Grade 11: Learning Objectives
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Knowledge: Grade 11 students should be able to-
- Define terms and concepts such as federalism, citizenship, civic values, due process, majority rule, civil and human rights, democracy, government, judicial review, justice, leadership, power, and public policy
- Summarize the theories on government expressed by 17th and 18th century Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau
- Trace the historical development of important constitutional principles as expressed in documents and events such as the signing of the Magna Carta, adoption of the English Bill of Rights and the Glorious Revolution
- Outline the constitutional principles and foundations of government contained in documents such as the Mayflower Compact, Albany Plan of Union, New York State Constitution, Articles of Confederation, and United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
- Explain the causes of the American Revolution in terms of natural rights and republican principles of government
- Summarize the major debates that shaped the writing of the United States Constitution
- Explain the civil rights included in the Bill of Rights
- Outline the structure and functions of the federal government as expressed in the United States Constitution
- Retell the great constitutional debates during the period before the Civil War including the issues of states' rights versus federal supremacy (nullification), the extension of slavery, and the preservation of the Union
- Discuss the major political reforms of the Progressive movement including state reforms in New York, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin
- Explain the World War I constitutional issues involving war opposition and patriotism including the Supreme Court decision, Schenck v. United States, 1919
- Analyze the constitutional issues involved in Supreme Court decisions during the New Deal including Schechter Poultry Corp v. United States, 1935
- Trace the civil rights movement during the period 1945-1960 including Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954
- Discuss the legislative and social impacts of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 24th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Explain the actions taken by women, Hispanic-Americans, and Native American Indians to secure equality and justice
- Outline the Supreme Court decisions related to the rights of students as expressed in Engel v. Vitale, 1962; Tinker v. Des Moines School District, 1969; New Jersey v. TLO, 1985; Vernonia School District v. Acton, 1995
- Skills: Grade 11 students will learn and practice social studies skills related to getting, using, organizing, and presenting information.
- Students should be able to get information by-
- Identifying a variety of sources of information about the historic foundations of the United States Constitution including information about 17th and 18th century Enlightenment philosophers
- Locating sources of print and nonprint information about colonial self-government such as primary and secondary sources, government documents, museum collections, archives, Internet websites, and newspapers and other periodicals
- Visiting museums, historic sites, art galleries, libraries, and historical societies that contain collections about the colonial and Revolutionary War periods
- Viewing DVDs, motion pictures, videotapes, and television documentaries about the evolution and development of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
- Listening to interviews with historians and others who study about the origins of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
- Reading from trade books, textbooks, monographs, diaries, newspaper and magazine articles, government documents, and transcripts of television and radio broadcasts about the founding of our constitutional democracy
- Visiting websites such as the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History at www.gilderlehrman.org, the Smithsonian Museum of American History at www.americanhistory.si.org, the US National Archives and Records Administration at www.archives.gov/index.html,the National Constitution Center at www.constitutioncenter.org, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation at www.crf-usa.org to gather information related to the development, ratification, and implementation of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
- Listening to songs, viewing posters and broadsides, and reading diary accounts of the slavery debates and the abolitionist movement prior to the American Civil War at the National Digital Library, Library of Congress, "African-American Mosaic," website at www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/abol.html and at "Slavery and Sectionalism," at http://www.furman.edu/~benson/docs
- Outlining the major accomplishments of the Progressive Movement including state reform efforts in Wisconsin, New York, and Wisconsin
- Researching and categorizing information about the New Deal by visiting websites such as the Library of Congress at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library at http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/teach.html, and National Archives and Records Administration at http://www.nara.gov
- Preparing case briefs of the major United States Supreme Court decisions during the New Deal including Schechter Poultry Corp. vs. United States by visiting www.landmarkcases.org or www.supremecourtus.gov
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Students should be able to organize information by-
- Preparing charts that compare the different kinds of colonial governments including how leaders were chosen, how laws were made and enforced, and the rights and duties of citizens
- Completing graphic organizers that compare the strengths and weaknesses of different forms of colonial government including references to the Mayflower Compact (www.plimoth.org/learn/history/colonists/MayflowerCompact.asp), the House of Burgesses, town meetings, and the Albany Plan of Union
