Unit 6: Political Participation and Elections Inquiry Organizer

Guiding Question: How do we work through existing civic and political institutions to achieve a healthy civic society?   

Objectives:

• Students will analyze the role of citizens in a democracy to understand their responsibilities and how their participation contributes to self-governance.
• Students will evaluate the functions of political parties, their platforms, and how they influence elections.
• Students will analyze the history of suffrage, voting trends, different voting systems, and how elections shape the country’s direction.
• Students will explore how local institutions function, the role of civil society organizations, and ways to get involved in their communities.
• Students will analyze how mass media shape public opinion, the role of interest groups in representation, and their impact on political polarization.
• Students will analyze trends, polls, and other data to understand political behavior and decision-making.

Unit Introduction	Resources  Student Introduction Video  Primary Source: Preamble to the Constitution  Primary Source: “The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions”  Lesson: Perception Gap, from More Like Us  Lesson: Founding Principles and Civic Virtues in the American Political System    Activity: Simulating Popular Sovereignty: The “We the People” Town Hall
How do political parties influence and facilitate political participation in the United States?	Resources  Essay: The History of Political Parties in the U.S.    Primary Source: Federalist #10  Research Activity: Political Parties  Lesson: Modern Campaigns  Lesson: Campaign Finance: PACs and SuperPACs  Activity: Timeline of Political Party Changes and Adaptations in U.S. History  Case Study: How Primary Campaigns Have Helped Polarize Politics  Supplemental Resources:  Infographic: Organizational Chart on Party Structure  Video: Baker v. Carr (1962)  Video: The Origins of Partisanship  Essay: Speaker Joseph Cannon Dethroned
How do voting laws and electoral systems impact democratic participation in the United States?	Resources  Essay: The History of Voting Restrictions and Expanding Suffrage    Video: Voting and Elections  Primary Source: Voting Amendments to the Constitution  Primary Source: Elections and the Constitution  Lesson Plan: Voter Turnout  Activity: Voting Rights Timeline  Activity: Primaries and Caucuses  Case Study: The Electoral College  Lesson Plan: Electing a President  Lesson Plan: Methods of Election: The Popular Vote and the Electoral College  Lesson Plan: Expansion of Franchise  Supplemental Resources:  Curricula: Votes for Women   Primary Source: Voting Rights Act, 1965  Primary Source: The Reconstruction Amendments: Thirteenth Amendment, 1865, Fourteenth Amendment, 1868, and Fifteenth Amendment, 1870  Video: The Electoral College
How does engagement with civil society and local political institutions empower citizens to address community challenges and shape their local environments?	Resources   Primary Source: Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Book One, Part Two, Chapter Two  Lesson Plan: Engaging with Local Associations and Groups  Educator Resource: Student Involvement in Civil Society Groups  Supplemental Resources  Curricula: MyImpact Challenge
How do interest groups, campaign finance, and evolving media landscapes influence public opinion, policy-making, and political polarization in modern governance?	Resources Primary Sources: Federalist #10 and Federalist #51  Activity: The Sphere of Federalist #10  Lesson: Interest Groups at Work  Activity: 1960 Televised Presidential Debates  Lesson: Media as a Watchdog  Lesson: Historical Look at the Role of Media  Lesson: How the Media Presents Information  Lesson: Being a Critical Consumer of Media  Case Study: Campaign Finance  Case Study: Media Technology and Candidate Centered Campaigns  Supplemental Resources  Video: Citizens United v. F.E.C. (2010)  DBQ: Citizens United v. F.E.C. (2010)
Assessments	Multiple Choice Questions  Version 1  Version 2 AP-style Free Response Question