American Origins and Branches Standards Based Unit of Study
The unit contains 9 lessons and is organized around the question, "How do American origins and branches of government influence our democracy today”? Students explore why the U.S. Constitution is considered to be a social contract codified by laws between the people of the United States and the government and why the framers of the U.S. Constitution organized the government into three branches with powers that are separated, shared, checked, and balanced. Students will gain a greater understanding of the Constitution by analyzing and comparing the Constitution to an existing organization’s governance document(s). The end of unit assessment will ask students to explain how the selected organization’s governance document reflects: principles of democracy, influences of individuals, political theories, and political documents on the organization, structure and powers within the organization, and how and why the governance polices can/cannot change within the organization.
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American Origins and Branches Unit Overview
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American Origins and Branches End of Unit Assessment
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American Origins and Branches of Government Civic Dispositions Tools
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Lesson 1
- AOB unit - Lesson 1 - "Protecting Our Natural Rights" Length - 3 Days
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Lesson 2
- AOB unit - Lesson 2 - "Classical Republicanism" Length - 2 Days
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Lesson 3
- AOB unit - Lesson 3 - "Constitutionalism" Length - 2 Days
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Lesson 4
- AOB unit - Lesson 4 - "Checks and Balances" Length - 2 Days
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Lesson 5
- AOB unit - Lesson 5 - "Three Branches of US Government" Length - 2 Days
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Lesson 6
- AOB unit - Lesson 6 - "Amending the Constitution: The Amendment Process" Length - 1 Day
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Lesson 7
- AOB unit - Lesson 7 - "Amending the Constitution: Change Over Time" Length - 2 Days
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Lesson 8
- AOB unit -Lesson 8 - "Amending the Constitution: Informal Amendments" Length - 1 Day
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Lesson 9
- AOB unit - Lesson 9 - "Amending the Constitution: Judicial Review" Length - 2 Days
