Connecticut Technical High School System
CIVICS/AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 11/2/2010
Unit 1: Foundations of Citizenship: A Portrait of Americans and the Meaning of Citizenship
Goal: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ideals and beliefs shared by
Americans and the meaning of citizenship.
Big Ideas:
American society is made up of diverse cultures with a variety of beliefs and values that
come together to create America today.
Americans have numerous rights and responsibilities associated with being a
productive American citizen.
American culture is a blending of many cultures and (democratic) ideas and beliefs.
Americans are unique in their democratic and equal opportunity values.
The United States is a nation of immigrants. American society is continually changing and
adapting to new populations.
Essential Questions:
Is American culture a melting pot, salad or mosaic?
What does it mean to be an American today? What is patriotism?
Who is an American? Where do Americans come from?
What rights are granted to Americans and what are their responsibilities in exchange for these
rights? Or What are the rights and responsibilities of being an American?
How can you make a difference in a democracy?
Why should you care about power, politics and government?
What are the distinctive characteristics of American society?
Why do immigrants come to America?
How has immigration affected the United States – culturally, socially, politically and
economically?
What values and principles does an American believe in?
What is citizenship? Who is a citizen? What does good citizenship mean to you?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral or visual:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts including American,
patriotism, ethnicity, citizen, citizenship,
equality, equal opportunity, justice,
freedom, political, politics, immigration:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
10.1 Identify and explain current trends in
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Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e.
term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/re
late)
Lincs/Frayer
Visual representation (i.e concept
diagram/map, graph, chart, drawing,
poster, comic strip, cartoon)
Discussion
Oral presentation
Short answer
Essay
Summary of current trends in American
American Society and how the meaning
Society and the meaning of citizenship.
of citizenship and patriotism has
changed in the last century as a result of
Write a personal definition of the meaning
those trends:
(H) Honors. Honors students will complete a cross cycle/over the trade assignment.
Connecticut Technical High School System
CIVICS/AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 11/2/2010
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Characteristics
Demographics:
 Population
 Workforce
 Age/gender
 Ethnicity
 Ethnic contributions
 Political Culture
 Values and Principles
 Equality
 Equal Opportunity
 Freedom
 Justice
10.2 Describe consequences of American
population patterns and growth using
immigration statistics
 Early Immigration
 Present trends
10.3 Define the characteristics of
citizenship in America:
 Civic Participation
o Monitoring public policy
o Influencing public policy
 Public Service:
o Running for office
o Volunteerism
o Military Service
o Political Action- Petition,
Referendum, Recall
10.4 Provide examples of and evaluate
the obligations of the rights and
responsibilities of American citizens.
 Voting
 Complying with laws
 Paying taxes
 Jury duty
10.5 Identify and explain the characteristics
needed for effective participation in public life.
of patriotism today.
Synthesis of charts, graphs & maps.
Op paper on being an American.
(H) – Write a position paper on being an
American.
Analysis of past and present immigration
statistics.
 Summary of present trends.
 Description of consequences on patterns
of American population.
(H) – locate an article or political cartoon
on recent immigration trends and
summarize the article.
Summary of characteristics of citizenship:
 Naturalization
 Immigration laws
 Natural-born
Constitution Day participation.
(H) – Create a naturalization test and
present your test (see attached assignment).
*also a good activity for Constitution Day
Examples of rights and responsibilities.
Analysis of the responsibilities of citizens in
the United States.
(H) – Group activity: written role play
illustrating a scenario when citizens do not
meet their responsibilities and the outcome
(ie. voting, the draft, etc).
Explanation of effective civic participation.
Resources:
(H) Honors. Honors students will complete a cross cycle/over the trade assignment.
Connecticut Technical High School System
CIVICS/AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 11/2/2010
Magruder’s Ch 1
PH-Civics 1: Analyzing graphs. Pg.6
PH-Civics- Skills for Life Activity, p.26
PH-Civics 1: Pg.4, pg.6
http://www.census.gov/
PH-Civics 1
Active Citizen –pg.3
Active Citizen – pg.7
http://library.thinkquest.org
PH - CivicsUnit 1-Ch.1, sec.1,2 & 3
Pg. 26
PH-Civics
Comprehension and Critical Thinking exercises: Question 9 and 10, pg. 26
PHSchool.com webcode mpa-1013
INS Naturalization Test: http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/100q.pdf
ctdlc.org
Magruder’s, Critical Thinking Question p.29, Close-up Activity pg.33
PH – Debating the Issue, p.102
PH – Analyzing Political Cartoons. Learn, Practice, Apply
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman
PH- Chapter 1 pg.57 Chart anaylsis
PH - Case study p.60
Magruder’s – Interpreting charts, pg. 614, Ch.21
PH – Analyzing Political Cartoons pg. 65
Magruder’s – Analyzing Political Cartoons, pg.618
PH – p.64 Reading check activity
Phschool.com
PH - Chapter 3, Section 2 – Assessment
Play By the Rules: Connecticut Laws for Youth – CH 8: School pgs. 41-44 (TE 87-89, 138-143)
Extension Activity:
Submit an essay on citizenship for the CCLCE Constitution Day contest.
