Civics - Unit 1
Exploring Rights & Responsibilities in a Democracy/Government
Introduction: Unit Overview
This unit focuses on the rights that make it possible for people to fulfill their role as participants in a democracy. The unit also asks students to consider their responsibilities to our democracy. In the first lesson, students brainstorm questions about the rights and responsibilities of powerful civic actors. Students then learn about the importance of the Constitution in providing rights individuals need in order to fulfill their role in a democracy. The subsequent Launch Lessons look more specifically at rights and their uses as well the responsibilities of members of a democratic community.
The Explorations engage students in analyzing primary sources that provide insight into the meaning of “We the People,” involve students in discussing if people today are becoming less responsible, simulate a Supreme Court hearing, ask students to inventory their media use and learn to use a framework for analyzing media, and build students’ skill in making an argument.
Lesson 1: What Should We Know about Rights and Responsibilities?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- What rights do I have? How does the Constitution protect those rights?
- What responsibilities do I have to our democracy and community?
- How do my rights enable me to use my power in our democracy and society? How do my responsibilities require me to use my power?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- The Constitution provides a framework for a government with limited powers and guarantees the rights of the people. But not all people’s rights have been protected throughout U.S. history.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
- Rights often come into conflict with one another, and resolving these conflicts can be challenging.
- Democratic responsibilities are not clearly defined, but people taking responsibility and exercising their power to work for the common good is essential to our democracy and community.
2) Right or Responsibility?
- Free speech
- Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment
- Picking up trash around the school
- Watching a younger sibling after school
- Freedom of religion
- Completing school assignments on time
- Paying taxes
- Freedom to travel to other cities
- Being informed
- Voting

3) Today you will be generating questions about rights and responsibilities that you would like to explore and answer in their study.
4) Take a moment and think about young people you know in Chicago who are already powerful civic actors. Don't know any? Let's take a look: Case Study: Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE) w/ Open-Ended / Closed-Ended Question Activity handout.
5) In small groups, read and share how rights and responsibilities relate to the students’ story in the case study. Each group will report out one way in which the case study was related to rights and responsibilities.
6) In small groups, develop questions about rights and responsibilities. Decide a note-taker. Brainstorm as many questions as you can in the time you given for this task. Review the Rules for Developing Questions visual [below] and follow these rules as you work. Remember the note-taker should also contribute questions.
VISUAL: Rules for Developing Questions |
Ask as many questions as you can..
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Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss the questions.
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Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
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If a statement is made instead of a question asked, work together to restate it as a question.
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- Does an eighth-grader have the right to free speech? (Closed)
- What limits should be placed on students’ rights at school? (Open-ended)
8) Both types of questions are useful depending on the circumstances. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of questions?
9) In groups: Categorize each question on your lists as closed-ended (“C”) or open-ended (“O”). When you are have done so change one closed-ended question into an open-ended question and one open-ended question into a closed-ended question. Share with the class your most interesting closed-ended and open-ended question.
Closure & Assessment:
After the entire class has shared their interesting closed-ended and open-ended questions. Decide as a group, which question do you find especially interesting or important. Write a brief justification for why you chose that specific question. NOTE: We will do our best to answer each of questions throughout this unit.
Extension:
Going Deeper: Encourage students to learn more about VOYCE and their work (http://voyceproject.org/), creating a list of the issues that VOYCE has advocated on. Students might divide the issues among themselves and follow current news on the issues.
Lesson 2: What Is the Constitution and How Does It Protect Our Rights?
This lesson introduces the Constitution as the foundation of our government and a protector of individual rights. The lesson opens with a challenge: If we wanted to create a new kind of school, what steps would we need to take to make it happen? Students then compare this process with what the Framers did when they wrote the Constitution. They learn that the U.S. Constitution establishes a framework for the U.S. government and puts limits on that government. They are introduced to the Bill of Rights and consider how the rights protected help individuals become powerful civic actors.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What rights do I have? How does the Constitution protect those rights?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
The Constitution provides a framework for a government with limited powers and guarantees the rights of the people. But not all people’s rights have been protected throughout U.S. history.

