President Ronald Reagan nominated a woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. He did so through a single-page form letter, completed in part by hand and in part by typewriter, announcing Sandra Day O'Connor as his nominee. While the document serves as evidence of a historic event, it is also a tangible illustration of abstract concepts that students in civics classes often struggle to learn. Documents such as the nomination letter not only make abstract concepts more concrete, they also simplify the complex; these types of documents prompt students to ask compelling questions that lead to greater understanding of how the system of government works. Here, the author presents other government documents as examples. (Contains 3 resources.)