions guaranteeing an independent judiciary. Usually, this independence has two faces: institutional measures that separate the…

The phrase "excluding Indians not taxed" appears in both Article I and the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution. This essay examines the phrases "excluding Indians not taxed" and "subject to the jurisdiction" of sections 1 and 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment as they apply to Indians. This essay, through analysis…

When teaching moral education, the ethical dilemma often faced by educators revolves around the question of whose morals should be taught. Judicious Discipline, a constitutional model for classroom management, proposes to answer this question by offering educators the opportunity to teach the moral standards of the U.S. democratic system of…

Jefferson Meetings on the Constitution are designed to provide a forum in which citizens can make the Constitution more fully their own through discussion of its principles and the way these principles shape the operation of the U.S. system of government. This document is a guide designed to stimulate reasoned discussion of rights and the…

This document contains 24 teacher authored lessons focusing on citizenship and citizenship education. The book is organized by grade level with elementary lessons at the beginning and high school lessons at the end, although several lessons can be adapted to all levels. Each lesson begins with an abstract that gives an overview of the lesson. In…

This digest addresses teaching about the U.S. Congress. The digest addresses the constitutional foundations of the U.S. Congress, including the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, representation, bicameralism, and the balance of power between state and federal government and among the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the federal…

This lesson is a scenario of an editorial assistant who has to write a memo to a metropolitan newspaper editor advising which of three possible positions to take regarding the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. The editor provides a guide for writing the memo and the guide mandates researching the memo using the Impeachment Links. The guide…

Identifies four areas of deficiency in understanding and applying the principles of the Bill of Rights. Provides guidelines to improve instruction, emphasizing systematic coverage of Bill of Rights topics; analysis of case studies on Bill of Rights issues; and discussion of Bill of Rights issues in an open classroom environment. (CH)