Social Studies Acceleration
Grade 8
Spring Intervention 2009
Georgia Performance Standards
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SSCG1 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the political philosophies that
shaped the development of United States constitutional government.
a. Analyze key ideas of limited government and the rule of law as seen in the Magna Carta, the Petition of
Rights, and the English Bill of Rights.
b. Analyze the writings of Hobbes (Leviathan), Locke (Second Treatise on Government), and Montesquieu
(The Spirit of Laws) as they affect our concept of government.
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SSCG2 The student will analyze the natural rights philosophy and the nature of
government expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
a. Compare and contrast the Declaration of Independence and the Social Contract Theory.
b. Evaluate the Declaration of Independence as a persuasive argument.
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SSCG3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the United States Constitution.
a. Explain the main ideas in debate over ratification; include those in The Federalist.
b. Analyze the purpose of government stated in the Preamble of the United States Constitution.
c. Explain the fundamental principles upon which the United States Constitution is based; include the rule of
law, popular sovereignty, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
Rule of Law
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The rule of law requires both citizens
and governments to be subject to
known and standing laws.
Do you agree or disagree with former
President Nixon?
(Defend Your Position-Discussion)
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President Richard Nixon
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David Frost (reporter) “So what
in a sense, you're saying is that
there are certain situations, and
the Huston Plan or that part of it
was one of them, where the
president can decide that it's in
the best interests of the nation
or something, and do something
illegal.”
Richard Nixon:
“Well, when the president does
it that means that it is not
illegal.”
Limited Government
(Discussion)
Why should government power
be limited?
 How can we limit government
power?
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Limited Government
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Government can be limited by dividing power horizontally
among different governing units, each with its own geographical
and functional interests, as among national, regional, and local
or municipal governments.
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Government can be limited by delegating powers to it for explicit
purposes and reserving all remaining power to the people and,
in this case, the communities.
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Power may also be limited by balancing it within the federal
government, as among its legislative, executive, and judicial
functions.
Magna Carta
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King John of England agreed, in 1215, to the
demands of his barons and authorized that
handwritten copies of Magna Carta be prepared on
parchment, affixed with his seal, and publicly read
throughout the realm. Thus he bound not only
himself but his "heirs, for ever" to grant "to all
freemen of our kingdom" the rights and liberties the
great charter described. With Magna Carta, King John
placed himself and England's future sovereigns and
magistrates within the rule of law.
Plain English Please!
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Students will read and discuss the
highlighted sections of the Magna
Carta.
Students will re-write the highlighted
passages in modern English.
Petition of Rights
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Petition of Right, a statute of the English Parliament passed in 1628
and accepted by Charles I. This petition stated several fundamental
principles of the English constitution.
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Parliament passed the petition as a reaction against the arbitrary
rule of King Charles. The petition restated some of the ancient
rights and privileges of Englishmen, and reaffirmed four great
principles: no taxes should be levied without the consent of
Parliament; no freeman should be imprisoned except by the law of
the land; no soldiers should be billeted in citizens' homes without
payment; and martial law should not be proclaimed in time of
peace. Charles accepted the petition to get the taxes he wanted,
but he continued his arbitrary rule. Eventually he was defeated in
the Civil War and was put to death.
English Bill of Rights
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The English Bill of Rights was designed to control the
power of kings and queens and to make them subject
to laws passed by Parliament.
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This bill was a precursor to the American Bill of
Rights, and set out strict limits on the Royal Family's
legal prerogatives such as a prohibition against
arbitrary suspension of Parliament's laws. More
importantly, it limited the right to raise money through
taxation to Parliament.
Students will read and discuss the highlighted
sections of this document.
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View Lesson 2
English and Enlightenment Traditions
View Lesson 2
(lesson time: about 15 minutes)
click on: the above link to open the website
click on: Lesson 2,
click on: play button for the first presentation
click on: second presentation @ top Enlightenment Political Philosophies
click on: Glossary (top of the page)
Limited Government &
Rule of Law
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Did you see evidence of limited
government and the rule of law in the
Magna Carta, the Petition of Rights, and
the English Bill of Rights?
The Big Thinkers!
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Hobbes
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Locke
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Montesquieu
Hobbes
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Leviathan
Hobbes depicts the natural
condition of mankind--known as
the state of nature--as
inherently violent and awash
with fear. The state of nature is
the "war of every man against
every man," in which people
constantly seek to destroy one
another. This state is so horrible
that human beings naturally
seek peace, and the best way to
achieve peace is to construct
the Leviathan through social
contract.
Social Contract Theory
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Social Contract Theory, nearly as old as philosophy
itself, is the view that persons' moral and/or political
obligations are dependent upon a contract or
agreement between them to form society.
