Unit 4: Civic and Constitutional Life Unit Overview

Explore the principles and structure of the U.S. Constitution for the practice of self-government.

Thesis, Grouping Sources, and VIEW Sentences

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?

• Document A: Excerpt from the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution (1787)
• Document B: Excerpt from the Tenth Amendment (1787)
• Document C: Excerpt from Federalist #51 – James Madison (1788)
• Document D: Miranda v. Arizona (1966) – U.S. Supreme Court Decision
• Document E: Engel v. Vitale (1962) – U.S. Supreme Court Decision

• Deconstructed DBQ Assignment Sheet and Document Set: Unit 4 – Civic and Constitutional Life
• Mini-Lesson: Unit 4 – Deconstructed DBQ
• Slide Deck: Unit 4 Deconstructed DBQ Mini-Lesson, Thesis, Grouping Sources, & Document Analysis
• Teacher Context: Deconstructed DBQ Document Set
• Graphic Organizer: Deconstructed DBQ – Thesis, Grouping, and VIEW
• Key: Unit 4 Model Organizer and Scoring Guide

How do the amendments in the Bill of Rights protect individual liberties and limit government power?

How do the three branches of government interact to create a system of checks and balances?

How does this system ensure the effective functioning of representative government?

What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society?

How can individuals effectively participate in civil society?

• Lesson Plan: Grouping Rights
• Primary Source Set: Limiting Government Through the Bill of Rights
• Lesson Plan: Limiting Government Through the Bill of Rights
• Lesson Plan: Learning to Read Supreme Court Decisions
• Primary Source Set: Learning to Read Supreme Court Decisions
• Graphic Organizer: Case Decoder

• Game: Branch Battle
• Game: I Have, Who Has
• Teacher Resource: The Constitutional System of Government
• Graphic Organizer: The Constitutional System of Government
• Essay: The Constitutional System of Government
• Lesson Plan: The Constitutional System of Government
• Lesson Plan: Healthy Tension through Checks and Balances
• Graphic Organizer: Healthy Tension Through Checks and Balances
• Case Studies: Healthy Tension Through Checks and Balances

• Lesson Plan: Outward Civic Life – Civic Groups
• Activity: Civic Groups Gallery Walk Checklist
• Graphic Organizer: Civil Society Research
• Activity: Citizen Scenario Cards
• Lesson Plan: What Makes a Good Citizen?

• Limited Government
• Check and Balances

• Responsibility
• Integrity