The Path to Democracy
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TASK 1
Learning Goal: 1) The student will understand how Enlightenment ideas influenced the thinking of our nation’s Founders. 
TASK 2
Learning Goal: The student will be able to analyze how the ideas of the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights and the Mayflower Compact influenced the ideas of the Articles of Confederation and later the U.S. Constitution.
TASK 3
Learning Goal: The student will understand how the colonial response to English policies led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
TASK 4
Learning Goal: Students will understand the ideas and grievances set forth in the Declaration of Independence.
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Benchmarks:
SS.7.C.1.1 Content Complexity: Level 2/Skills and Concepts Recognize how Enlightenment ideas including Montesquieu's view of separation of power and John Locke's theories related to natural law and how Locke's social contract influenced the Founding Fathers. SS.7.C.1.2 Content Complexity: Level 2/Skills and Concepts Trace the impact that the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact, and Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" had on colonists' views of government. SS.7.C.1.9 Content Complexity: Level 1/Recall and Reproduction Define the rule of law and recognize its influence on the development of the American legal, political, and governmental systems. SS.7.C.1.3 Content Complexity: Level 2/Skills and Concepts Describe how English policies and responses to colonial concerns led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. SS.7.C.1.4 Content Complexity: Level 3/Strategic Thinking-Reasoning Analyze the ideas (natural rights, role of the government) and complaints set forth in the Declaration of Independence. | ||||||||
Introduction Questions:
1.What are some possible reasons why people form into governments in the first place?
2.What are some downsides of forming into a government?
2.What are some downsides of forming into a government?
American democracy didn't just spring up on its own...
Many historical influences contributed in developing the government we have today.
Many historical influences contributed in developing the government we have today.
Task 1: Enlightenment Philosophy
Key Terms:
•Enlightenment - a period in European history when education and reasoning led to new ideas about government and society.
•Natural rights - the belief that individuals are born with basic rights that cannot be taken away by governments.
•Social contract - an implied agreement between people and their government. You give up your perfect freedom and agree to set up a limited government and follow its rules in exchange for that government to protect your natural rights.
•Separation of powers - Our U.S. Constitution sets up three branches with their own limited powers and responsibilities.
•Checks and balances - In the U.S. Constitution, each branch of government is able to limit/check the power of the other branches.
•Founding Fathers: representatives from each of the 13 colonies who participated in writing the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. (influenced by Enlightenment philosophers/thinkers)
•Natural rights - the belief that individuals are born with basic rights that cannot be taken away by governments.
•Social contract - an implied agreement between people and their government. You give up your perfect freedom and agree to set up a limited government and follow its rules in exchange for that government to protect your natural rights.
•Separation of powers - Our U.S. Constitution sets up three branches with their own limited powers and responsibilities.
•Checks and balances - In the U.S. Constitution, each branch of government is able to limit/check the power of the other branches.
•Founding Fathers: representatives from each of the 13 colonies who participated in writing the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. (influenced by Enlightenment philosophers/thinkers)
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Directions:
Step 1: Students will go through the powerpoint to the right in class titled "Enlightenment NOTES." The powerpoint includes notes (like key terms above) and group/class discussion questions. |
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Step 2: In class, students will group the "Enlightenment images" attached to the right with the correct enlightenment philosopher. (Locke or Montesquieu) There are a total of 10 images and key terms, so there will be a total of 5 images/terms for each group/philosopher.
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Step 3: Choose ONE of the following ways to assess your understanding.
Step 4: Take the eCampus quiz when finished and work on your study guide.
- Write a paragraph response using evidence from your terms and the images to address the following prompt: "Summarize Locke's and Montesquieu's views and how they impacted the founding fathers in making our American government."
- Create a political cartoon that incorporates evidence and summarizes Locke's and Montesquieu's views and how they impacted the founding fathers in making our American government.
- Create a T-chart with points that use evidence to summarize Locke's and Montesquieu's views and how they impacted the founding fathers in making our American government.
- Create a poem/rap that incorporates evidence and summarizes Locke's and Montesquieu's views and how they impacted the founding fathers in making our American government.
Step 4: Take the eCampus quiz when finished and work on your study guide.
Task 2: Influential Documents leading to Democracy
Key terms below also found in "What's the Big IDEA?" notes.
Rule of Law: All people must follow the laws, (including our representatives in government) and the laws should be enforced fairly.
Self Government: A popular or representative system where the people create and run their own government.
Due Process: Your government owes you a certain process before they take away your freedoms. (like a trial by jury)
Limited Government: A government that has been limited in power by a constitution, or written agreement.
Rights: A set of things that people believe they should be free to do without restrictions.
Directions:
Step 1: Take notes of key terms from the "What's the Big IDEA?" powerpoint in class. (attached below)
Step 2: Fill in the "Graphic Organizer" below using the "What's the Big IDEA" powerpoint. For each document, draw a picture that summarizes its significance and write down which "Big ideas" match best.
Rule of Law: All people must follow the laws, (including our representatives in government) and the laws should be enforced fairly.
Self Government: A popular or representative system where the people create and run their own government.
Due Process: Your government owes you a certain process before they take away your freedoms. (like a trial by jury)
Limited Government: A government that has been limited in power by a constitution, or written agreement.
