A notable feature of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts is the attention given to the teaching of reading and writing in history/social studies, science and technical subjects. The Standards for Reading Informational Text that are included in the Common Core State Standards require students to read texts in depth, understand…

Religion plays an important role in social studies content and is difficult to ignore, especially because of current world events. In our global society, it is more important than ever to know about and understand the religious beliefs of others. The social studies curriculum is infused with religion, but teachers circumvent the issue, mistakenly…

An evaluation is made of existing teacher guides and curricula, and proposals are given for curriculum improvements in the areas of Jurisprudence, Law, and Civics at the elementary and secondary level. (EJS)

This unit for teaching U.S. history was designed to help students understand, appreciate, and analyze the magnitude of the Founders' creation. It permits them to understand issues confronting the Founders in 1787, to become involved in the process of resolving these issues, to comprehend the actual solutions developed by the Founders, and to…

This theme issue of the "Bill of Rights in Action" looks at labor issues. The first article examines the unionization efforts of the Wobblies in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The second article explores the protests of the Luddites during Britain's Industrial Revolution. The final article looks at whether…

This study guide is a product of the Idaho Humanities Council (IHC). The guide is the result of IHC's July 2002 summer institute for teachers held at Albertson College of Idaho (Caldwell). Twenty five Idaho teachers participated. They explored U.S. Constitutional issues and political decisions and participated in a simulated congressional hearing…

Reinforcing earlier conclusions of the Educational Testing Service, this evaluation highlights the success of the "We the People" program using the "Justice for All" textbook produced by the Center for Civic Education (CCE), the program involves students in a rigorous study of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and supports…

"We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution" is a national civic education program that aims to help elementary and secondary students understand the history and principles of constitutional government. The program focuses on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and fosters civic competence and responsibility among students in…

This book presents, in words and pictures, a history of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Fifteen chapters in the book are entitled: (1) Origins; (2) The Colonial Experience; (3) The American Crisis: Road to Revolution; (4) New Order of the Ages; (5) The Bill of Rights; (6) The Civil War; (7) A Changing America; (8) War & Reaction;…

This book contains three major essays that consider the origins of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. In "The U.S. Bill of Rights in Historical Perspective," Donald S. Lutz examines the intellectual context of the Bill of Rights by analyzing the changing ideas about rights in colonial,…

This teacher's guide accompanies a 26-minute video by the same name. Intended for grades 3-8, the teacher's guide provides activities to support further exploration of cultural diversity, offers cooperative learning projects, and supplies reproducible masters to use with the interactive segment of the video program. Suggestions are made for five…

This document presents three articles on law-related education (LRE) written either by or for students. Brent Halling, a senior at Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, opens the collection with an article on how due process protects rights. Halling explains the concept of due process and illustrates its reach through the case of Kenneth…

This digest discusses issues related to teaching about the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It begins by quoting the amendment that protects citizens of the United States against unreasonable searches and seizures, and goes on to discuss how the understanding and interpretation of the amendment have been influenced by historical events,…

The roots of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, are examined in this document. Attention is directed to English law, specifically the Magna Carta and England's Bill of Rights of 1689, as providing much of the underpinnings for the U.S. Bill of Rights. The text of 15 articles proposed by anti-federalists…

The Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is a state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization that defends civil liberties in and out of the courtroom. The goal of the group is the advancement of civil liberties according to strict interpretation of the U.S.…