- Developing timelines that show the key historic events leading up to the American Revolution
- Outlining the causes for the American Revolution including reference to revolutionary ideology, salutary neglect, the rights of English citizens in America, and natural rights theory
- Comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of the Albany Plan of Union, Articles of Confederation, New York State Constitution, and United States Constitution
- Summarizing the arguments for and against the adoption of a bill of rights to the United States Constitution by visiting the Bill of Rights Institute at www.billofrightsinstitute.org
- Responding to document-based questions about the causes of the Civil War focusing on documents that highlight the expansion of slavery, the goals of the abolitionist movement, the constitutional debates over states' rights versus federal supremacy, and the desire to preserve the union
- Tracing the development of the civil rights movement beginning with the Civil War amendments and coming to the present, highlighting the major United States Supreme Court decisions and federal legislation
- Developing charts that show the major United States Supreme Court decisions related to protecting the rights of the accused by visiting www.oyez.org (Northwestern University) and www.landmarkcases.org (Street Law ad the Supreme Court Historical Society)
- Completing Venn diagrams that show the major political accomplishments and challenges faced by the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Presidencies
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Students should be able to present information by-
- Preparing an oral report comparing the philosophies and ideas about government supported by John Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau by researching We The People, Level 2, Center for Civic Education, Reprint 2003, Lesson 1, "Why do we need government?" at www.civiced.org
- Designing a classroom display on the significance of the Magna Carta, habeas corpus, and the English Bill of Rights to the American legal system and Constitution by visiting the National Archives' Magna Carta website
- Developing a document-based activity focusing on the causes and results of the American Revolution including references to revolutionary ideology and natural rights theory by visiting http://www.americanrevolution.org (Internet Gateway to the American Revolution) which contains primary sources and links to other sites
- Explaining the significance of the New York State Constitution by preparing a chart that shows what powers the State government has, how these powers are limited, how the constitution applies the rule of law, how the judiciary operates, and how the constitution ensures basic civil rights for all
- Preparing classroom lessons for middle school students that teach basic constitutional principles such as federalism, equality, civil liberties, separation of powers, checks and balances, and Presidential powers
- Publishing a classroom newspaper that features articles about the Progressive Movement including stories about political and social reforms, individuals who made important contributions to the movement, Supreme Court decisions during this time period, and federal legislation enacted in response to reform efforts
- Participating in mock trials which address the legal issues faced by the Supreme Court during the first half of the 20th century including Northern Securities v. United States (1904), Schenck v. United States (1919), Schechter Poultry v. United States (1935), and Korematsu v. United States (1944)
- Designing and constructing classroom displays that trace the evolution of the civil rights movement during the 20th century including print and nonprint information about the demands for equality by African-Americans, women, Native American Indians, Hispanic-Americans, and the disabled
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Civic Dispositions*: Students should learn and demonstrate the following civic values and attitudes-
- Willing to listen to others points of view or positions on issues even if one strongly disagrees (i.e., civility and civil conversation)
- Willing to view and assess a problem or issue from different points of view or perspectives (i.e., perspective taking)
- Willing to put oneself into another's shoes
- Willing to allow others to express their opinions, without interruption, after expressing one's own opinion
- Willing to participate in open-ended and respectful discussions, without using name calling or verbal attacks on those who disagree with one's own position or arguments
- Willing to show respect for the rule of law
- Willing to consider other points of view or arguments before forming conclusions or making judgments
- Willing to tolerate ambiguity and resist simplistic solutions to complex issues and problems
- Willing to respect the civil rights of others
- Willing to participate in classroom, school, and community activities
- Willing to respect others' space and property
- Willing to demonstrate personal responsibility
- Civic dispositions or traits of private and public character important to the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy: **
- Becoming an independent member of society
- Respecting individual worth and human dignity
- Assuming the personal, political, and economic responsibilities of a citizen
- Participating in civic affairs in an informed, thoughtful, and effective manner
- Promoting the healthy functioning of American constitutional democracy
- Students should be able to get information by-
(*Adapted from: Judith Torney-Purta and Susan Vermeer, Developing Citizenship Competencies from Kindergarten through Grade 12: A Background Paper for Policymakers and Educators (Education Commission of the States, 2004), p. 21. and Dialogue on Brown v. Board of Education (American Bar Association- Division for Public Education, 2003), p. 7.)
(**Taken from: NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) Civics Assessment, Civic Dispositions, p. 73. For more information see: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard).
