The political ideas of John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other Founders of the United States have been a rich civic legacy for successive generations of citizens. An important means of ensuring that these ideas on constitutional government continue to inspire and guide people in the 21st century lies in…

To focus classroom learning experiences on the freedoms and privileges enjoyed by consumers in the U.S. free market economy is the goal of these guidelines. Students learn how the U.S. Constitution relates to the free market system through a variety of teaching strategies. The guidelines can easily be adapted for use in a variety of classroom…

Ideas for celebrating the U.S. Constitution in the classroom, on a schoolwide basis, or in the community are presented in this guide. Classroom activities are categorized into art, research and writing, and miscellaneous. Designing a class mural and a class seal are examples of suggested art activities. In carrying out research activities,…

In this high school U.S. government and U.S. history curriculum unit, students examine in depth the Monroe Doctrine. Detailed activities are provided to teach students about the origins of the Monroe Doctrine and its subsequent impact on U.S. foreign policy. The materials include informational handouts for students, background information for…

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)

Maintains that educators have been at the forefront in the quest for equal opportunity. Asserts, however, that there is resistance to recognizing and removing bias from the curriculum and instructional materials. Discusses challenges in implementing inclusive education in Canadian schools. (CFR)

Maintains traditional grading techniques can be a form of authentic assessment. Discusses three aspects of authentic assessment: (1) interdisciplinary problem-solving; (2) grading process as well as the product; and (3) developing a grading rubric to be shared with students. (CFR)

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)