Unit 1: Principles of American Democracy

Day 1 – Class Introduction

  • Citizenship Test
  • Conceptual Lenses, Essential Question, Enduring Understanding

Day 2 – Principles of the Constitution

  • Popular Sovereignty, Rule of Law, Limited Government, Separation of Power, Checks & Balances, Federalism

Day 3 – Types of Government

  • Authoritarian (Totalitarianism, Dictatorship, Absolute Monarch)
  • Democracy (Direct, Representative, Constitutional Monarch)

Day 4 – Philosophical Ideas & Enlightenment

  • Magna Carta
  • Locke, Montesquieu

Day 5 – Colonial Period

  • Motivations (England & Colonists)
  • Salutary Neglect

Day 6 – French & Indian War to the Revolution

  • Causes of the Revolution
  • Taxation, Protests, Boycotts

Day 7 – Declaration of Independence

Day 8 – Articles of Confederation

Day 9 – Constitutional Convention

  • Constitutional Convention
  • Federalists/Anti-Federalists

Day 10 – Structure of the Constitution

  • Articles of the Constitution

Day 11 – Structure & Principles of the Constitution

  • Finish Articles 4-7
  • Principles of the Constitution

Day 12 – Review & Test

  • Principles of American Democracy
UNIT 1 QUIZZES
Quiz #1 – Types of Government & Philosophical Ideas

1)In this type of government, the people rule by voting on specific issues, and making decisions as a group?

2)In this type of government a king or queen make all government decisions.

3)Provide (1) way the Magna Carta limited the power of the English king.

4)John Locke believed that all men had (3) natural rights, what were these rights?

5)What principle in the US Constitution did Montesquieu develop?

Constructed Response

  • The (2) basic styles of government are authoritarian government, and democratic government. Explain each type, and provide a specific example of each.
Quiz #2 – Colonial Period & Causes of the Revolution

1)This was a policy followed by the English in which the colonies were expected to provide cheap raw materials, but were given a great deal of freedom.

2)What was the 1st representative assembly in the colonies?

3)What type of government did the Mayflower Compact create?

4)This is commonly viewed as the turning point in the relationship between England and its colonies.

5)In this pamphlet the writer urged the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain. Writer? Title?

Constructed Response

  • What was salutary neglect? What event led to the end of salutary neglect, and why?

Quiz #3 – Declaration of Independence & Articles of Confederation

1)Which Enlightenment Philosopher seemed to have the most impact on Thomas Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence?

2)What were the (3) unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence?

3)What was the name of the (1) branch of government in the Articles of Confederation?

4)Which level of government had more power under the Articles of Confederation? (State or Federal)

5)What was the most significant weakness of government under the Articles of Confederation?

Constructed Response

The Articles of Confederation was a very weak government. Explain one problem the US was having during this period, and why the government under the Articles of Confederation could not solve this problem.

Unit 1 – Principles of American Democracy

Day 1 – Class Introduction, Citizenship Test, & Conceptual Lenses

Common Core Standards – Main Ideas

  • Define the Following…

Conceptual Lenses

  • Essential Question

Unit 1 – Conceptual Lenses

Define the Following…

  • Power
  • Government
  • Change
  • Conflict

Unit 1 – Essential Question

  • How does conflict lead to government change?
Day 2 – Principles of the Constitution

Essential Question

How do the principles of the US Constitution promote freedom?

Chapter 3, Section 4 (pgs. 86-90)

Explain the following Ideas of the Constitution

  • Flexibility

Amendments

Necessary & Proper Clause

Court Decisions (Loose & Strict Interpretation)

  • Popular Sovereignty
  • Rule of Law
  • Separation of Power
  • Checks & Balances
  • Federalism

Enumerated Powers

Reserved Powers

Concurrent Powers

  • Supremacy Clause
Day 3 – The Need For Government, Types of Government

Essential Question

What is the purpose of the government? What are the different types of government systems?