- Any questions or clarification on any of the information that may have caused some confusion?
- How was the constitutional convention similar to the process you went through in thinking about a hypothetical new school? How was it different?
- Which process--your process you thought about for the new school or the process used at the constitutional convention--do you think was more democratic? Why?
- Creating the U.S. Constitution Video Lesson
- PBS: Questioning the Constitution Documentary
- A More Perfect Union: Washington and Making the Constitution Documentary
7 Principles

6) Open the Principles in the Constitution Cards. You will have 15 minutes to complete your visuals. Share them with the whole class.
Discussion Questions:
- Which principle in the Constitution do you think is most important? Explain your answer. Be sure to consider how the principles help ensure individual power within our democracy.
- Find two principles that you think are linked. Explain the link.
- Would you have been a Federalist or Anti-Federalist? That is, would you favor a strong national government and no Bill of Rights or a Bill of Rights to protect individual and state rights from a strong national government? Why?
- What do you think the delegates to the convention should do to solve the disagreement over a list of rights?

Part 2: Understanding The Bill of Rights
2) What did our Founding Fathers or Framers of the Constitution do to resolve the disagreement over rights? Can you think of an example? The leaders and main authors of the Federalists Papers, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison accepted a compromise and agreed to add a Bill of Rights as soon as the first Congress was elected under the new Constitution. The Bill of Rights was passed through Congress in 1789 and submitted to the states for ratification. While 12 amendments were proposed, only 10 were ratified. They went into effect in 1791.
3) Watch: 3-minute guide to the Bill of Rights
Group Discussion Questions:
Open and discuss: Bill of Rights Handout
- Anything that should be included that isn't in the current Bill of Rights?
- The Bill of Rights is ranked by the Anti-Federalist beliefs. Your job is to re-rank them to match your values and the current time period.

3) There are two ways that the Bill of Rights helps us to become powerful civic actors.
What do you think those two ways might be?
- One is by giving us the rights we need to make our voices heard.
- The other is by keeping the government from becoming too powerful.
What could happen if the government becomes too powerful?
- It could stop people from using their rights by throwing them in jail.
4) We are going to be applying their understanding of the Bill of Rights while thinking about these two ways in which our rights help us become powerful civic actors. Complete the Which Right - Handout.
5) Study for the Bill of Rights Quiz:
Bill of Rights Resources:
- Wordwall: Bill of Rights Matching Game
- Anneberg Classroom: That's Right Game
- iCivics: Do I Have a Right Game
- Quizlet: Bill of Rights Flashcards
- Bill of Rights trivia quiz game
- BRI: Life Without the Bill of Rights Game
- BRI: Vote with the Delegates Game
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Amendments.doc
- 4th, 5th, 6th Amendments.doc
- 7th, 8th, 9th Amendments.doc
- 10th Amendment.doc

Closure & Assessment:
Complete an exit ticket in which you identify one time you have used a right protected by the Bill of Rights to advance the common good.
Lesson 3: How Have Our Rights under the Constitution Changed?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- What rights do I have? How does the Constitution protect those rights?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- The Constitution provides a framework for a government with limited powers and guarantees the rights of the people. But not all people’s rights have been protected throughout U.S. history.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.