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After Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau are the best known proponents of this
enormously influential theory, which has been one of
the most dominant theories within moral and political
theory throughout the history of the modern West.
Locke
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Second Treatise on Government
The Second Treatise of
Government places
sovereignty into the hands of
the people. Locke's
fundamental argument is that
people are equal and
invested with natural rights in
a state of nature in which
they live free from outside
rule. In the state of nature,
natural law governs behavior,
and each person has license to
execute that law against
someone who wrongs them by
infringing on their rights.
Montesquieu
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The Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu advocates
constitutionalism and the
separation of powers, the
abolition of slavery, the
preservation of civil liberties
and the rule of law, and the
idea that political and legal
institutions ought to reflect
the social and geographical
character of each particular
community.
The Big Thinkers:
Mini-assessment
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Hobbes
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Locke
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Montesquieu
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A. The Second Treatise of
Government places
sovereignty into the hands
of the people.
B. He advocates for
constitutionalism and the
separation of powers.
C. The best way to
achieve peace is to
construct the Leviathan
through social contract.
King George III & Great
Britain need more $
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1754-1763 - French and Indian War
This war between Britain and France ended with the victorious
British deeply in debt and demanding more revenue from the
colonies. With the defeat of the French, the colonies became
less dependent on Britain for protection.
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The British increase taxes on the 13 American colonies.
Revolutionary War
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The American Revolution began in 1775 as open conflict
between the united thirteen colonies and Great Britain. By the
Treaty of Paris that ended the war in 1783, the colonies had
won their independence.
While no one event can be pointed to as the actual cause of the
revolution, the war began as a disagreement over the way in
which Great Britain treated the colonies versus the way the
colonies felt they should be treated. Americans felt they
deserved all the rights of Englishmen. The British, on the other
hand, felt that the colonies were created to be used in the way
that best suited the crown and parliament. This conflict is
embodied in one of the rallying cries of the American
Revolution: No Taxation Without Representation.
View Revolutionary War
Lesson 13
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View Revolutionary War
click on: the above link to open the website
click on: Lesson 13,
click on: play button for the first presentation
click on: second presentation @ top (some lessons have
three presentations)
click on: Glossary or Timeline (top of the page)
July 4th
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Why do Americans celebrate the 4th of
July?
The first painting that Trumbull completed for the Rotunda shows the
presentation of the Declaration of Independence in what is now called
Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
Declaration of Independence
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Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28,
1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's
most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring
monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases,
Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of
the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration
was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been
expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers.
What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "selfevident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King
in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between
the colonies and the mother country.
Primary Source Analysis: The
Declaration Of Independence
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What is a primary source? autobiographies, diaries, e-mail,
interviews, letters, minutes, news film footage, official records,
photographs, raw research data, speeches, art, drama, films, music,
novels, poetry, buildings, clothing, DNA, furniture, jewelry, pottery
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Using a copy of the Declaration of Independence, students will
analyze the highlighted sections by responding to the primary
source handout.
View Lesson 12
Declaration of Independence
View Declaration of Independence
click on: the above link to open the website
click on: Lesson 12
click on: play button for the first presentation
click on: second presentation @ top (some lessons have
more than 2 presentations)
click on: Glossary or Timeline (top of the page)
Loyalist or Rebel
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Brainstorm a list of the advantages and
disadvantages of independence.
The Founding Fathers
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The signers of the Declaration of
Independence.
Read and Discuss
Franklin v. Franklin
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Assignment: After reading the biography of Benjamin
Franklin and “My Son My Enemy”, write a response to the
question below.
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Loyalist or Patriot Benjamin Franklin and his son William took
different sides in the American Revolution. They did not speak to
each other after the war began. How do you think your
relationship would be affected if you disagreed with a member of
your family about politics?
The U.S. Constitution
What is a constitution?
A document that outlines the structure
and function of government.
Articles of Confederation
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The Continental Congress adopted the
Articles of Confederation, the first constitution
of the United States, on November 15, 1777.
However, ratification of the Articles of
Confederation by all thirteen states did not
occur until March 1, 1781. The Articles
created a loose confederation of sovereign
states and a weak central government,
leaving most of the power with the state
governments.
Problems With The “Articles”
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1) Under the Articles there was only a unicameral legislature so that
there was no separation of powers.
2) The central government under the Articles was too weak since the
majority of the power rested with the states.
3) Congress, under the Articles, did not have the power to tax which
meant that they could never put their finances in order.
4) In order to change or amend the Articles, unanimous approval of the
states was required which essentially meant that changes to the
Articles were impossible.
5) For any major laws to pass they had to be approved by 9 or the 13
states which proved difficult to do so that even the normal business of
running a government was difficult.
6) Under the Articles, Congress did not have the power to regulate
commerce which will cause competition between states as well as
diplomatic issues,
U.S. Constitution

The Constitution was written in 1787.
