In this lesson, students attempt to formulate their own declarations before examining the Declaration of Independence. Through a close reading of the document, they come to an understanding of how its structure forms a coherent, lucid, and powerful argument for independence.
The Preamble to the Constitution: A Close Reading Lesson
In this lesson, students will practice close reading and analysis of the words of the Preamble and related historic documents that illuminate the meaning of the terms and how they reflect the ideas of the framers of the Constitution about the foundation and historical aims of government.
Constitution Day Mini-site
In celebration of Constitution Day, the National Endowment for the Humanities EDSITEment has collected over 30 lessons from across the subject areas of U.S History, American Government and English Language Arts.
Created Equal
The Created Equal project uses the power of documentary films to teach about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America. The five films that are part of this project – “The Abolitionists,” “Slavery By Another Name,” “Freedom Riders”, “Freedom Summer” and “The Loving Story” – tell the remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo, from slavery to segregation.
Suffragists and Their Tactics
Students will work primarily with two American Memory Collections, Votes for Women – The Struggle for Women’s Suffrage and Votes for Women: 1848-1921, to understand how the suffragists of the early 20th century changed the requirements for voting in America.
Suffrage Strategies: Voices for Votes
Students examine a variety of primary source documents related to the women’s suffrage movement. They identify different methods people used to influence and change attitudes and beliefs about suffrage for women. Students then create original documents encouraging citizens to vote in current elections.
The Legislative Process
Nine videos explain each of the common legislative stages, and that the process by which a bill becomes law is rarely predictable.
United States Founding Documents
A gallery of study resources about significant primary source documents from American history. This gallery highlights resources designed to enhance study of a few significant primary source documents from American history.
Constitution Student Discovery Sets
This Library of Congress Student Discovery Set is here to put history into your hands. It brings together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents from the collections of the Library of Congress. Interactive tools let you zoom in for close examination, draw to highlight interesting details, and make notes about what you discover.
Compromise of 1850 (SIM Lesson Plans)
The materials in this curriculum are designed to enhance the Institute’s Senate Immersion Module (SIM) experience, but can also be used separately. The SIM program is an educational, role-playing experience, developed to engage new generations of Americans. The Institute encourages classroom preparation for the SIM, active play at the Institute, and debriefing at the end of the experience.