These lesson plans on the First Amendment are designed to help elementary school students to understand the history and meaning of the First Amendment and its importance in today's society. Seven lessons for primary grades cover the following topics: (1) Forms of expression; (2) Rights in daily life; (3) The First Amendment; (4) The right to meet…

The Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution marks its Bicentennial in 1991. These documents are designed to educate secondary students about various aspects of the Bill of Rights and its history. Topics covered in the five issues are: a Bill of Rights for the American people; the Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court; the fourth amendment…

This resource packet contains a variety of teaching strategies designed for teachers to help students better understand the historical development and contemporary significance of the Bill of Rights. Forty-seven activities are included for both elementary and secondary students. The packet also includes a glossary and lists books for young…

Just as human rights belong equally to all human beings and the role of government is to secure those rights, education in regard to human rights belongs in the core of civic education and the role of that education is to develop within the student a reasoned commitment to human rights. The writers of human rights documents throughout history have…

More than 200 years after its founding, the U.S. government continues to thrive on argument, dispute, and debate. For citizens to be fully engaged in the political process, they must continue to participate in the tradition of public discourse exemplified by the ratification debate of 1787-88. College-Community Forums are designed to further…

Throughout this bibliography, an asterisk identifies citations especially useful for school law classes. The library identification code and a brief annotation accompany the citations that are organized in the following sections: (1) guides to legal research; (2) indexes; (3) dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, and handbooks; (4) American…

The press and public should have access to pretrial discovery documents in civil litigation when matters of public concern are at issue. Recently, the Supreme Court expanded the public's First Amendment right of access to criminal proceedings, and based on that, some lower courts have granted access to civil trials. In its decisions establishing…

The 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution offers an excellent opportunity for encouraging renewed study of the principles and foundations of constitutional government. This resource packet provides a listing of current materials and resources to aid teachers in planning lesson units. The listings include: (1) professional…

Materials and resources to aid teachers in the instructional process on the U.S. Constitution are annotated in this document. The 50 listings include: (1) teaching materials; (2) periodicals; (3) audio-visual materials; and (4) background books. Each of the annotations includes: (1) a citation; (2) a description of the item; and (3) source…

Twenty activities and seven educational objectives help teachers inform students of their rights as citizens. Each objective is demonstrated through the use of one or more activities that help students experience the learning for themselves. Each activity consists of teaching procedures and student handouts. Section 1 is an examination of the Bill…

Designed for use in the junior high school curriculum, two lessons involve students in the structure and procedures of the jury system as it functions within the court system. Although intended for use with a slide program and computer software program, activities in the teaching guide can be used independently. For each lesson, background…

There has been a renaissance of scholarship during the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. Continued implementation of the Constitution requires that its text, its structure, and its principles be widely known and respectfully understood. U.S. citizens need to respect the Constitution as it was understood by those who framed it. Underlying the…

The dimensions of the separation of powers principle are explored through three lessons in the subject areas of U.S. history, U.S. government, and world history. In 1748, a French nobleman, Baron de Montesquieu, wrote a book called "The Spirit of the Laws," in which he argued that there could be no liberty when all government power was…

Restricted to books on freedom of speech, this annotated bibliography offers a list of 38 references pertinent to the subject. Also included is a list of 18 ERIC documents on freedom of speech, and information on how to order them. (JC)

Stated as a legal constitutional issue the question is, Do affirmative action programs that embody some form of preferential treatment of selected groups resulting in possible quotas constitute reverse discrimination in violation of basic constitutional rights? This issue represents one of the most fundamental questions for our society that the…