American Government: Unit 1, Week 3: the Constitution
Transcript of American Government: Unit 1, Week 3: the Constitution
American Government: Unit 1, Week 3: the Constitution:
Grade: 12th
Grade
Essential Question:
- How is the Constitution organized? Objectives:
By the end of class today, students will be able to…
- Explain the basic organization of the Constitution
- Explain the system of checks and balances and how it works within the US government
- Explain the powers of each branch of government Standards:
C3 Framework Standards:
- D2.Civ.4.9-12: Explain how the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of government
that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed over time and that are still
contested.
- D2.Civ.11.9-12: Evaluate multiple procedures for making governmental decisions at the
local, state, national, and international levels in terms of the civic purposes achieved. Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
- Students will analyze a complex set of ideas or sequences of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the online
text.
- Students will also acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college
and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Iowa Core Curriculum Standards:
History:
- Understand how and why people create, maintain or change systems of power, authority,
and governance.
- Understand the role of innovation on the development and interaction of societies. Political Science/Civic Literacy:
- Understand the purpose and function of each of the three branches of government
established by the constitution
- Understand how the government established by the constitution embodies the enduring
principles of democracy and republicanism
- Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and demonstrate the value of
lifelong civic action.
21st Century Skills:
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills:
- Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in
complex systems Social and Cross-Cultural Skills:
- Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to speak Civic Literacy:
- Participating effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed and
understanding governmental processes Anticipatory Set:
To begin class the students will watch “3 Branches of Government” from Schoolhouse Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5M50xBz1cU
Video is 3 minutes long.
Teaching Activities:
Following the video, the teacher will give the Constitution Lecture, found in the Unit 1, Week 3
PowerPoints. Notes for the lecture and the guided note sheet for the students can be found at the end of
the plan. The lecture should take most of the class period. Students should follow along with the notes,
with teacher checking that notes are being taken for assessment purposes. Students do not need to hand in
their guided notes sheet, but should be instructed to keep it to be able to study for their exam.
Closure:
To close class students will do a brief demonstration of how the system of checks and balances works.
One student should act as the president, with three students acting as the Supreme Court justices, and the
rest acting as Congress (in ratio to the number of students and the number of
representatives/justices/president in actuality). Ask the students in Congress to divide themselves in half
as Representatives and Senators. Students in both houses of Congress must pass a bill, with it then being
sent to the President to either sign or veto. If the President vetoes, the students in Congress must come up
with a ¾ majority vote to override the veto. The Supreme Court justices can then decide if the bill/law is
unconstitutional, voting amongst themselves.
Assessment:
By the end of class today, students will be able to…
- Explain the basic organization of the Constitution
o This will be assessed via nonverbal cues and on-task behavior as well as the
closing discussion/activity. - Explain the system of checks and balances and how it works within the US government
o This will be assessed via nonverbal cues and on-task behavior as well as the
closing discussion/activity.
- Explain the powers of each branch of government
o This will be assessed via nonverbal cues and on-task behavior as well as the
closing discussion/activity. Independent Practice:
There is no independent practice for this lesson.
Materials:
Schoolhouse Rock video pre-loaded
Constitution PowerPoint
Guided Notes—1 copy per student
Projector
Teacher notes
Chapter 3: The Constitution—Teacher Notes:
A Blueprint for Government:
- The Constitution outlines six basic principles of US government and a system that safely
and fairly distributes and balances power.
o Popular sovereignty—the people establish government and are the source of its
power
o Limited government—government powers are restricted to protect individual
rights
Rule of law—the concept that every member of society, including the
ruler or government, must obey the law and is never above it.
o Separation of powers—the power to govern is divided among executive,
legislative, and judicial branches to prevent the concentration and abuse of power
by any one branch
o Checks and balances—each branch of government has the authority to check or
restrain some powers of the other two branches
o Judicial review—the judiciary has the power to strike down laws and other
government actions as invalid under the Constitution
o Federalism—the rights of the states are protected by dividing powers between the
national government and the state government.
