Educational Resources
Classroom Curriculum
Federal Courts, Constitution, Civics for High School aged students:
Website of the United States Courts offering materials ready for immediate classroom and courtroom experiences. Classrooms to Courtrooms offers court simulations based on recent Supreme Court decisions and issues important to teens. Federal Court Basics provides students with a starting point for court literacy, including federal-state court comparisons, fast facts and homework help. Additionally, information about jury service, the Constitution and the federal judiciary are provided. Educational Videos, Podcasts, and Photos are available on this site.
American Bar Association Classroom Lesson Plans on the Constitution (grades 3 – 12):
Classroom-ready lesson plans, activities and discussion topics cover voting rights and election law, the First Amendment, separation of powers, student privacy rights, guns and gun control, and more.
iCivics is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. iCivics is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation, and that civics teachers need better materials and support.
Other Useful Resources
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Federal Courts and What They Do: A comprehensive overview of the Federal Court system, including discussions of: the differences between civil and criminal cases, state and federal cases, what happens at a trial, what happens after a trial or guilty plea. Downloadable .pdf document, 22 pages. |
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History of the Federal Judiciary: Presented by the Federal Judicial Center, the education and research agency for the federal courts. Includes: teaching materials and activities for teaching judicial history (e.g., the Amistad trial, the trial of Susan B. Anthony, decisions on Chinese exclusion, Labor and Union rights, school desegregation); biographies of federal judges; information on federal court history and administration; talking points on judicial independence, the constitutional origins of the federal judiciary and more. |
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American Juror: How Juries are selected: A good overview of the jury selection process and what jurors can expect to experience when they serve. |
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The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other Primary Documents: Scanned images of and information about 100 of our country’s most important historical documents, including: the Emancipation Proclamation, the Declaration of Independence, the Civil Rights Act, and the 19th Amendment to the Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote. Images can be downloaded as .pdf documents. Tools for Educators helps teachers use these documents to meet learning standards, offers creative teaching ideas, and suggestions of how to integrate these documents into classroom curriculum.
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Ben’s Guide to the the U.S. Government for Kids: A guide to how the United States government works for students, teachers and parents. Includes such topics such as: Becoming a U.S. Citizen, How Laws are Made, Branches of Government, Election Process. Subject areas are divided by grade range. |
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History of the Great Seal of the United States: Brief overview of the history, design process and the meaning of the Great Seal’s symbols and mottoes. |
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Official website of the U.S. Marshals Service, offering fact sheets, historical information and more. |
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Learn about the FBI through games, tips, quizzes and interactive features. |
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The United States Attorneys Kids Page: Offers age appropriate explanations of the Federal Prosecutor’s job, the roles and duties of courtroom staff, a glossary of legal terms and a discussion of courtroom procedure. |
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Official site of the Federal Defender’s Office. This site is not geared toward students, but offers a great deal of information about the duties of the Federal Defender. |