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Bill of Rights Institute

The resources in this collection were created by the Bill of Rights Institute (BRI). BRI designs classroom-ready, constitutional principles-based lessons.

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The Articles of Confederation
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In 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation. The objectives of this activity are: Students will analyze the provisions of the Articles of Confederation. Students will determine why individuals such as George Washington expressed a growing concern over government’s inadequacies, and why these concerns were expressed by and heightened after events such as Shays’s Rebellion. Students will explain why there was a growing call for creating a strong central government and the rationales for the various arguments.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Bill of Rights (1791)
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The first 10 amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. James Madison wrote the amendments, which list specific prohibitions on governmental power, in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties. For example, the Founders saw the ability to speak and worship freely as a natural right protected by the First Amendment. Congress is prohibited from making laws establishing religion or abridging freedom of speech. The Fourth Amendment safeguards citizensâ" right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Primary Source
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
"Boss" Tweed and Avarice
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Students will explore the vice of greed in civil society in this lesson on civic virtue. Students will examine "Boss" Tweed and his corrupt New York political machine, how the vice of greed affected politics and civil society, through a historical narrative, discussion guide, and contemporary political cartoons by Thomas Nast. Students will also analyze vice by examining its opposite with contribution and philanthropy.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
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Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education. Dealing with the principle of Equal Protection, this lesson asks students to assess the role played by the Court as the protector of individual rights against the tyranny of the majority.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2013)
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In this lesson, students will study the Supreme Court case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2013). They will examine the facts of the case and analyze the arguments made on both sides through primary source documents and preceding cases. They will then assess the majority and minority decisions for the case.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Bush v. Gore (2000)
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Case background and primary sources concerning the Supreme Court case of Bush v. Gore. Dealing with the 2000 election, this lesson asks students whether or not they think the United States Supreme Court correctly decided the case.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Capstone Project: What Does "Being an American" Mean to Me?
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This project provides students with an opportunity to apply and showcase what they have learned throughout their study of the Being an American curriculum. Students will identify a topic related to the curriculum that they wish to learn more about, research that topic, and then develop a product to share with the class on an assigned date.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Assessment
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Champion of Liberty: James Madison and Diligence
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In this lesson, students will analyze James Madisonâ"s contributions through diligence to the establishment of the United States Constitution and early republic, exploring events that earned him the title, "Father of the Constitution."

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Civic Virtue and Our Constitutional Republic
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The United States Founders believed that certain civic virtues were required of citizens in order for the Constitution to work. Numerous primary sources—notably the Federalist Papers and the Autobiography of Ben Franklin—point us to the "Foundersâ" Virtues." Before exploring the Documents of Freedom, it is important to understand civic virtue as an essential element of self-government.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
A Civil Rights Investigation: Mississippi Burning
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In this lesson, developed by and included with the permission the LBJ Presidential Library, students will use primary source documents to investigate the disappearance of three civil rights workers during the Freedom Summer of 1964.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Colonial Experience with Government and Economics
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When European colonists came to North America, they faced the challenge of establishing societies that reflected their identity and mission for God. Experiments with economic and civil liberty followed in the name of the common good. Colonists and, later, the Founding generation became convinced that legally requiring individuals to commit their labor or their money towards a communal farm or church, with no regard for individual contribution or conscience, violated principles of justice.

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Common Sense
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Thomas Paine published Common Sense in January 1776 support of the Patriot cause. Using clear, plain language, Paine rallied the colonists to support the break from Britain. He explained, "I am not induced by motives of pride, party, or resentment to espouse the doctrine of separation and independence; I am clearly, positively, and conscientiously persuaded that it is the true interest of this continent to be so."

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Primary Source
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
Constitution Day Live 2021 | Liberty & Equality
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How do liberty and equality interact in the Constitution? On Friday, September 17th from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM ET, the Bill of Rights Institute streamed this live event and welcomed scholars, thinkers, and teachers to explore the relevancy of the Constitution today. How can we work to balance liberty and equality in our communities? Where do tensions arise between the two principles, and what tools from the Constitution can we use to work toward resolution?

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lecture
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024
The Constitution Explained | A Primary Source Close Read w/ BRI
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How is the Constitution structured? In this episode of our "Close Reads: Explained" series, Kirk tackles the Constitution and explains its biggest concepts to you. What does the document teach us about the government it defines?

Subject:
Social Science
Material Type:
Lecture
Provider:
Bill of Rights Institute
Date Added:
07/22/2024