- Under the Constitution, the powers of government are limited in order to protect
individual rights
o Constitution has 3 main parts:
Preamble—intro, that states the six goals for the new government
Form a more perfect union—strengthen the relationship among the
states as part of a union and between the states and the national
government as part of a new federal system
Establish justice—provide laws that are reasonable, fair, and
impartial and make sure that the administration of those law is also
reasonable, fair, and impartial
Ensure domestic tranquility—keep peace and maintain order
within the country
Provide for the common defense—defend the nation against
foreign enemies
Promote the general welfare—allow all states and citizens to
benefit militarily and economically from the protection of a strong
national government
Secure the blessings of liberty—protect the liberties recently won
in the American Revolution and preserve them for the generations
to come.
Articles—create the structure for the government
Amendments—additional changes made to the constitution
The Constitution includes a formal process for adding amendments
to the Constitution
Amendments can be proposed by Congress with a 2/3s majority
vote in each house or called by Congress at the request of 2/3s of
the state legislatures.
Amendments can be ratified by ¾ of the state’s legislatures, or by
3/4s of the states at conventions before it is added to the
constitution
Most states call for a citizens advisory vote before voting on
constitutional amendments
The Constitution is an enduring document that has the ability to
grow and change over time
The most concrete examples of the constitution changing to adapt
over time is found in the amendments that expand voting rights
(15, 19, 26).
The Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first 10
amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
- The Constitution divides the powers of government among three separate branches:
legislative, executive, and judicial. The Constitution includes checks on and balances of
government power to prevent any one branch of government from overpowering the
others
o Executive branch—carries out laws
Made up of the President, his cabinet, the Vice President, and executive
agencies
Responsibilities include giving an annual address to Congress
(traditionally the State of the Union), execution and enforcement of the
laws, and conducting diplomatic relations with foreign powers
Powers include signing bills into law, vetoing bills, calling special
sessions of Congress, suggesting laws and sending messages to Congress,
issuing Executive Orders, acting as Commander in Chief of the armed
forces, appointing federal judges, and granting reprieves and pardons for
federal crimes.
The Presidential Cabinet
Appointed “secretaries of departments” that specialize in this area
and act in an advisory role
Vice president
Acts as second in command, president of the Senate, and as an
advisor to the President in policy and decision making
Presidents often expand their constitutionally given powers—as
commander in chief, with inherent executive power and their power to
receive ambassadors and officials from other nations with their duty to
faithfully execute the laws—to help the country run more smoothly
Executive branch agencies also have the power to dictate how the
legislation passed in Congress is received by the public and executed.
o Legislative branch—makes laws
2 houses of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives
Responsible for making and passing legislation on the federal level
The legislative branch has been tasked with expanding the Constitution,
and thus expanding our governmental structure over time through their
legislative actions
Each representative or senator is elected from their home state, with there
always being 2 senators, and the number of representatives being dictated
by population ratio (The Great Compromise)
Can impeach and remove the president and federal judges, override a
presidential veto, controls spending of money, and establishes the lower
federal courts.
The Senate approves or rejects presidential nominations to the cabinet and
supreme court, and must ratify all formal US treaties.
o Judicial branch—interprets laws
Made up of the Supreme Court, Appellate Courts, and Federal courts
Justices are appointed by the President when a seat becomes available, and
then confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee
Justices can serve for life
Can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional through the power of
judicial review, can declare executive acts unconstitutional, and judges are
appointed for life and free from executive control
Judicial review—the power given to federal courts to determine whether
the actions of the legislative and executive branches of government are
constitutional.
Unconstitutional laws are laws that around found to violate a part of the
Constitution, the nation’s highest form of the law.
The judicial branch in today’s world decides how to interpret the
Constitution while examining laws
Strict constructionists—the constitution should be interpreted
literally only
Loose constructionists—the Constitution and its meaning can be
interpreted from the words in the document plus any reasonable
inferences that can be drawn from them.
The Constitution Guided Notes:
Basic Principles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Structure of the Constitution: Preamble and its 6 goals for the American Government:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Articles:
The Bill of Rights and Additional Amendments:
The Amendment Process:
The Three Branches: Executive Branch:
Responsibilities and Powers:
Presidential Cabinet:
Vice President:
Legislative Branch:
Responsibilities and Powers:
American Government: Unit 1, Week 3: Amendments to the Constitution:
Grade: 12th
grade
Essential Question:
- Which of the Amendments to the US Constitution are most important and what do they
mean? Objectives:
By the end of class today, students will be able to…
- Explain what an amendment to the Constitution is
- Create a visual that explains their amendment to the Constitution Standards:
C3 Framework Standards:
- D2.Civ.4.9-12: Explain how the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of government
that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed over time and that are still
contested.
