(1 day = 50-55 minutes)
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The purpose of the unit is to review the origins of American democracy through the writings of the founding fathers—in particular, the principles and theories of government embodied in the Declaration of
Independence. The unit will also discuss issues of individual, group, and national identity. Students will discuss American ideals and their impact on various political, economic, social, and cultural groups.
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Understand the ideas outlined in the
Declaration of Independence.
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Understand the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
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Understand what rights and responsibilities define what it means to be an American.
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Understand the concept of identity.
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Demonstrate an understanding of how political authority is obtained and legitimized with the
Declaration of Independence as a starting point.
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Explain democratic values and principles underlying the U.S. government by interpreting and analyzing the sources of the U.S. democratic tradition in the Declaration of
Independence and Constitution.
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Demonstrate an appreciation of citizens’ rights and responsibilities by comparing and contrasting different perspectives on provisions found in the Bill of Rights.
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Explain identity as it relates to both themselves and others.
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How do the major principles underlying the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights reflect current American ideals?
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What are the major sections of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights?
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U.S. History (1890–Present), Quarter 1, Unit 1
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American Ideals: Founding Documents Review (10 days)
C&G 1: People create and change structures of power, authority, and governance in order to accomplish common goals.
C&G 1 (9-12) –2 Students demonstrate an understanding of sources of authority and use of power, and how they are/can be changed, by… b. explaining how political authority is obtained and legitimized
C&G 2: The Constitution of the United States establishes a government of limited powers that are shared among different levels and branches.
C&G 2 (9-12) –2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the democratic values and principles underlying the US government by… a. interpreting and analyzing the sources of the U.S. democratic tradition in the Declaration of Independence ,
U.S. Constitution , and other documents (e.g., RI Constitution, Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments &
Resolutions , Supreme Court decisions, Pledge of Allegiance )
C&G 3: In a democratic society, all people have certain rights and responsibilities.
C&G 3 (9-12) –1 Students demonstrate an understanding of citizens’ rights and responsibilities by… a. comparing and contrasting different perspective on provisions found in the Bill of Rights (e.g., flag burning and the first Amendment)
Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
Standard 1
:
The causes of the American Revolution, the ideas and interests involved in forging the revolutionary movement, and the reasons for the American victory.
1B The student understands the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, the student is able to
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Explain the major ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence and their intellectual origins.
[Marshal evidence of antecedent circumstances]
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Explain how key principles in the Declaration of Independence grew in importance to become unifying ideas of American democracy.
[Evaluate the influence of ideas]
Standard 3: The institutions and practices of government created during the Revolution and how they were revised between 1787 and 1815 to create the foundation of the American political system based on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
3A The student understands the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the United States
Constitution and the new government it established. Therefore, the student is able to
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Analyze the alternative plans considered by the delegates and the major compromises agreed upon to secure approval of the Constitution. [ Examine the influence of ideas ]
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Analyze the features of the Constitution which have made this the most enduring and widely imitated written constitution in world history. [ Examine the influence of ideas ]
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American Ideals: Founding Documents Review (10 days) U.S. History (1890–Present), Quarter 1, Unit 1
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3B The student understands the guarantees of the Bill of Rights and its continuing significance.
Therefore, the student is able to
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Analyze the significance of the Bill of Rights and its specific guarantees. [Examine the influence of ideas]
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Analyze issues addressed in recent court cases involving the Bill of Rights to assess their continuing significance today.
[Identify relevant historical antecedents]
Craft and Structure
RH.11-12.6 Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Text Types and Purposes
WHST.11-12.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content .
Production and Distribution of Writing
WHST.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
This unit is a focused review of the seventh- and eighth-grade units on the American Revolutionary era and its influence on the shaping of American democracy. This review will activate students’ prior knowledge of the foundation of American democracy and its impact on various political, social, cultural, and economic groups and will prepare students for the next unit on Progressivism.
The first week and a half of the school year will be devoted to establishing a classroom climate and creating a “Community of Learners.” Use the suggested teaching strategies from Facing History and
Ourselves to address issues of identity, community, and belonging. For additional ideas, see Partners in
Learning from Educators for Social Responsibility (available through the district) for guidance.