Yes, it is over 200 years old. We
actually have old copies of what was
created. The master copies are stored
at the National Archives in Washington
D.C
Writing the U.S. Constitution
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From May to September 1787 a group of men
known as the Framers met. The Framers
talked about what should be in the
Constitution. The United States was a brand
new country. The United States had a
government that did not work very well. The
Framers met to find a new way of running
the country. This meeting is called The
Convention. Some of the Framers are famous
to us today. They include James Madison,
Ben Franklin, and George Washington.
The Constitutional Convention
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When the Constitution was written, the Framers knew their creation was not
perfect. They knew that other people would have good ideas for the
Constitution. They wanted to be sure that it wasn't too hard to make changes.
They also wanted to be sure that it wasn't too easy.
The Framers added an amendment process. An amendment to the Constitution
is a change that can add to the Constitution or change an older part of it.
Originally, some people did not want to ratify the Constitution. One big reason
was that it did not have a bill of rights. A bill of rights is a list of rights that belong
to the people. The government is not allowed to break these rights. Some of
these rights might sound familiar: the right of free speech; the right to practice
your own religion; the right to be silent if you are arrested. The original
Constitution had no bill of rights. Many of the Framers did not think it was
needed. But many people wanted one. So, promises were made to add one,
using the amendment process.
Soon, the new government started meeting. Congress proposed the Bill of
Rights. A list of twelve changes was sent to the states. In 1791, ten of those
changes were agreed to by the states. The ten changes were added to the
Constitution. These ten changes are called the "Bill of Rights."
US Constitution: The Framers
Conflict: Framers did not
always agree
 Compromise
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Conflict
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The VIRGINIA PLAN
A bicameral legislature (two houses)
Both house's membership determined
proportionately
The lower house was elected by the
people
The upper house was elected by the
lower house
The legislature was very powerful
An executive was planned, but would
exist to ensure the will of the legislature
was carried out, and so was chosen by
the legislature
Formation of a judiciary, with life-terms
of service
The executive and some of the national
judiciary would have the power to veto
legislation, subject to override
National veto power over any state
legislation
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The NEW JERSEY PLAN
The current Congress was maintained,
but granted new powers - for example,
the Congress could set taxes and force
their collection
An executive, elected by Congress, was
created - the Plan allowed for a multiperson executive
The executives served a single term and
were subject to recall based on the
request of state governors
A judiciary appointed by the executives,
with life-terms of service
Laws set by the Congress took
precedence over state law
The GREAT Compromise
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A bicameral legislature
The lower house, the House of Delegates, was elected by the
people, with proportional representation
The upper house, the Senate, elected by the House of
Delegates, four from each of four districts, with four year terms
An executive called the President, elected by the legislature
A Council of Revision consisting of the President and some or all
of his Cabinet, with a veto over bills
National veto power over any state legislation
A judiciary was established
The Framers & Slavery
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Slavery is referred to in a couple of places.
For one thing, there was the 3/5 Compromise
where every 5 slaves counted as 3 people in
terms of apportionment for the House of
Representatives. Further, the government was
given the power to restrict the slave trade.
Finally, there was a section where it says that
if people held to service or labor (slavery) in
one state escape them must not be freed by
the laws of another state.
The Federalist &
Anti-Federalist
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Federalist:
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Generally speaking, the federalists were
in favor of ratification of the Constitution.
John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James
Madison coordinated their efforts and
wrote a series of 85 letters under the
name "Publius." These letters both
explained the new Constitution and
answered the charges of the AntiFederalists. The letters were collected
into a volume called "The Federalist," or
"The Federalist Papers."
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Anti-Federalist
Those who opposed the Constitution
actually wanted a more purely federal
system, they were more or less forced
into taking the name "Anti-Federalists."
These men had many reasons to oppose
the Constitution. They did not feel that a
republican form of government could
work on a national scale. They also did
not feel that the rights of the individual
were properly or sufficiently protected by
the new Constitution. They saw
themselves as the true heirs of the spirit
of the Revolution. Some very notable
persons in United States history counted
themselves Anti-Federalists, like Patrick
Henry, Thomas Paine, George Mason,
George Clinton, and Luther Martin.
"The Anti-Federalist Papers“ wrote letters
and speeches in support of their point of
view.
The Federalist:
Hamilton, Madison, Jay
Anti-Federalist
Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine
View Lesson 17
Federalist v. Anti-Federalists
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View Federalist v. Anti-Federalist
click on: the above link to open the website
click on: Lesson 17
click on: play button for the first presentation
click on: second presentation @ top (some lessons have
more than 2 presentations)
click on: Glossary or Timeline (top of the page)
The Federalist Papers
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Federalist No. 10
The Federalist no. 10 show
Madison's understanding of the
primary threats to government and,
even more importantly, present a
logical counter to such threats.
