Most of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention had already risked being hanged as traitors by the British. No wonder that they worried about their states' reactions to their decision to abandon the Articles of Confederation and create a whole new document.

States cherished their new freedom from British control, and ratification of the Constitution by state legislatures was by no means certain. All thirteen states finally ratified by 1790, but only with the addition of ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, that guaranteed citizens' rights and freedoms.

The Constitution painstakingly defines the structure and functions of the legislative (Congressional) branch of the government. It clearly (although less thoroughly) addresses the responsibilities and powers of the president. But, it treats the judicial branch almost as an afterthought. Article III specifically creates only one court (the Supreme Court), allows judges to serve for life and to receive compensation, broadly outlines original and appellate jurisdiction, and outlines the trial procedure for and limitations of congressional power against those accused of treason.

Organized around the compelling question "How have Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders engaged civically and contributed to U.S. culture?" and grounded in inquiry-based teaching and learning, this lesson brings history, civics, and the arts together to learn about the experiences and perspectives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in U.S. history. Primary sources, literature, and works of art created by AAPI individuals and related organizations provide an historical as well as contemporary context for concepts and issues including civic participation, immigration, and culture.

This learning object will give your students an opportunity to think critically about the bill of rights in real life situations and leverage technology in such a way that they can learn in a fun and engaging way. The students will begin by studying the Bill of Rights at the link below, then the class will play the Kahoot Quiz online using any digital device with an internet connection. The quiz will require the students to read a real life situation and choose which of the ten amendments of the Bill of Rights is associated with that right. Critical thinking and application of skills will be required to win the game. Students could then be asked to join Kahoot and create their own Bill of Rights quiz game.

In Democracy in America. Alexis de Tocqueville referred to America as “The Great Experiment.” But what did he mean by saying that America’s constitutional democracy was an experiment? America was founded on key principles which, are the same principles that govern our nation today.   America’s Founders initiated the experiment in democracy by trying out a new form of government, including the ideas that power should ultimately come from the people, that government power should be limited, and that individual liberties of all peoples should be protected.

This learning object will have your students understand how important protecting ourselves from government is and how necessary a bill or rights is.
Your students will share a google doc with their group for collaboration on a bill of classroom rights and then come together as a class to choose the top ten rights by having the students vote using surveymonkey.com to allow students to vote via a chromebook or computer. When finished have a class representative present your list of rights to the principal for ratification.

This lesson will guide your students into a deeper understanding of how the three main branches of the American government check and balance each other. This activity can be utilized ideally in a classroom setting but could also conceivably be moved online in the form of a google plus or skype exercise. Student will be broken into three groups, one for each main branch;Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. The groups then must each decide on an action that they would like to take. Once they divulge the action they would like to take the other groups must peruse the Constitution and their textbooks and seek ways that their branch could check and/or balance the proposed action of the other.

Role of the engineer as patent expert and as technical witness in court and patent interference and related proceedings. Rights and obligations of engineers in connection with educational institutions, government, and large and small businesses. Various manners of transplanting inventions into business operations, including development of New England and other US electronics and biotech industries and their different types of institutions. American systems of incentive to creativity apart from the patent laws in the atomic energy and space fields. For graduate students only; others see 6.901.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Equal Rights Amendment. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Fifteenth Amendment. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

Most socially significant issues from America's past were brought before the nation's courts. Subject introduces the themes and events of American law since 1787, focusing on three recurring themes in American public life: liberty, equality, and property. Readings consist mostly of original court cases, especially from the US Supreme Court. Subject also focuses on the historical connections between cases and broader social, political, and cultural trends.

This lesson will require students to glean all the purposes that the founding fathers embedded into the preamble, and then by contemplating upon what life is like in America today, grade our country on the completion of these goals. The lesson can be conducted in class, or online in the LMS of your choosing.

Common Sense: From Monarchy to an American Republic
How Much Revolutionary Change?
Debating Democracy
The Constitutional Convention and Federal Constitution

This Unit on the Foundation of American Government focuses on the founding of the U.S. government, the ideals of democracy, along with the historical influence of various government styles on the U.S. This blended government/civics unit and course offers elements of both face-to-face and interactive online learning.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G1NNqQgpOyvCt2Fe3v6TyHe3LSprGVd06HPPWh37j7o/edit?usp=sharing