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Students will be able to:
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Define identity as it relates to both themselves and others, and connect questions of identity to real-life situations. (2 days)
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Summarize the four major parts of the
Declaration of Independence. (2 days)
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Assess the relevance of the Declaration of
Independence and Constitution to our lives today. (2 days)
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Explain the compromises that led to a plan of government and its ratification. (2 days)
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Provide examples of how the Bill of Rights serves as a guarantee of freedoms today. (2 days)
United States History , Pearson, 2010

Teacher’s Edition
Chapter 5, Section 2 (pp. 142-149)
Chapter 5, Section 3 (pp. 150-157)
U.S. Constitution (pp. 162-189)
History Comics (p. 22)
All-in-One Teaching Resources: Online
Viewpoints: Creating the Constitution (p. 19)
Issues Connectors: Expanding and Protecting Civil
Rights (pp. 14-17)
Color Transparencies: Creating the Constitution,
Section 2 (p. B-32)
Assessment Rubrics (p. 14)
Document Based Questions (p. 10)
First Amendment Schools, http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/ resources/lesson
Constitution Rights Foundation, http://www.crf-usa.org
Veterans of Foreign Wars, http://www.vfw.org
Facing History and Ourselves
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Identity Charts, http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/ strategies/identity-charts
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Exploring Names: A Free-Writing Activity, http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/ strategies/exploring-names-a-free-writin
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Jigsaw—Developing Community and
Disseminating Knowledge, http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/ strategies/jigsaw-developing-community-d
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Barometer—Taking a Stand on Controversial
Issues, http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/ strategies/barometer-taking-a-stand-cont
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Charting Identity, http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/ lessons/charting-identity-building-commu
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American Ideals: Founding Documents Review (10 days) U.S. History (1890–Present), Quarter 1, Unit 1
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Race, Democracy, and Citizenship, http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/ lessons/race-democracy-citizenship-the-a
amendment checks and balances federalism grievances identity judicial review limited government natural rights popular sovereignty ratification separation of powers
This unit provides students with a review of the basic elements of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Students will be able to make concrete connections between past and present, and to analyze documents critically and historically. The summative assessment is a persuasive essay in which students argue for or against a modern-day Constitutional issue.
Select from the activities and readings in the Pearson text to provide students with background information and critical thinking opportunities that align to the learning objectives. (Pearson, pp. 142-
189) The strategies listed below represent a menu of choices and possibilities to support each learning objective.
Use the online resources listed in the Resources section to support students throughout the unit.
The following teaching strategies are aligned to the order of the learning objectives.
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To ensure that students will be able to define identity as it relates to both themselves and others, and connect questions of identity to real-life situations (2 days):
Note—These two strategies support the Facing History and Ourselves Scope and Sequence in preparation for the Civil Rights unit in the 4th Quarter. The first two components are “Identity” and
“We and They.” See http://www.facinghistory.org/sites/facinghistory.org/files/journey.html for an overview.
Both strategies can present a range of challenges that should be seen as opportunities for building community in the classroom. For example, some students may be reticent to discuss their identity for many reasons (i.e., lack of knowledge, traumatic or negative history, etc.). Teachers should read the strategies on the Facing History and Ourselves website closely for suggestions on how to handle difficult situations and always know that a Facing History Program Associate is available to consult.
Exploring Names: This activity is used to build community and help students immediately connect their personal identities to larger concepts of history, membership, ethnicity, and nationalism.
Students do a five-minute free write about their names, then discuss what their names say about their identity. (See the Facing History website’s Exploring Names page for more information about this strategy.)
Identity Charts: An identity chart is a graphic tool that helps students consider the many factors that
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U.S. History (1890–Present), Quarter 1, Unit 1
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American Ideals: Founding Documents Review (10 days) help shape who we are. Have students make individual, artistic charts for themselves and share with partners, small groups, and the whole class. Post all charts to form a mosaic and have a discussion about the identity of the class. (See the Facing History website’s Identity Charts page for more information about this strategy. Also see Charting Identity on the Facing History website.
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To ensure that students will be able to summarize the four major parts of the Declaration of
Independence (2 days):
Jigsaw Activity: This strategy asks a group of students to become experts on a specific text or body of knowledge and then share that material with another group of students. Split the students into four research groups. Then divide the Declaration of Independence into the four major parts—Preamble,
Natural Rights, British Wrongs, and Declaring Independence—and have the students within each research group identify key words and unfamiliar words and summarize what their section is all about. Then have the students regroup, ensuring that each new group contains one expert from each of the research groups. Students will then synthesize their findings into a single product (e.g., graphic organizer, outline, essay, etc.). Students can orally report their findings to the class or convene in
“teaching” groups to share what they have learned. Ensure each student gets a copy of the group’s product for later use. (See the Facing History website’s Jigsaw page for more information about this strategy.) Standard 4: Historical research
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To ensure that students will be able to assess the relevance of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to our lives today (2 days):
SOAPSTone textual analysis: “SOAPSTone” is an acronym for S ubject, O ccasion, A udience,
P urpose, S peaker (or author), and Tone of a text. A SOAPSTone graphic organizer helps students identify the abovementioned aspects of a text or film. It also provides an opportunity for students to compare and contrast differing texts. To have students analyze the relevance of the Declaration of
Independence and Constitution, use the SOAPSTone graphic organizer. Have students analyze the tone, bias, and purpose of the authors of the founding documents by reading and listing key phrases.
Either have students write in response to or have a whole-class discussion on one of the Essential
Questions of the unit: “How do the major principles underlying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights reflect current American ideals?”