From the very beginning of this
paper, Madison expresses the need
of government to break and control
the potential problems created by
faction. He points out how the
current government under the
Articles of Confederation has many
problems, problems created only by
ourselves. Indeed it is also said that
faction is what these problems can
be traced to
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Federalist No. 51
The Federalist no. 51 goes on to
explain more of the advantages of
the new government. His first area
to hit on are the separation of
powers, the three branches of
government which each are
independent of one another. He
defines how the separation of
powers, by having three branches
with none being dependent on
another and each with defined
powers, offers the best security for
the people who are being
represented through this
government.
Primary Source Analysis
(Point of View)

Students pretend to be Anti-Federalists
and will write a rebuttal paragraph to
the highlighted sections of Federalist
No. 10 and Federalist No.51.
U.S. Constitution: Structure
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Preamble
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Article I. Legislative Department (Congress)
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Article II. Executive Department (President)
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Article III. Judicial Department (Courts)
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Article IV. States' Relations
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Article V. Mode of Amendment
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Article VI. Prior Debts, National Supremacy, Oaths of Office
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Article VII. Ratification
View Lesson 5-The
Constitution
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View Lesson 5
click
click
click
click
click
on:
on:
on:
on:
on:
the above link to open the website
Lesson 5,
play button for the presentation
second presentation @ top Structure of the Constitution
Glossary (top of the page)
U.S. Constitution: Functions
(Separation of Powers)
Legislative
(Congress)
Executive
(President)
Judicial
(Courts)
make the laws
carries out federal laws and
recommends new ones
interpreting the Constitution
(Supreme Court)
Are laws constitutional?
originating spending bills (House
of Representatives)
directs national defense
(commander-in-chief)
foreign policy
Supreme Court may decide if a
convicted person received a fair
trial (the Supreme Court picks
which cases it wants to hear and
rule on)
approving treaties
(Senate).
vetoing laws
impeaching officials
(House-charges)
(Senate-trial)
Appointments (some require
senate approval)
View Lesson 19 & 20: The President
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View Lesson 19 & 20
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(follow the same steps from the previous lessons)
Checks & Balances
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For example: The President may veto a law passed
by Congress.
For example: Congress can override that veto with a
vote of two-thirds of both houses.
For example: The Supreme Court may check
Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. The
power is balanced by the fact that members of the
Supreme Court are appointed by the president.
Those appointments have to be approved by
Congress.
View Lessons 16 & 17:
House and Senate
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View Lessons 16 & 17
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(follow the same steps from the previous lessons)
View Lessons 30 & 31:
Supreme Court
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View Lessons 30 & 31
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(follow the same steps from the previous lessons)
Assessment Suggestions
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Students may create a power point in support
(federalist) or opposition (anti-federalist) of
the US Constitution.
Students may design their own US
Constitution.
Students may rewrite the Declaration of
Independence in their own words (modern
translation).
Students may design a newspaper reporting
on Loyalist and Rebels in 1775 or 1776.
Vocabulary
(Commonly Used In the 9th Government Course-Discussion)
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preeminent
aristocracy
inalienable
ratification
status quo
advocate
barred
aggregation
irreligious
gubernatorial
plurality
respondent
enumerate
non-partisan
affiliation
demographic
inherent
subsequent
dissent
“Academic Writing” :
AP Social Studies

What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement declares what you
believe and what you intend to prove.
Thesis Statement: TIPS
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It avoids the first person. ("I believe," "In my opinion")
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It anticipates and refutes the counter-arguments.
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It avoids vague language (like "it seems").
Thesis Samples
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The Simpsons represents the greatest animated show in the
history of television.
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The ability to purchase television advertising is essential for any
candidate's bid for election to the Senate because television
reaches millions of people and thus has the ability to dramatically
increase name recognition.
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A young person in the Middle Ages had very different expectations
about marriage, family, and personal freedom than do young
adults today.
Practice Writing
Good Thesis Statements
Students will write a thesis statement
about the following:
Rule of Law
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
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Teacher Resources
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Power Point
Vocabulary
Lessons-Presentations website (2 presentations & glossary per lesson)
Assessment Recommendations
Magna Carta, (slide 8, Plain English Please activity –primary source)
Petition of Rights
English Bill of Rights (slide 10,Read & Discuss highlighted sections)
Declaration of Independence (slide 23, primary source analysis-handout)
Federalists Papers No. 10 & No. 51(slide 39, pretend you are an anti-Federalist:
write a rebuttal to the highlighted section of each Federalist Paper)
The signers of the Declaration of Independence (slide 25, reading selection)
Benjamin Franklin (biography), My Son My Enemy (slide 26, reading & writing
prompt)