- D2.Civ.11.9-12: Evaluate multiple procedures for making governmental decisions at the
local, state, national, and international levels in terms of the civic purposes achieved.
Common Core Standards:
- Students will analyze a complex set of ideas or sequences of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the online
text.
- Students will also acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college
and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Iowa Core Curriculum Standards:
History:
- Understand how and why people create, maintain or change systems of power, authority,
and governance.
- Understand the role of innovation on the development and interaction of societies. Political Science/Civic Literacy:
- Understand the purpose and function of each of the three branches of government
established by the constitution
- Understand how the government established by the constitution embodies the enduring
principles of democracy and republicanism
- Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and demonstrate the value of
lifelong civic action.
21st Century Skills:
Creativity and Innovation Skills:
- Develop, implement, and communicate new ideas to others effectively Communication and Collaboration:
- Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal
communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts. Information Literacy:
- Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources) ICT Literacy:
- Use digital technologies and communication/networking tools and social networks
appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to
successfully function n a knowledge economy. Productivity and Accountability:
- Prioritize, plan, and manage work to achieve the intended result.
Anticipatory Set:
To begin class the teacher will review with students the amendment process, covered in the notes from
yesterday’s lecture to check for understanding using the Amendments PowerPoint. Students should be
able to explain the process, and why amendments are important to the growth of the United States as a
democracy.
Teaching Activities:
Students will then be given the rubric for the Amendment Activity (at end of plan). The students will also
be given a slip of paper 1-18. The students will then choose their amendments to do their project on
according to their number (1 choosing first, 18 choosing last). Students can pick from the following list
of Amendments, which includes enough choices for each student in the class (18 students):
1. Speech, religion, assembly, press, petition the government
2. Bear arms
3. Quartering of soldiers
4. Unlawful search and seizure
5. Habeas corpus, due process
6. Speedy trial and representation (paired with 7)
7. Trial by jury in federal court (paired by 6)
8. ---------
9. ----------
10. Powers not specifically given to the federal government are reserved to the states or
individuals
11. ----------- 12. Electoral college for selecting President/Vice President
13. Abolished slavery
14. Established citizenship, representation, and loyalty
15. Suffrage to all males of age, regardless of race
16. Federal income tax system
17. ----------- 18. Prohibition (paired with 21)
19. Women get the right to vote
20. Terms of office, presidential succession (paired with 25)
21. Ended Prohibition (paired with 18)
22. Term limits for President
23. ---------- 24. -------- 25. Further clarifies Presidential succession (paired with 20)
26. Right to vote to all citizens 18 years of age and older
27. ------------ Students may use their books or the internet to learn more about their amendment, making sure to meet
the requirements of the rubric. They should be reminded that if they are using the internet, they need to be
using credible sources i.e. not Wikipedia. They will be given the rest of class to complete their research
and begin making their visual. They will be given ten minutes in the next class period to finish their
visual.
Closure:
To close class students should be given two minutes to ask any questions they may have about the project.
Teacher should also be sure to check in with every student to make sure they are on the right track.
Independent Practice:
There is no assigned independent practice specifically assigned for this lesson, but students should be
reminded they will only be given 10 minutes to complete the assignment in tomorrow’s class. If that will
not be enough time for them, they should take home the project to complete work outside of class.
Materials:
Projector
Amendments PowerPoint
Slips of paper numbered 1-18 (1 per student)
Poster Paper (1 piece per student)
Markers/Colored Pencils
Amendment Project Rubric (1 per student)
Amendments Project:
You will be assigned an amendment from the Constitution and will be responsible for creating a
poster that best represents your amendment. The poster should include information on what the
amendment is, when it was passed, and some sort of image that can appropriately summarize the
amendment and its long-term effects on our nation. Be prepared to present you poster to the
class, as you will be responsible for the class understanding your amendment. This project is
worth 30 points total.
Total: ______/30
Exceeds
Expectations: 10
points
Meets Expectations: 8-6 points
Does Not Meet
Expectations: 5 or
less points
Amendment
Description:
10 points
Poster has a complete
and thorough
explanation of what
the Amendment is.
