Welcome to The Foundations of American Government, a 12th grade unit following the California History-Social Science Content Standards.
CA Content Standards
12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy.
12. 5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendment.
12.5.1 Understand the changing interpretations of the Bill of Rights over time, including interpretations of the basic freedoms (religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly) articulated in the First Amendment and the due process and equal-protection-of-the-law clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.
12.5.4 Explain the controversies that have resulted over changing interpretations of civil rights, including those in Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Adarand Constructors, Inc. V. Pena, and United States v. Virginia (VMI).
- Analyze the influence of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and leading European political thinkers such as John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government.
- Discuss the character of American democracy and its promise and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.
- Explain how the U.S. Constitution reflects a balance between the classical republican concern with promotion of the public good and the classical liberal concern with protecting individual rights; and discuss how the basic premises of liberal constitutionalism and democracy are joined in the Declaration of Independence as "self-evident truths."
- Explain how the Founding Fathers' realistic view of human nature led directly to the establishment of a constitutional system that limited the power of the governors and the governed as articulated in the Federalist Papers.
- Describe the systems of separated and shared powers, the role of organized interests (Federalist Paper Number 10), checks and balances (Federalist Paper Number 51), the importance of an independent judiciary (Federalist Paper Number 78), enumerated powers, rule of law, federalism, and civilian control of the military.
- Understand that the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government and state governments.
12. 5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendment.
12.5.1 Understand the changing interpretations of the Bill of Rights over time, including interpretations of the basic freedoms (religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly) articulated in the First Amendment and the due process and equal-protection-of-the-law clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.
12.5.4 Explain the controversies that have resulted over changing interpretations of civil rights, including those in Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Adarand Constructors, Inc. V. Pena, and United States v. Virginia (VMI).
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Essential Questions
What and whom were the historical, social and political factors that lead to the development of our American Democracy?
In what ways has western political thought shaped American Democracy?
Why was there a need to draft a Constitution and what were the arguments in support of one?
Described as a "living document" the United States Constitution is an example of compromise, in what ways does the U.S. Constitution exhibit compromise?
How has U.S. Supreme Court limited and expanded our civil and individual rights?
As a government established with separated and shared powers how does the three branches of government operate and exert their powers?
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to federalism?
In what ways has western political thought shaped American Democracy?
Why was there a need to draft a Constitution and what were the arguments in support of one?
Described as a "living document" the United States Constitution is an example of compromise, in what ways does the U.S. Constitution exhibit compromise?
How has U.S. Supreme Court limited and expanded our civil and individual rights?
As a government established with separated and shared powers how does the three branches of government operate and exert their powers?
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to federalism?
Big Ideas
- limited government
- republicanism
- checks and balances
- federalism
- separation of powers
- popular sovereignty
Assessment Plan
Mini Quiz: Student will take a quiz on the political philosophies of Locke, Montesquieu, Machiavelli, and Blackstone as well as the governmental structures of Athens, Rome and England.
Primary Source Analysis: Students will analyze Federalist no. 10 and write a one page summary.
Lesson Exam: Students will take a lesson exam covering these three documents: The Constitution, Articles of Confederation, Federalist no 10.
Foldable: Students will create a foldable to illustrate and summarize how the First Amendment, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause impacted the Court’s ruling in landmark Supreme Court cases dealing with the rights of the accused.
Socratic Seminar: Students will summarize the main ideas of a secondary source in order to identify, evaluate and argue the positions between creditors and debtors and the conflict between the two that preceded the Constitutional Convention.
Branches of Power Game: Students must keep their government working together for all 30 minutes of the game. In order to win the game students must manage to complete all 10 towers in the game and successful craft a bill into law.
Student Brief: Students will create a brief for a decision that has already been made by the Supreme Court. A brief is a short summary and analysis of a case.
Primary Source Analysis: Students will analyze Federalist no. 10 and write a one page summary.
Lesson Exam: Students will take a lesson exam covering these three documents: The Constitution, Articles of Confederation, Federalist no 10.
Foldable: Students will create a foldable to illustrate and summarize how the First Amendment, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause impacted the Court’s ruling in landmark Supreme Court cases dealing with the rights of the accused.
Socratic Seminar: Students will summarize the main ideas of a secondary source in order to identify, evaluate and argue the positions between creditors and debtors and the conflict between the two that preceded the Constitutional Convention.
Branches of Power Game: Students must keep their government working together for all 30 minutes of the game. In order to win the game students must manage to complete all 10 towers in the game and successful craft a bill into law.
Student Brief: Students will create a brief for a decision that has already been made by the Supreme Court. A brief is a short summary and analysis of a case.