- Due process: fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement. HINT: Think Habeas Corpus
- Equal protection: the idea that a governmental body may not deny people equal protection of its governing laws. The governing body state must treat an individual in the same manner as others in similar conditions and circumstances. HINT: Think Jim Crow Era
- Amend: The Fight for America Episode 1 (Netflix Documentary)
- Amend: The Fight for America Episode 2 (Netflix Documentary)
- Amend: The Fight for America Episode 3 (Netflix Documentary)
- Amend: The Fight for America Episode 4 (Netflix Documentary)
- Amend: The Fight for America Episode 5 (Netflix Documentary)
- Amend: The Fight for America Episode 6 (Netflix Documentary)
Part 2: Talking Timeline on Voting Rights
1) Time to look at how voting rights have changed over time.
Discussion Questions:
- Why are voting rights important in a representative democracy?
- How many elected officials do you think there might be in the United States? Don't peek!
- 6% is the percentage of people who were eligible to vote when George Washington was President of the United States. If only 6% of the people elected all those officials, would the United States even be a democracy?
- 73% is the percentage of people in the United States who are eligible to vote.
- Who do you think makes up the 27% of people who are not eligible to vote in the United States?
- How do you think the United States got from 6% to 73% of the people being eligible to vote?
- Based on the reading and A History of Voting Rights activity, how did voting rights expand gradually over the decades of U.S. history?
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- Based on the reading and A History of Voting Rights activity, how might voting rights expand over the future decades in U.S. history?
- Who cannot vote at the end of the time period?
- Who lost and who won in this time period?
- What questions do the events of this time period raise about voting in our country?

Extended Lesson:
Read Sentencing Project: Private Prisons in the United States and answer the Discussion Questions:
- What is a private prison? Criminal Justice: Private vs. Public Prison
- What information surprises you? Explain.
- Should private prisons be legal? Why or why not?
- Are private prisons a violation of the 8th and/or 14th Amendment?
- Consider/Wondering: Is the percentage of prisoners who receive time off for good behavior disapportianely offered in state/federal prisons more so than private prisons?

Lesson 4: Why Are Our First Amendment Rights So Important?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- What rights do I have? How does the Constitution protect those rights?
- How do my rights enable me to use my power in our democracy and society? How do my responsibilities require me to use my power?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- The Constitution provides a framework for a government with limited powers and guarantees the rights of the people. But not all people’s rights have been protected throughout U.S. history.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
1) I am going to show you two images of people using their civic power:
Discussion Questions:
- Can you identify the rights being used by the people in the photographs?
- Is there one Amendment that seems to be especially important to the kind of activity depicted in the photographs?
- Take a closer look at 2019 First Amendment Survey (right) from the Freedom Forum Institute.
- What is most concerning about the results of the survey?
- Take a look at The Media Bias Chart (below). What are your thoughts and/or concerns?
- Just for fun: Is burping covered by the First Amendment ?




Closure & Assessment:
One of the great rationales for using one’s rights, including using those rights in acts of civil disobedience, is provided in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” It may be difficult to understand all of Dr. King's reasonings and arguments, but do your best to complete the reading and answer the critical thinking questions.
Open Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” and answer the Critical Thinking Questions.
Letter from Birmingham Jail Resources:
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- What rights do I have? How does the Constitution protect those rights?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
- Rights often come into conflict with one another, and resolving these conflicts can be challenging

Part 1: Introducing Limits on Rights
1) If you were accused of a crime, how important would the right to a fair trial be? What do you think makes a trial fair?
3) Think about the following case:
A Nebraska man was accused of killing six members of a family. Newspapers printed a lot of information about the case. The man’s lawyers were afraid that all of the information in the news would make it impossible for the man to have a fair trial. They asked a judge to stop the newspapers from publishing news about the case. What would you decide if you were the judge?

4) Group Discussion Questions:
- What two rights were in conflict in this case?
- In reaching your decision, which right did you decide to limit? Why?
- Is there any way to protect the defendant’s right to a fair trial without limiting freedom of the press? Come up with strategy to protect both rights.
- What does this case show you about when rights may be limited?