This includes who the
amendment effects or
does not effect.
Poster explains the
amendment but is
missing key
information or
information regarding
who the amendment
effects/does not
effect.
The poster does not
explain what the
amendment is or who
it effects or does not
effect.
Amendment
History:
10 points
Poster/presentation
describes the history
of the amendment and
its long term effects
on American society.
Poster/presentation
describes some of the
history or long term
effects of the
amendment on
American society.
The
poster/presentation
does not describe the
history or long term
effects of the
amendment on
American society.
Visual:
5 points
The poster includes a
visual that
appropriately
represents the
amendment.
The poster includes a
visual that somewhat
represents the
amendment.
The poster does not
include a visual or
includes an
inappropriate visual to
represent the
amendment.
Presentation:
5 points
The presentation is
complete and
appropriate. The
student relates all
essential information
in the presentation
and answers questions
from their classmates
appropriately.
The presentation is
somewhat complete
and appropriate.
Some essential
information is
missing, or questions
are not answered
appropriately.
The presentation is
either incomplete or
inappropriate.
Essential information
if missing, and
questions are either
answered
inappropriately or not
answered at all.
American Government: Unit 1, Week 3: Amendment Project Presentations:
Grade: 12th
grade
Essential Question:
- Which of the Amendments to the US Constitution are most important and what do they
mean?
Objectives:
By the end of class today, students will be able to…
- Explain what an amendment to the Constitution is
- Create a visual that explains their amendment to the Constitution
Standards:
C3 Framework Standards:
- D2.Civ.4.9-12: Explain how the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of government
that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed over time and that are still
contested.
- D2.Civ.11.9-12: Evaluate multiple procedures for making governmental decisions at the
local, state, national, and international levels in terms of the civic purposes achieved.
Common Core Standards:
- Students will analyze a complex set of ideas or sequences of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the online
text.
- Students will also acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college
and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Iowa Core Curriculum Standards:
History:
- Understand how and why people create, maintain or change systems of power, authority,
and governance.
- Understand the role of innovation on the development and interaction of societies. Political Science/Civic Literacy:
- Understand the purpose and function of each of the three branches of government
established by the constitution
- Understand how the government established by the constitution embodies the enduring
principles of democracy and republicanism
- Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and demonstrate the value of
lifelong civic action.
21st Century Skills:
Creativity and Innovation Skills:
- Develop, implement, and communicate new ideas to others effectively Communication and Collaboration:
- Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal
communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts. Information Literacy:
- Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources) ICT Literacy:
- Use digital technologies and communication/networking tools and social networks
appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to
successfully function n a knowledge economy. Productivity and Accountability:
- Prioritize, plan, and manage work to achieve the intended result.
Anticipatory Set:
To begin class students should be reminded that they have a current events assignment for the
next class. Teacher should then pass out the Amendments worksheet to be completed during
classmates presentations.
Teaching Activities:
Student should be given 10 minutes to finish working on their projects. Once the class is done,
the students should each present their project to the class. Teacher should follow rubric in
grading as presentations occur, and collect posters after the presentation is complete. Students
should be following along with presentations using the Amendments worksheet. Students should
present in order of their amendments. (i.e. start with the first, then the second, etc.) The
worksheet should be collected for completion at the end of class.
Closure:
To close class, teacher should explain the Amendments not covered in the presentation to the
class. These should include amendment 8 (bans cruel and unusual punishment), 9 (all individual
rights might not be listed in the constitution are still protected), 11 (clearly defines original
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court), 17 (established the popular vote for Senators), 23 (gave
Washington D.C. electoral votes in the electoral college), 24 (ended poll taxes), and 27
(legislators cannot give themselves pay raises in an election year).
Independent Practice:
Students should be reminded they have a current events assignment due tomorrow.
Assessment:
By the end of class today, students will be able to…
- Explain what an amendment to the Constitution is
o This will be assessed via the completed Amendment worksheet, collected at
the end of class.
- Create a visual that explains their amendment to the Constitution
o This will be assessed according to the Amendments Project Rubric. Materials:
Amendment Project Rubrics—collected from students
Amendments Worksheet—1 per student
Amendment/Description: Who does it effect?: History/Significance:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name:________________________________________ Date:_________
Amendment Activity Breakdown: