Learn More About Gouverneur Morris eLesson Our latest eLesson is now available.  Sign up to have our eLessons emailed directly to you! Though James Madison has been given the title, “Father of the Constitution,” a case could be made that Gouverneur Morris was second in importance only to the Virginian in shaping the final version Read more…

Toast the Constitution! Bring the people, places, and history of the Prohibition Era alive with these new interactive lessons. In “The Rise and Fall of Prohibition,” your students will learn about the background of the 18th Amendment, the individuals who fought for and against Prohibition, and its eventual repeal. They will use their new knowledge Read more…

Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 eLesson Celebrate Black History month with materials on two landmark Supreme Court cases on the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. How could the same words have been interpreted so differently in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and sixty years later in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)? Read some background Read more…

The President’s Inaugural Address Activity On Monday, January 21, 2013, the public inauguration of President Barack Obama was held in front of the United States Capitol.  President Obama promised many changes and improvements during his address, but does the Executive Branch have the constitutional power to enact these promises? Have your students decide! 1. Break Read more…

Are They Watching You? eLesson The Constitutional principle of due process, which holds that government must interact with citizens according to duly‑enacted laws, balances the rights of suspects with public safety. The Fourth Amendment was added to the Constitution to ensure we would be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. But do all searches require Read more…

Bill of Rights in the News: Voters Make History with State Ballot Initiatives We’ll forgive you if you thought the recent election was only about the president. While the media focus was almost exclusively on the presidential race and national politics, there was a lot going on at the state level. These “laboratories of democracy” Read more…

Election 2012: On Election Day, Should You Need ID? Voting is an important responsibility of American citizens, and one foundation of our democratic republic. But no electoral process can be perfect; flaws, such as fraud, can mar an election and damage the public’s confidence. The importance of ensuring the integrity of every vote cast is Read more…

Why Does a Free Press Matter? eLesson First Amendment freedoms like speech and press are essential rights.  Self-government is impossible without them.  The Founders saw press freedom as a bulwark of liberty and a means of assuring justice in government.  The First Amendment, protecting the press from interference from the national government was ratified in Read more…

Great Resources for Civics and Government Teachers! Hey civics and government teachers – we found a great online resource for you to use with your students.  The Youth Leadership Initiative’s website has interactive materials ready for you to use in your classroom!  Some of the resources available include the E-Congress program, an interactive online legislative Read more…

Discussing Controversial Topics – The Second Amendment eLesson This summer several mass shootings occurred in the United States.  In July, a gunman opened fire in a crowded movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and wounding 58.  In early August, six were killed and three were injured at a Sikh temple outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read more…