Rights: A set of things that people believe they should be free to do without restrictions.
Directions:
Step 1: Take notes of key terms from the "What's the Big IDEA?" powerpoint in class. (attached below)
Step 2: Fill in the "Graphic Organizer" below using the "What's the Big IDEA" powerpoint. For each document, draw a picture that summarizes its significance and write down which "Big ideas" match best.
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Step 3: Use the “Big IDEAS handouts” at your table to follow the following steps:
-Match up each primary/secondary source set (4 total) with the influential document/big ideas combination (4 total) that best fits.
-Be ready to use evidence from the sources to explain your choices at your table with your classmates.
-Match up each primary/secondary source set (4 total) with the influential document/big ideas combination (4 total) that best fits.
-Be ready to use evidence from the sources to explain your choices at your table with your classmates.
| Big IDEAS handouts |
Step 4: Choose ONE of the following ways to assess your understanding.
- Write a paragraph response using evidence from your terms and the images to address the following prompt: "Summarize how AT LEAST TWO key influential documents and "big ideas" found in them influenced the making of our American government."
- Create a political cartoon that incorporates evidence and summarizes how AT LEAST TWO key influential documents and "big ideas" found in them influenced the making of our American government.
- Compare and contrast two influential documents (Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Common Sense) with evidence to show how their impact on American government was similar and how it was different.
- Create a poem/rap that incorporates evidence and summarizes how AT LEAST TWO key influential documents and "big ideas" found in them influenced the making of our American government.
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Extension: How an Iroquois Chief Helped Write the U.S. Constitution
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CLICK HERE to read an article about Iroquois Chief Canasatego and how he influenced our founding fathers in the writing of our Constitution. Then, answer the following questions:
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEAST
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Task 3: English Policies Timeline (events leading to Independence)
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Directions:
Step 1: Go through the powerpoint attached to the right titled "English Policies leading to Independence" and create an illustrated timeline. For each event leading to the Declaration of Independence, students will do the following on their timeline: 1. Label the event/act 2. Draw a picture summarizing the event/act's significance 3. Provide a date for the event/act |
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Step 2: There are 12 images on your desk. (attached to the right titled "Cause and Effect images")
Combine each image with another to make a total of 6 pairs. For each pair, one of the sources is the CAUSE of an event on your timeline, and the other source is an EFFECT of the event on your timeline. FOR EACH OF THE 6 PAIRS, WRITE DOWN an explanation of both sources and how they connect to an event on the timeline. (the sources are not numbered, but you should describe them and how they connect to an event in DETAIL) Step 3: Work on corresponding Study guide pages when finished... |
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Task 4: The Declaration of Independence
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Directions: Step 1: Read through the directions and questions in the document below titled "Too late to Apologize." Then, answer those questions after you watch the video to the left.
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Step 2: (remember a grievance is a complaint found in the Declaration of Independence)
1. On your desk are 8 sets of grievances and 8 sets of images. (attached to the left titled "images" and "Grievances") 2. Match each quote from the Grievances section of the Declaration with the image that BEST fits AND EXPLAIN WHY. 3. THEN, figure out where the cause of this grievance would best fall on your timeline from Task 3 and EXPLAIN WHY. (some of the grievances might not fall under a particular event) | ||||||
Step 3: Choose ONE of the following ways to assess your understanding.
Step 4: Take the "Events leading to and Declaration" quiz on eCampus.
WITH ANY TIME REMAINING, complete any unfinished quizzes on eCampus and work on your study guide. IF YOU FINISH EVERYTHING ELSE, you may either practice with iCivics games relating to content from the 2nd quarter, or click on the file below to get more test question practice.
- Write a two paragraph response using evidence from your timeline and the grievances in the DOI to address the following prompt: "Which grievance in the Declaration of Independence do you think is the most significant? Do you think the colonists were justified in writing the Declaration of Independence? Why or why not?"
- Create a political cartoon that incorporates evidence from the timeline and the grievances in the DOI. The cartoon should either explain how English policies led to the DOI, criticize either the British or the Colonists for one of the events on our timeline/grievance that matches, or support the British or the Colonists for one of the events on our timeline/grievances that match.
- Create a poem/rap that incorporates evidence from the timeline and the grievances in the DOI. The poem/rap should either explain how English policies led to the DOI, criticize either the British or the Colonists for one of the events on our timeline/grievance that matches, or support the British or the Colonists for one of the events on our timeline/grievances that match.
Step 4: Take the "Events leading to and Declaration" quiz on eCampus.
WITH ANY TIME REMAINING, complete any unfinished quizzes on eCampus and work on your study guide. IF YOU FINISH EVERYTHING ELSE, you may either practice with iCivics games relating to content from the 2nd quarter, or click on the file below to get more test question practice.
| Test Question Practice |
Task 5: Patriots or Terrorists?
Claim: The American Colonists who rose up against their King were terrorists and committing treason. They had no right to break British law, since they were British citizens.
Directions:
You can either support or refute (go against) this claim with evidence found in Tasks 1-4.
Write a minimum three paragraph essay with at least 4 sources (cited) from Tasks 1-4.
Directions:
You can either support or refute (go against) this claim with evidence found in Tasks 1-4.
Write a minimum three paragraph essay with at least 4 sources (cited) from Tasks 1-4.