The process of impeachment was outlined in the Constitution when it was drafted in 1787. To date, 19 officials, including judges, cabinet members, senators, and presidents, have been impeached and stood trial. The crimes these individuals have been charged with range from perjury to conspiracy to intoxication on the bench. It is important to note that impeachment is not the actual removal from office, but merely the process to remove an official.
What Is the Census and Why Do We Use It?
Many students do not understand the importance of the Census and why it is taken. This lesson will help students understand the importance of the Census historically and the importance of its contemporary use.
The Constitution
This series of videos breaks down the different parts of the United States Constitution for students. In the videos, Kim and Sal interview constitutional scholars associated with the National Constitution Center, including Jeffrey Rosen, Heather Gerken, Ilya Somin, and Richard Garnett.
‘The Man On The Street’
“The Man on the Street” is Constituting America’s Best High School Short Film by Dakare Chatman. Peer-to-peer teaching is what students want and learn from effectively. Dakare interviews people on the street and teaches about the Constitution in the process. Dakare was a 2017 winner in the We the Future contest. At the end of the video, students will learn how they can enter the contest.
Celebrating the U.S. Constitution
Students develop an understanding and appreciation of the importance of the U.S. Constitution. This lesson plan is a winner of the We the Future contest.
Checks and Balances
This lesson explore the principle of checks and balances by providing video clips with examples and explanations. As they view these real-world examples, students will complete a graphic organizer and use it to evaluate how effective our system of checks and balances is at limiting government.
The Powers of Congress
In this lesson, students will learn about the powers of Congress, how they have evolved throughout history, and their impact on public policy. Students will view C-SPAN video clips to learn about the types of congressional power and apply that knowledge by developing strategies to improve the effectiveness of Congress.
Constitution Clips
C-SPAN’s Constitution Clips makes the U.S. Constitution come alive by providing teachers and students with video clips from C-SPAN’s Video Library of the Constitution in action.
60-Second Civics Podcasts
60-Second Civics is a podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation’s government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation’s history and government. The show’s content is primarily derived from the Center for Civic Education’s education for democracy curricula, including We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Foundations of Democracy, and Elements of Democracy. It’s easy to subscribe! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or subscribe via RSS.
Habeas Corpus: The Guantanamo Cases
One of our oldest human rights, habeas corpus safeguards individual freedom by preventing unlawful or arbitrary imprisonment. This documentary examines habeas corpus and the separation of powers in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks as the Supreme Court tried to strike a balance between the president’s duty to protect the nation and the constitutional protection of civil liberties in four major Guantanamo Bay cases: Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, Rasul v. Bush, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and Boumediene v. Bush.
Closed captions available in English and Spanish.