The Government & The People - Chapter 1, Section 3 (pgs. 21-26)

Define the Following Terms

  • Government
  • Democratic Government
  • Direct Democracy
  • Representative Democracy/Democratic Republic
  • Constitutional Monarchy
  • Authoritarian Government
  • Absolute Monarchy
  • Dictatorship/Totalitarianism/Autocracy
  • Oligarchy
  • Anarchy

Answer the Following Questions

  • How do democratic and authoritarian governments differ?
  • How does the role of the citizen differ in each system?

Day 4 – Philosophical Ideas & Enlightenment

Essential Question

How did the Enlightenment impact the ideas of the purpose of government?

Chapter 2, Section 1 (pgs. 33-37)

Define the Following

  • Magna Carta
  • Parliament
  • Glorious Revolution
  • The Enlightenment
  • English Bill of Rights
  • English Common Law
  • Precedent

Answer the Following Questions

For each philosopher, explain the following…

  • Thomas Hobbes (p.21) - The need for government.
  • John Locke

Natural Rights, Social Contract, Right to Rebel

  • Baron de Montesquieu

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Separation of Power (Legislative, Executive, Judicial Branch)

Day 5 – The Colonial Period

Essential Question

How did the colonial period & salutary neglect lead to a sense of self government?

Chapter 2, S 1 (pgs. 36-37), S 2 (pgs. 39-43), S 3 (pgs. 45-49), S 4 (p. 51)

Define the Following

  • Colony (p.36)
  • Mercantilism (p.51)
  • Salutary Neglect (p.51)

Answer the Following Questions

  • Why did England (and other European Countries) want colonies?
  • Why did people leave England to come to the colonies?
Answer the Following Questions (pgs.36-37)
  • How did self-government develop in the colonies?
  • Virginia House of Burgesses – Representative Democracy
  • Mayflower Compact (1620) – Direct Democracy
  • Direct Democracy
  • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639)

By 1733 all 13 colonies had what characteristics of self-government?

Day 6 – Causes of the Revolution

Essential Question

How did the French & Indian War lead to conflict & cange?

Chapter 2, Section 4 (pgs. 51-56)

Explain the Following Events that led to Revolution

  • French & Indian War (1754-1763)
  • The Navigation Acts
  • Proclamation Act of 1763
  • Stamp Act (1765)
  • Stamp Act Congress (1765) “No Taxation without Representation”
  • Declatory Act (1767)
  • Townshend Acts (1766)
  • The Boston Massacre (1770)
  • The Tea Act (1773)
  • The Boston Tea Party (1773)
  • The Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts (1774)
  • 1st Continental Congress (1774)
  • Battles of Lexington & Concord (1775)“The Shot heard round the World”
  • 2nd Continental Congress (1775)
  • Common Sense – Who wrote & Importance?

Day 7 – The Declaration of Independence

Essential Question

How was the Declaration of Independence influenced by the Enlightenment? (Specifically John Locke)

Directions: Use (pgs.60-63) in your book to answer the following questions about the Declaration of Independence. You may need to use the sources from the philosophical ideas to answer the questions in section 2.

Section 1: The Preamble (p.60) INTRODUCTION

1)In the paragraph beginning “When in the course of human events”, what is the purpose of this paragraph?

Section 2: Declaration of Rights (p.60) THEORY OF GOVERNMENT-PHILOSOPHY

1)Make a list of (3) similarities you find between what Thomas Jefferson is writing in the Declaration of Independence, and the ideas of John Locke.

(NOTE – The idea of rights is only 1 similarity.)

2)Who is this Declaration written to, and why?

Section 3: List of Grievances (pgs. 60-62) SPECIFIC PROBLEMS

1)Make a list of (5) things King George III has done to drive the colonists toward independence. Be able to point out where you found this information.

2)After listing the grievances, Jefferson explains what the colonists have done to in reaction to these problems. (pgs.62-63) Last (2) paragraphs beginning ”In every stage of these oppressions”.

  • How have the colonists tried to solve these problems?
  • How have these attempts been answered?

Section 4: Resolution of Independence by the United States (p.63) CONCLUSION

1)In the conclusion, what do the colonists do?