- Should school officials be allowed to search your locker without a warrant?
- Should school officials be allowed to search your backpack without a warrant?
- Should school officials be allowed to search your person without a warrant?
- What if there’s a very serious drug problem in your school. Should warrantless searches be allowed?
- What if school officials have received a report that you have brought a weapon to school. Should warrantless searches be allowed then?
- How would you summarize our class views on Fourth Amendment rights at school based on this activity?
- Why did you vote as you did?
- Did you move from one wall to the other during the activity? Why or why not?
- Did the existence of a drug problem or the possibility of a weapon on campus change your views? Why or why not?
- Does the Fourth Amendment apply to school officials?
- Under what circumstances, if any, can school officials search students and their property without a warrant?
Lesson 6: What Are Our Responsibilities to Our Democracy and Community?
After focusing on their rights, students turn to their responsibilities to our democracy and community. Because there is no “Bill of Responsibilities” in our Constitution, students begin with a broad list and narrow it down to a class list of essential civic responsibilities. Students then consider how their rights link to their responsibilities and conduct a Save the Last Word for Me conversation around a reading proposing a “Bill of Responsibilities.”
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- What responsibilities do I have to our democracy and community?
- How do my rights enable me to use my power in our democracy and society? How do my responsibilities require me to use my power?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- The people have important roles in a democracy and in society, but different people choose to fulfill their roles differently.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
1) We are going to create a working definition of responsibility using a concept map.
Discussion Questions:
- On the basis of your past experiences and the ideas and behaviors that the drawings depicted, how would you define responsibility?
- What are your responsibilities to our democracy and community?
2) There is no “Bill of Responsibilities” in the Constitution. Thus, as we think about our responsibilities to our democracy and community, we have to draw on our own ideas about what makes our democracy and community work for people. Remember students that we looked at actions that different kinds of participants take in Lesson 1 of this unit; some people regard these actions as civic responsibilities.
3) Distribute the What Are Our Civic Responsibilities? Handout. Choose your top ten actions and please share with the class.
4) Do you think these civic responsibilities are connected? How? Which ones?
5) Use your voice! Post on any social media What Civic Responsibility looks like. You can use your What Are Our Civic Responsibilities? Handout and/or write your own take on it. Tag a friend and begin the conversation of what it means to become a powerful civic actor in our democracy and community.
- What do you see as the relationship between rights and responsibilities?

3) Open the How About a Bill of Responsibilities? handout. We are going to conduct a Save the Last Word for Me discussion around the article. As you read take notes on what stands out to you. Explain why it stood out to you and what it means. Share in Small Groups.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think of the idea of creating a Bill of Responsibilities?
- Could such a document bring people together?
We The People - All People Document Discussion:

- For what audience was the document created? Why was the document created?
- Examine the document carefully. What does the document tell you about the event or time period covered in the document?
- What was the document creator’s view of the event or time period covered in the document? What evidence helps you understand that point of view?
- Has the meaning of “We the People” changed (or not changed) since 1787.
Lesson 7: What Is Government and How Is It Organized?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- Why is our government so complicated? What do I need to know about that complexity to be a powerful civic actor?
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
- How will I interact with government to work for the common good?
- How can my participation in democracy influence/impact issues I care about?
- In our democracy, power is limited by being separated among different branches and levels of government.
1) What is government? An “Official” Definition: Government is the system of people and institutions that develop and implement policies and perform functions in a defined area such as a nation, state, or city.
- How does the government affects your lives every day?
- What interactions have you had with levels of government in your life?
- Have any members of your community, individuals, and/or groups influenced you?

- Did you learn anything about how government influences our lives that you didn’t know before?
- Does this make you think of any other ways the government influences our lives that we didn’t name before?
- Who do you think has more influence over our lives, government or nongovernmental people and groups? Explain.
- Does this activity and discussion raise any other questions for you about government?