Interview a current immigrant and a 2nd generation immigrant. Compare and contrast
experiences and views of American citizenship. Design a presentation for class.
Research family tree and compare to immigration patterns and trends studied in class.
Prepare an orientation and test booklet for immigrants preparing to take the citizenship exam.
Guest Speaker (Dean of Students/School Resource Officer)
Teacher(s) Designed
District-wide Trimester Assessment(s)
Formative Assessment(s)
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TBD
http://sde-cthsi/DWTA/academic.html
Concepts
Skills
Students need to know about:
Students need to be able to do:
10.1 Current trends of American Society and
10.1 Identify (current trends of American
the meaning of citizenship and patriotism:
Characteristics
Demographics:
Population
Society and the meaning of citizenship
and patriotism:
 Characteristics
 Demographics:
(H) Honors. Honors students will complete a cross cycle/over the trade assignment.
Connecticut Technical High School System
CIVICS/AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 11/2/2010
Workforce
Age/gender
1. Ethnicity
2. Ethnic contributions
3.
Political Culture
4.
Values and Principles
1. Equality
2. Equal Opportunity
3. Freedom
4. Justice
8.1 Historical questions and hypotheses
from multiple sources.
10.2 Consequences of American population
patterns and growth using immigration
statistics
 Early Immigration
 Present trends
10.3 Characteristics of citizenship in America.
10.4 Examples of the rights and
responsibilities of American citizens.
 Population
 Workforce
 Age/gender
 Ethnicity
 Ethnic contributions
 Political Culture
 Values and Principles
 Equality
 Equal Opportunity
 Freedom
 Justice)
8.1 Form (historical questions and
hypotheses from multiple sources).
6.1 Describe (consequences of American
population patterns and growth
 Early Immigration
 Present trends)
Define (characteristics of citizenship- civics
participation and public service)
Provide and evaluate (rights and
responsibilities)
Obligations of citizens including:
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Voting
Complying with laws
Paying taxes
Jury duty
10.5 Characteristics needed for effective
participation in public life.
Identify and explain (characteristics needed
for effective participation in public life).
Constitution Day Project – Honors Classes
Students will be broken down into mixed ability groups and given the “Create a
Naturalization Test” handout. Students will work in small groups to create a power point
presentation of their Naturalization test. After each group has presented their test questions
to the class, all presentations will be merged into one power point presentation (duplicate
questions will be removed at this time). The honors class will then present their
Naturalization test to junior classes and each junior will write down the answers as the test is
given. Juniors will then swap papers for scoring purposes. High scoring juniors will receive
extra credit, candy, or any other reward that the instructor deems appropriate.
This activity is designed to inspire and educate current civics students as well as to give
emphasis to the importance of Civics education to recent civics “graduates” (the junior class).
(H) Honors. Honors students will complete a cross cycle/over the trade assignment.
Connecticut Technical High School System
CIVICS/AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 11/2/2010
This activity will reactivate prior knowledge for the juniors as well as prepare the
sophomores for the DWTA for trimester 1.
Create a Naturalization Test
Based upon your knowledge of citizenship and the roots of American
government, create a naturalization test. This test should include questions that
you believe ALL Americans should know as citizens of this country. Use your
text books chapters 3-4 for help as well as previous knowledge of the founding
of the United States.
*The test should have AT LEAST 20 questions
*Test questions should be thoughtful not simplistic. Ex. Why are there 50
stars on the flag? = too simple. What do the stars and stripes on the flag
represent? = thoughtful.
*Please include an answer key along with a list of questions.
*Questions should be either short answer, fill in the blank, or multiple
choice – no essay questions please.
*Use the scoring guide provided for grading.
Scoring Guide
Self Evaluation
Teacher Evaluation
15 Questions – 15 points
__________
__________
Quality of questions – 40 points
__________
__________
Answer key provided – 25 pts.
__________
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Full Group Participation – 20 pts.
__________
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Total Grade:
__________
__________
(H) Honors. Honors students will complete a cross cycle/over the trade assignment.