2)What powers do the colonists want the United States to have?

Day 8 – The Articles of Confederation

Essential Question

How did the revolutionary period shape the structure of the Articles of Confederation?

Explain the Following about the Articles of Confederation(pgs. 67-70)

  • What were the Articles of Confederation?
  • Which level of government had more power? (State or Federal)
  • What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
  • What were the accomplishments of the government?
  • The American Revolution
  • The Ordinance of 1785
  • The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
  • What was Shay’s Rebellion?
  • What did Shay’s Rebellion prove to the leaders of the nation?

Articles of Confederation (1st Constitution of the US)

Directions: Read the Articles of Confederation handout. Answer the following…

Section 1: Origins & Purposes of the Articles of Confederation

Explain the following info from the first column.

  • What was the Articles of Confederation?
  • How long was it in effect?
  • Who created the Articles of Confederation, and how many states had to ratify them? What was the last state to ratify & when?
  • What was the basic purpose of this plan of government and why?

Section 2: Main Features of Government (13 Articles)

Articles 1-4 (I-IV)

  • In these articles which government is given more power the central (national) government or the state governments?

Articles 5-8 (V-VIII)

  • What was the basic institution of the central government?
  • How many votes did each state have in Congress?
  • What were the states not allowed to do?
  • How was the government to raise money?
Article 9 (IX) – Sole & Exclusive Powers of Congress
  • List the more important powers of Congress.

Articles 10-13 (X-XIII)

  • Who would pay debts that the US owed?
  • How much approval did amendments to the A of C need?

Day 9 – The Constitutional Convention

Essential Question

How did the plans offered at the Constitutional Convention solve the issues under the Articles of Confederation?

Chapter 3, Section 2 (pgs. 72-78)

Explain the following about the Constitutional Convention

  • When, Where, Leader, How Conducted, Original Purpose
  • The Virginia Plan
  • The New Jersey Plan
  • The Great Compromise (House of Reps & Senate)
  • 3/5 Compromise
  • Electoral College
  • Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise

Explain the following about Ratification

  • What is ratification?
  • How many states needed to ratify the new Constitution?
  • Federalists – Federalist Papers
  • Anti-Federalists – Major Objections to the Constitution
  • When was the Constitution finally ratified?
Day 10/11 – Structure of the Constitution

Essential Question

How did the structure of government under the (new) Constitution solve problems of the Articles of Confederation?

Chapter 3, Section 3 (pgs. 80-84)

Explain the following about the Structure of the Constitution

  • What is the Preamble?
  • What are the (6) Goals of the Constitution?
  • What does each of the Articles of the Constitution establish?
  • Article I -
  • Article II -
  • Article III -
  • Article IV -
  • Article V -
  • Article VI -
  • Article VII –
  • What is meant by the “full faith and credit clause” of Article IV?
  • What does the Supremacy Clause of Article VI declare?
  • How many states have to ratify the Constitution?

Day 12 – Unit 1 Test Review & Test

Multiple Choice – 20 (All Classes) 3x20 = 60 points

Absolute MonarchyMercantilism

Anti-FederalistsSalutary Neglect

Declaration of IndependenceShay’s Rebellion

DemocracySocial Contract

French and Indian WarJohn Locke

Stamp Act, Tea Act, Intolerable Acts

“No taxation without representation.”

Navigation Acts and Proclamation of 1763

Articles of Confederation – purpose and weaknesses

Town meetings, House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact – Self-rule

Constructed Responses – Honors & Seminar – Do Both. Standard – Choose 1.

1)The colonists declared independence from Great Britain. Provide & Explain (2) conflicts between the colonists and the British that led to revolution.

2)The United States 1st Constitution was the Articles of Confederation. Provide & Explain (2) weaknesses of this government, and how each was resolved by the 2nd Constitution.

FOR ALL UNIT TESTS – 10 Points Extra Credit on the Test

  • Identify the importance of all Terms in the Multiple Choice Section.
  • Constructed Responses – All classes must write out both.

Tests count as 40%, take advantage!!!