Emphasizes the importance of understanding the development of democracy around the world by comparative study of constitutions. Uses the development of the Japanese constitution after World War II as a case study. Describes the work of the team appointed by General Douglas MacArthur and the significance of the clause guaranteeing equal rights for…

Presents a plan for a student-organized open discussion relating to conflicts between the desire to protect children from harmful material on the Internet and the need to protect First Amendment rights. Includes a note to teachers, instructions for conducting the forum, background information, and roles for students participating in the…

The first part of this document, designed for middle school students, describes the Rhode Island court system. A history of the court in Rhode Island, an explanation of courts and their jurisdictions, the jury, appointment and duties of judges, court personnel, and sentencing are explained. An appendix outlines the rights of crime victims, the…

This Oregon curriculum resource guide about elections is intended for use by secondary social studies teachers who may already be teaching about elections, but need additional information and ideas to integrate into their classes. The guide is organized so that teachers may select individual lessons and activities to use in the existing…

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…

Directed to secondary school teachers of history, government, and civics, this book is designed to fit common educational objectives in secondary school curriculum guides that call for teaching and learning about the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. The volume is intended to encourage careful reading, analysis, and classroom…

Focusing on the theme of conflict resolution, this booklet contains 22 lessons developed and used by classroom teachers at all grade levels. The lessons generally contain a brief overview, goals and objectives, student activities, and corresponding handouts or materials useful in implementing the lessons. Each lesson contains insights into methods…

Discusses the constitutional protection of individual rights, particularly how they relate to the conduct of law enforcement. Summarizes a number of Supreme Court decisions and the legal precedents they established. Considers the various jurisdictions and duties of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. (MJP)

Argues that law-related education should move beyond teaching the mechanics and issues of government and include those concepts of civic virtue incorporated within democracy. Notes that students need philosophical and moral content as well as experiential learning. (MJP)

Reprints the Bill of Rights as instituted in the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Most of the provisions have been summarized but the basic rights (which cannot be rescinded in even in a state of emergency) are reprinted in their entirety. Includes topics for discussion and research. (MJP)

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany the two-part videotape "One Nation Under God? School Prayer and the First Amendment." The videotape and teacher's guide should help students to: (1) understand the history of freedom of religion and the First Amendment; (2) examine the controversy surrounding school prayer; (3) compare and…

The "Focus on Government" video series consist of four parts: (1) "Congress and the Legislative Branch"; (2) "The Presidency and the Executive Branch"; (3) "The Supreme Court and the Constitution"; and (4) "The Media and Public Policy." Each of these parts is approximately twelve minutes long and…

The four teaching units of this publication focus on Japanese constitutional law and history, while providing opportunities for comparison with the constitutional experience of the United States. The four units have been designed as a comprehensive course of study that emphasizes understanding of the historical and cultural context of contemporary…

These materials include the script for a mock trial in which students are asked to role play the participants in a case based on the facts of New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985). The case raised questions involving a students' rights to protection against unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment and schools' needs to…

The purpose of this book is to revitalize teaching and learning about the U.S. Constitution for elementary and secondary school students. Fifty-one classroom teachers participated in the Special Programs in Citizenship Education (SPICE II), a project that focused on the development of new lesson plans and activities on the Constitution. These…