Celebrate Constitution Day on September 17th.
Essential Question: How are the ideas from the Declaration of Independence connected to our government today?
In this lesson, developed in collaboration with the National Archives, students will work through stations, considering various primary documents, in order to answer the essential question.
According to many scholars, modern liberal democracy has advanced in waves. But liberal democracy has also had its setbacks. Some argue that it is in trouble in the world today, and that the young millennial generation is losing faith in it.
Monticello has partnered with Microsoft Skype in the classroom to bring FREE virtual field trips to your students, grades K-12. The virtual field trip lasts about 45 minutes, during which time a Monticello educator will talk to your class about Monticello using images, props, and an online virtual tour. Your students can ask the educator questions, and you can prepare your students with pre- and post-visit resources.
Alexander Hamilton, Founding Father and Broadway star, clashed with Thomas Jefferson politically and morally. But both figures were essential to the founding of the United States of America. Check out this page for resources on Jefferson, Hamilton, and other main players from the Broadway musical “Hamilton: An American Musical.”
Use this classroom-ready lesson to examine free-expression issues surrounding a controversial speaker invited to appear at UC Berkeley. We provide questions to help guide your students on if and when offensive speech should be banned, and what are the competing groups and interests.
To celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day this year, federal courts organized student participation at 50 naturalization ceremonies in September. Read More ⟶
Schools across the nation participated in Constitution Day 2017 and shared their activities using the hashtag #RenewCivics. Here are some of our favorites. Read More ⟶
As the Framers drafted different versions of our founding documents, their ideas of what it meant to be a republic also changed. In this unit, four lessons based on the drafts of the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, held at the collection at HSP, allow students to explore the language and ideas behind these pivotal documents
Few people know the legal mind of justices or judges as well as the law clerks who have worked with them. Justice Thurgood Marshall’s former law clerks offer unique insights into the character, values, and thought processes of the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. In this 8.5-minute video called “Moments in History: Remembering Thurgood Marshall,” prominent lawyers reminisce about the examples of compassion and courage they saw in the life and work of this legal legend.
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the Bill of Rights. Students will be asked to illustrate those rights in order to demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which our Constitution protects the citizens of the United States. Students will also be able to determine how the Constitution affects the daily life of Americans.