Unit Title: the U.S. Constitution

Unit 4

Unit Title: The U.S. Constitution

Unit Description: The Constitution is the foundation on which U.S. government and society are based. It is a document that affects your life every day. It protects individual rights and determines the scope of all laws in the community/

Objectives: Students will:

·  Analyze the basic principles of the Constitution

·  Describe how to amend the Constitution

·  Evaluate how the Constitution affects daily life

Summative Assessment: Students will be assessed with a comprehensive unit test.

Essential Questions: Why do you think the plan of government provided by the Constitution has been successful for more than 200 years?

Lesson Activities
(Formative Assessment) / GLEs / National
Standards / Level of Performance
Required / Teacher Support
(Resources)
Students will:
1.  Basic Principles
·  List and define the five basic principles on which the U.S. Constitution is based
·  Discuss and give examples of how the U.S. Constitution ensures the people’s authority over government
·  Provide examples of how the U.S. Constitution provides a system of balanced government
·  Describe how the U.S. Constitution protects the rights of states
-  class discussion and daily assignments
2.  Amending the Constitution
·  Discuss the reasons framers of the Constitution established ways to amend the document
·  Describe the two methods for proposing amendments and the two methods for amending the Constitution
·  Explain the purpose of the Bill of Rights
-  class discussion and daily assignments
-  Students will connect the amendments with the rights violated under English rule
-  Students will create songs to familiarize themselves with the first 10 amendments
3.  A Flexible Document
·  Explain how the Constitution gives each of the three branches of government flexible powers
·  Discuss how political parties changed the way government operates
·  Describe the ways in which the Constitution allows custom and tradition to help shape government
-  class discussion and daily assignments
-  Political Party role-playing
4.  The Constitution and the Public Good
·  Explain how the Constitution prevents factions from controlling the government
·  List ways the Constitution ensures that government makes laws that promote the public good
·  Discuss critics’ claims that the Constitution sometimes makes government less effective
-  class discussion and daily assignments
-  Read aloud The Federalist Papers “No. 10 by James Madison in which he addresses the people of the state of New York on the issue of factions. Have students “translate” James Madison’s eighteenth-century language into today’s language. / 1.B, 2.B, 3A
1.B, 2.B, 3A
1.B, 2.B, 3A
1.B, 2.B, 3A / VI.b, VI.c
VI.b, VI.c
VI.b, VI.c
VI.b, VI.c / Text: American Government; Holt, Rhinehart and Winston, 1999

Political Party Role-Play

As a class, discuss why political parties were formed and how they have shaped the operation of government. Divide students into two groups, each of which will have to create a party platform. Have each group complete the following steps:

1.  Name their party.

2.  Elect a party chief.

3.  Describe a set of three to five principles for the party to promote (e.g., specific legislation to be proposed in Congress).

4.  Make a list of the ways that the party can promote the specified platform (e.g., political action committees, majority elected to Congress).

5.  List the ways that the party plans to win national elections.

6.  Have students discuss their platforms with the class.