All TAAS lesson plans are created by and for New Jersey educators and are aligned to Common Core standards and NJSLS for ELA and social studies.
Grades 6–8
This 2-day lesson plan on the Fourteenth Amendment engages students in primary source analysis to make connections between historical and present-day fights for citizenship and access to education.
Grade 10-12
This lesson plan dives into the 200+ years of birthright citizenship, from the U.S. Constitution and Dred Scott v. Sanford case to Wong Kim Ark, Executive Order 14160, and present-day legal challenges.
Grades 10-11
Students will conduct a primary source analysis comparing Frederick Douglass’ Composite Nation, Chinese Exclusion Act documents, and Wong Kim Ark’s court case. This two-part lesson plan includes reading, poetry, and writing exercises.
Grades 7-8
Students will research and analyze three landmark Supreme Court cases, Ozawa v. United States, United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, and United States v. Wong Kim Ark, and their implications for the 14th Amendment right of birthright citizenship.
Grades 3–5
This 3-day lesson plan includes a read aloud, primary source analyses, and discussions on pathways to U.S. citizenship, the importance of birthright citizenship, and connections to the present day.
Grades K–2
”I Am An American“ tells the story of Wong Kim Ark, whose Supreme Court case secured Birthright Citizenship under the 14th Amendment. This 3-day lesson plan includes historical context on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, an interactive read-aloud, and a primary source activity.