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To ensure that students will be able to explain the compromises that led to a plan of government and its ratification (2 days):
Barometer activity: Engage students in a barometer activity focusing on one of the controversial compromises that led to a plan of government and ratification of the Constitution. Teachers will need to provide resources focusing on the chosen compromise. One such compromise was the 3/5
Compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of
1787, in which the two sides agreed that three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the United States House of Representatives. Present the following statement: “The Three-Fifths
Compromise should be incorporated into the Constitution.” Students line up along an invisible continuum ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” One by one, students step out of line and make a case for their position. (See the Facing History website’s Barometer page for more information about this strategy.) Standard 5: Historical issues-analysis and decision-making
After the barometer activity, students can compare two plans of government and the compromises achieved.
Use the information on rival plans of government to help students practice skills with Document
Based Questions (p. 10).
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To ensure that students will be able to provide examples of how the Bill of Rights serves as a
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American Ideals: Founding Documents Review (10 days) U.S. History (1890–Present), Quarter 1, Unit 1
Version 2 guarantee of freedoms today (2 days):
Have students build and view and gallery walk incorporating illustrations and short quotations to examine the historical context and contemporary applications of the Bill of Rights. Draw evidence from the common text and other sources, such as the Center for Civic Education’s We the People and
With Liberty and Justice for All. Have students (individually or in small groups) create posters that detail each amendment, including what rights and responsibilities are included and how they are relevant today.
Have students create an identity chart for the United States as a nation at the time of ratification of the
Bill of Rights, 1791. Use it to discuss how the founding documents represented American ideals at the time. Discuss what changes in those ideals students believe have happened and why, as well as what ideals have endured.
Race, Democracy, and Citizenship: The American Ideal: Use this lesson to discuss the significance of the 3/5 Compromise and the legacy of race and racism. Since the birth of the United States as a republic, ideas of citizenship have been tied closely to misconceptions about race and identity. Many of the ideas and beliefs about race and democracy in the United States that we discuss today developed during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The intellectual movement known as the
Enlightenment encouraged the belief in the inherent equality of all humans, while at the same time supporting distinctions and inequality among “races.” This lesson considers the tension between these notions, as well as the consequences of that tension. See the Facing History website.
Provide feedback to students through daily monitoring of student understanding using a variety of methods. For example, use exit cards. Have students answer questions on paper before they leave the class. Keep the activity prompt specific and brief to check for understanding of the day’s concepts. For instance, to check students’ comprehension of the compromises that led to a plan of government and its ratification, ask students to respond to the following question: “What was one compromise that allowed the Constitution to be created, and why was it significant?”
To assess the progress of understanding:
 how to define identity as it relates to both themselves and others, and connect questions of identity to real-life situations, use identity charts as scaffolding to have students write a short essay titled, “How I Fit Into America’s Past and Present.”
 how to summarize the four major parts of the Declaration of Independence, have students use their notes from the Jigsaw activity to create a numbered outline that addresses the four major parts of the Declaration of Independence. Standard 2: Historical comprehension
 how to assess the relevance of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to our lives today, have students write a brief note in which they assess whether the ideals enshrined in the
Declaration of Independence are still relevant today. Have them address the question, “What evidence is there that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are still relevant?” Standard 3:
Historical analysis and interpretation
 how to explain the compromises that led to a plan of government and its ratification, have students write a letter to one of the founding fathers (for example, George Washington or Thomas
Jefferson). In the letter, describe how a decision or compromise that person made help shape an ideal
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U.S. History (1890–Present), Quarter 1, Unit 1
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American Ideals: Founding Documents Review (10 days) of our country. Focus on government, rights and citizenship responsibilities, and so on (e.g., freedom of speech). Be sure to demonstrate your knowledge of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
 how to provide examples of how the Bill of Rights serves as a guarantee of freedoms today, have students report (either orally or in a short written assignment) on a contemporary issue in the news that is informed by conflicting interpretation of an amendment encompassed within the Bill of Rights.
Address the Essential Question, “How do the major principles underlying the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights reflect current American ideals?” Have students write an essay (of at least five paragraphs) for or against a modern-day Constitutional issue (e.g., the death penalty, gay marriage, abortion, gun control, student rights in school [ TLO vs. New Jersey ], etc.). Students are to link historically the specified contemporary issue to what they believe to have been the intentions of the founders. Within the essay, students must respond to the following questions: (1) “How does your argument align with the major principles underlying the Bill of Rights?” (2) “What specific ‘American ideals’ does your argument align with?” (3) “What is the link between the American ideals you cited and the wording of the Bill of
Rights?” Standard 5: Historical issues-analysis and decision-making
For this assessment, it will be necessary to allow students to refer to page 162 and pages 178-181 of the
Pearson text. To simplify this for the students, provide paper clips for binding pages 163-178.
Use Assessment Rubrics (p. 14) to provide a common means to measure the product.
When students are working on this summative assessment, this is an opportunity to implement reading standard for literacy RH.11-12.6 to understand how to evaluate an author’s point of view, and writing standards for literacy in history/social studies WHST.11-12.1, WHST.11-12.4, and WHST.11-12.9 in writing with an argument that uses textual evidence for support.
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