This play, designed for grades four to six, is a reenactment of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It shows how the proposals for equal representation, a governmental balance of powers, and the Bill of Rights led to the ratification of the Constitution. (AEM)

Offers a lesson plan for teaching grade six about the Supreme Court. The lesson includes several situations in which students decide if laws have been broken. (BSR)

Describes learning activities based on the U.S. Constitution that enhance higher level thinking skills in elementary students. One activity proposes a hypothetical constitutional amendment banning Saturday cartoons; a second taxes children's earnings; and other activities focus on dramatizing events surrounding the Constitutional Convention. (LS)

The key to a successful field trip is planning. This publication, designed to provide guidelines for the middle school teacher, outlines the step-by-step experience of a visit to Montpelier, the home of James Madison. A prefatory article by constitutional authority A. E. Dick Howard, called "James Madison and the Constitution," provides…

Because attaining citizenship skills remains the principal goal of social studies, this unit was designed to highlight the founding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in a manner appropriate to both primary and intermediate elementary children. Each lesson includes objectives, materials, and procedures, as well as supplementary…

This document addresses violence as one of the key challenges facing the democratic and pluralistic republic under the framework of the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Primary focus is on criminal violence and the factors and behaviors that contribute to violent crime. The text is organized into three chapters: (1) "The Problem of…

These lesson plans on the First Amendment are designed to help secondary school students to understand the history and meaning of the First Amendment and its importance in today's society. The manual has two sections, one for middle school, the other for high school. Ten lessons for middle school students cover the following topics: (1) Throwing…

Describes teaching children about historical documents as a way of illustrating the reasons behind U.S. government. Explains that the course examines the U.S. Constitution, Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, and Bill of Rights. Argues that children have firm opinions about fairness and justice. Describes a project comparing U.S. government with that…

Provides a list of 23 activities which demonstrate how constitutional issues and law are manifested in current events. Maintains that the activities help students gain a working knowledge of the U.S. Constitution in addition to seeing it as a relevant, living document which inspires critical and creative thinking. (JDH)

California State Standard 5.7 is delineated in the following manner: "Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution's significance as the foundation of the American republic." Students answer six questions about the Constitution and present suggestions for…

To celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, this curriculum illustrates the concepts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights through events and issues of the Pacific Northwest. The eight units of the curriculum include constitutional visions, the trial of Hershel C. Lyon: an environmental dilemma, comparison of rights around…

Presented is a list of resources on the U.S. Constitution for elementary and secondary schools. Listed alphabetically and topically, the resources include organizations which provide classroom materials, teacher training, and other services. Included are special sections on the cultural and political contexts of the bicentennial, women and the…

Violence-Prevention Outcomes in Civic Education (VOICE) is a curriculum program for elementary social studies that incorporates conflict resolution, law-related education, and service learning. These three elements are among those considered to have promise in addressing youth violence. The VOICE curriculum is designed to complement the…

This curriculum, intended to be used in the middle school grades, introduces students to the study of constitutional government in the United States. It is designed to help students understand the most important ideas of the constitutional system and how they were developed and to provide students with a knowledge of how the Constitution came into…

This teaching guide accompanies a curriculum, intended to be used in the middle school grades, that introduces students to the study of constitutional government in the United States. It is designed to help students understand the most important ideas of the constitutional system and how they were developed, and to provide students with a…