Lesson Plans

This guide is designed to help students consider the idea of memory in connection to the events of September 11.

Students will research and nominate Founders for the Liberty Medal as if it were 1788, the year after the Constitution was signed.

Students will investigate national election stump speeches and then create their own.

Students will analyze artwork regarding the historical context of wars and conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Students will deepen their appreciation of war art through watching and listening to veteran war experiences.

Students learn about the specific rights and freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights, one of our nation's most important documents.

Analyze Springsteen’s use of irony and metaphor in this song that is more complex than it might first appear.

Students will get a look at how African-American individuals have broken barriers to racial integration in the United States.

In this lesson, students will consider the value of moderation and personal self-discipline in the context of the Founders.

Using online digital libraries and archives, students will explore how people have expressed their points of view throughout U.S. history.

Role play two First Amendment scenarios and decide where you stand!

Students will learn about courage in the context of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and today's events.

This lesson provides an in-depth look at presidential elections, specifically the role of television commercials in campaigning.

This lesson explores the history and meaning of the Declaration of Independence and Independence Day.

This lesson helps students understand how the First Amendment establishes key freedoms of expression for Americans.

Learn more about the signers of the Constitution with these Founding Fathers biographies.

This lesson helps students see how life has changed for children living in the United States, specifically with respect to child labor.

In this lesson, students will examine how the concepts of private property and honor are interconnected.

In this lesson, students learn about the role of bureaucracy in U.S. government.

Students will learn about how the federal government began coining money and the significance of symbols used on coins.

In this lesson, students delve into the characteristics, accomplishments, and historical significance of Liberty Medal winners.

This lesson will ask students to explore the meaning of liberty using primary sources and other contexts.

In this lesson, students will analyze the political and constitutional issues that faced President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.

This lesson is designed to be used in conjunction with the Living News theatrical performance at the National Constitution Center.

Explore the Center’s main exhibition and complete activities around the topic of responsible citizenship.

Explore how music has shaped Americans’ understanding of their history.

In this lesson, students will analyze how people throughout history have exercised their First Amendment rights to express their opinions.

This lesson acquaints young students with the Bill of Rights through reading and discussing picture books.

This lesson allows students to research and assess the actions of the president.

Learn about the roles of historical figures during the Prohibition era by taking on their identities for a dinner party.

Use your skills to get classmates to identify and define which Prohibition era term you draw.

Learn about Prohibition through informational slides and activities using the SMART Board platform.

In this lesson, students will consider how respect and freedom of expression intersect and their role in maintaining a free society.

Engage students through rap and hip-hop music with the Center’s partner, Rhythm, Rhyme, Results.

This lesson explores the phrase “secure the Blessings of Liberty” from the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution through the Liberty Medal Ceremony and its recipient.

This lesson shows students firsthand how the three branches of government work together through separation of powers and checks and balances.

Learn about how the Constitution and Bill of Rights protect the rights of musicians.

This lesson will engage students in the president’s annual address to Congress.

This innovative, interactive resource is designed to uncover the vast wealth of history in our local communities.

This lesson encourages students to review principles of the Constitution and compare it to their school system.

This research and deliberation activity encourages students to look at the issue of gun control from different points of view.

This research and deliberation activity encourages students to look at the issue of affirmative action from a variety of perspectives.

This lesson encourages students to look at the issue of climate change and environmental regulation from a constitutional perspective.

This research and deliberation activity encourages students to look at the issue of compulsory national service from different points of view.

This research and deliberation activity encourages students to look at the issue of same-sex marriage from different points of view.

This lesson encourages students to deliberate on the issue of cyber speech and the First Amendment.

This research and deliberation activity is designed to encourage students to look at the issue of health care reform from different points of view.

This research and deliberation activity is designed to encourage students to look at the issue of immigration reform from different points of view.

This lesson encourages students to deliberate on the issue of balancing privacy and security.

Students will examine the ideas that the Founding Fathers brought to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and use them to analyze the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

This lesson encourages students to take a closer look at the American flag and its meaning.

This lesson takes a closer look at the history of Memorial Day by examining World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War and their connections to this civic holiday.

Learn about the background of the 18th Amendment, the players in the movement, and its eventual repeal.

On Constitution Day, students will examine the role of the people in shaping the U.S. Constitution.

In this lesson, students will examine the constitutional, legal, political, and historical sources of the continuing debate over war powers.

This series of lessons teaches students about the election process and encourages them to be active citizens in their community.

We the School is an innovative new form of student government created at Constitution High School in Philadelphia.

This lesson explores the Fifth Amendment issues at stake in the Supreme Court case of Kelo v. City of New London.

In this lesson, students will consider the reasons that many Americans do not vote in national elections.

Learn about the differences between the Founders’ and Progressives’ beliefs about government by sorting quotes from each group.

This lesson provides students with an overview of the contributions made by powerful women throughout U.S. history.