Economics Through the Long History of America’s First Bank

Capitalism and the American nation have long been bedfellows; after all, they are both the children of 18th-century Neo-Classical Liberalism. It is worth noting that both the “Declaration of Independence” and Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” were presented to the public in the same fateful year of 1776. However, the America of Revolutionary days certainly was neither the financial nor business force that it is today, and understanding how the nation came to be so closely linked to capital is important. The unit is from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. For more resources from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, go here.

Realizing the Dream Today

In this lesson from the American Bar Association, students will analyze a political cartoon depicting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the title of his famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” Discussion of the meaning of the cartoon leads into a more general conversation about rights and equality.

For more resources from American Bar Association, go here.

Impeachment Lesson Plans and Resources

Impeachment is when a legislative body decided to charge a government official with a crime. It is very similar to an indictment in our criminal law system. The Constitution states that a president can be impeached for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” According to Article I of the U.S. Constitution, the House of Representatives has the right to impeach a president, and the Senate has the right to try impeachment cases and remove the president from office. The Senate’s vote is final. Help your students understand the processes, ramifications and history of this legislative process in this curated collection of impeachment lesson plans from Share My Lesson.

For more resources on impeachment, go here.

  • For a roundup of information about summer teacher institutes from Civics Renewal Network organizations, go here. The institutes include:
    • American Bar Association: Federal Trials and Great Debates Summer Institute
    • George Washington’s Mount Vernon: Program connects Washington and his 18th-century world to students’ lives today.
    • Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: 6-day and 3-day seminars, plus a new summit at Gettysburg College.
    • Historical Society of Pennsylvania: The Immigrant Experience Through Primary Sources.
    • Library of Congress: Four weeklong sessions separately focus on general interest; science, technology and engineering; and civics.
    • National Endowment for the Humanities: Tuition-free programs to study a variety of humanities topics.
    • Street Law: An immersive six days in D.C. learning about the U.S. Supreme Court.
    • TeachingAmericanHistory.org: Multiday colloquia at historical sites.
    • Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello: An opportunity to research and study at Monticello and the Jefferson Library.
  • Bill of Rights Institute: The prompt for the We the Students essay contest is “What does civil discourse mean to you?” Learn more.
  • Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: New contest for fourth and fifth graders on topic “50 States, 1 Nation.” Learn more.
  • James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation: Apply for $24,000 fellowship to become an outstanding teacher of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more.