Examines the impact of slavery and racism on the U.S. Constitution at its creation, at its centennial, and now. Explores the way Black U.S. citizens view the Constitution in relation to legitimized slavery. Provides a reading list in Black history and a glossary of civil rights terms. (GEA)

Contends that, although religious freedom is a key feature of U.S. democracy, it has had a relatively short and modern history. Discusses the issues, court opinions, and historical significance of the 1940 "Minersville School District v. Gobitis" U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses and the Pledge of Allegiance to…

Maintains that constitutional law is the cornerstone of an undergraduate public law curriculum. Asserts that there is a welcome trend toward teaching the subject over a two-semester sequence, instead of only one. Describes course content and teaching strategies used in a college constitutional law course. (CFR)

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…

Arranged chronologically from the Constitution's initial implementation in the late 18th century to the civil rights movement of the 1950 and 60s, this volume contains eight study units. The units address various roles in the U.S. legal system and corresponding legal processes, while raising the following constitutional issues: (1) the role and…

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…

Asserts that the Civil Rights is the clearest and most accessible example of nonviolent resistance to injustice in U.S. history. Discusses two common misperceptions among students about the Civil Rights movement. Presents a three-day classroom activity, including a bibliography and primary source readings. (CFR)

Examines legal and social implications of bias violence today and in the coming years. The most important legal development regarding hate crimes is the Supreme Court's "Wisconsin v. Mitchell" decision upholding the constitutionality of bias crime penalty enhancement laws. (SLD)

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…

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…

Ten essays discuss federal democracy, the form of government of the United States. The first essay discusses the origins of American federalism. The second examines why we have a federal system, the functions federalism serves, and the consequences of federalism for the American political system. Federalism in the Constitution and constitutional…

A bilingual Cambodian-English supplement designed for high school courses in American government is intended to interpret the story of government's operation in a clear and interesting way and provide a vocabulary of frequently-used words and phrases. The lessons, in both English and Cambodian, cover the following topics : American government; the…