"What is Mission US?Developed for use in middle and high school classrooms, Mission US engages students in the study of transformational moments in American history. Each mission consists of an interactive game and a set of curriculum materials that are aligned to national standards and feature document-based activities. The game immerses players in rich, historical settings and then empowers them to make choices that illuminate how ordinary people experienced the past. The Educator's Guide provides a wealth of resources and activities for both teachers and students, including primary source documents that show the broader social, political, and economic context of events and perspectives featured in the game. Since some of the topics Mission US explores are difficult, it is recommended that teachers/parents preview the mission to make sure it is appropriate for their students/children. "
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION INTRODUCTION, Timeline, People, Facts, Photos, Citations...the works! This is a concise breakdown of the constitution in plain speech. This is just straight, line-by-line read out of what the Constitution says and how our government works. I might be a little old fashioned and nerdy, but this would be perfect to print out and read over a pot of tea with a highlighter. Anyone else do this? ...Anyone?
National Constitution Center: All you need to know about the US Constitution! Also some pages of really interesting facts about the Constitution, because sometimes the most interesting things are between the lines! For instance, did you know John Adams and Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution? Was it because they were among the 3 dissenters of the Constitutional Convention?? Was it because they were too busy arguing with each other, that they refused to be in the same room as the other?? Were they both stricken with the raging small-pox?? (Spoiler: Jefferson was in France and Adams was in Britain at the time!)
PBS: This is actually a great site designed for teaching high schoolers about how the Constitution relates to our day-to-day lives. There are videos and exerpts about rights, equality, the 13th Ammendment, 14th Ammendment, 19th Ammendment, Federalism...lots of good stuff. A good resource for any parent, or interested citizen!
The United States Archive: The Actual Documents If you are anything like me, you are a wee skeptical. Oh sure, some page on the internet said the 19th Amendment secured women’s right to vote...but what does the actual document say. Got it right here. You can scrutinize the actual, original documents with a fine tooth comb to your skeptical heart’s delight and get to the bottom of every single word and phrase, and fully understand the purpose and reason for them.
Congress For Kids: I gotta admit: sometimes these pages for kids break down the ideas so well that they are the best place for me to start! But besides this, it is important to get kids involved and interested in our nation’s history and process.