UNIT DESCRIPTION

Civics and Citizenship. The learners will analyze all aspects of federal and state government while surveying historical events such as the need for the development of the Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights. Students will culminate this unit with taking the State and Federal Constitution tests

Essential Questions: Students will consider such questions as:

What rights and responsibilities do citizens have in this government?

What is the purpose of government?

How can individuals and groups contribute to their communities and to the world? What are this group’s rules/laws? Why do they need to be followed?

When do rules/laws need to be changed?

How and why do governments make decisions? Why do certain monuments/images/photographs/films become symbolic?

How do personal interests and perspectives impact civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights?

Performance Task: As a U.S. congressperson or U.S. senator, your goal is to create laws. But part of that job is not just to do what you feel is best for the country, but also that benefit your congressional district or state so that the people back home will re-elect you. At present, the congress is working on creating a spending bill that will pay for a several projects for the year. You will need to work with in the structure of Congress to get as much of what will benefit your constituents as possible in the bill to make the voters back home happy. The more you are able to get into the bill that you want, the more likely it is that you will be elected. However, not everyone in Congress wants the things you want, and may even want the opposite of what you want. In addition, the President of the United States has plans of their own that you will need to contend with. Your bill will be judged by the president. If they feel that their concerns have been met and the bill will address the needs of the country, they will sign it. If not, they will veto it.

https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Medal-of-Honor.aspx