Lesson 8: How Is Policy Created and How Can Individuals Advocate for Good Policies?
This lesson engages students with the process by which laws are passed, as well as how the executive branch creates policy through executive orders and regulations. The lesson first introduces the concept of public policy, having students brainstorm policies that might address a problem in the news. They are then introduced to the steps in passing, implementing, and interpreting a law and dramatize aspects of the process in skits. Throughout their study, they consider ways civic actors can influence the process through advocacy and voting.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- Why is our government so complicated? What do I need to know about that complexity to be a powerful civic actor?
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
- How will I interact with government to take an active role in our democracy?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- In our democracy, power is limited by being separated among different branches and levels of government.
- Individuals have used and continue to use their power to choose democratic leaders, to influence policy, and to seek change through voting, advocacy, and activism, but some individuals have been denied access to these methods of participation.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
- Have you ever heard this saying?
- What do you think it means?
- Is it accurate or true? If not, can you think of examples when it wasn't true?


3) Open the Solve This Problem Handout and complete in small groups students. Groups please be able to share some of the solutions you generated.
4) Discussion Questions:
- Now think about your own experience of problems that affect your community and how you feel when those problems are ignored?
- If you were a family suffering economically during the pandemic or an indigenous American being denied the right to vote, how would you feel about a policymaker who took no action?
- What assumptions might you make about that person?
- What do the laws you chose or suggested say about your beliefs about the problem and the role of government?
Class Activity: Making Law - Implementing the Law - Executive Order
4) In groups, open and read through process of Making Law Handout. What happens next? The bill has become a law. Is the government done with it? Now open the Implementing the Law Handout and continue your group discussion. In groups, answer the following, be able and ready to present to the class then turn it in for credit:
- Describe the lawmaking process in 9 steps. Try this: NIH: How a Bill becomes a Law
- Share with the class a proposed bill from Congress.gov introduced in the Making Law Handout.
- What is the bill about? Do you think it is a good or bad idea? Do you think it will pass into becoming a law? Explain.
- What is the difference between a law and an executive order? How did the executive order come to be? Try this: History Channel: Executive Order
- Share with the class one recent Executive Order. Try this Federal Register: Executive Orders
- Which one has more power and sustainability? The law or an Executive Order. Explain
- What are the limits of the Executive Order? Try this: FindLaw: Limits of Executive Orders

BONUS: Which President issued the most Executive Orders in U.S. history? Why do Presidents use the Executive Order instead of waiting for Congress to pass certain legislation (laws)? Should the executive order be legal?
5) Present your findings to the class: Class Activity: Making Law - Implementing the Law - Executive Order (above)
6) Just for fun: Let's watch Schoolhouse Rock: I'm Just a Bill, while you read Schoolhouse Rock: I'm just a Bill (lyrics). What did Schoolhouse Rock miss or get wrong in the video?

7) Download Countable: Consider becoming more informed and tell your legislatures (Senators and Representatives) how you feel they should vote. Countable is a political news app that aims to keep users aware of the issues that are happening in government. Receive succinct non-partisan summaries of the latest news and view discussions that are for or against a particular argument. Summate your own opinions on issues without being influenced by any particular party. If you want to filter and categorize content that’s relevant to the news you’re interested in, create your own Action Center. Save all the information in one place and share it with your cohort to spread more awareness!
Part 3: Considering the Challenges of Making Law
1) Now that you’ve learned about how law is made, implemented, and interpreted, I’m wondering what you think might be some of the difficulties of the process.
2) In Seven Groups: Each group will present one of the Policymaking Dilemma Cards. Each group will write and present a brief skit that shows the dilemma they were assigned and how the legislator decides to vote. One member of each group should represent the legislator; the others can represent interest groups, constituents, other Members of Congress, the President, staff or anyone appropriate to presenting and making a decision on the dilemma.
- What values or beliefs seemed to influence the group's decision in your dilemma?
- Were individuals and interest groups able to influence this decision? If so, how?
- Do you agree with the decision? Why or why not?
- How has this exercise affected your view of the policymaking process?
- How many wards are there in Chicago?
- Who is your Alderman?
- Write one or two questions you would like to ask a policymaker. The questions should be focused on the most effective ways for civic actors to influence policy.
- Look up your Ward and Alderman/Alderwoman here: City of Chicago: Look-Up my Ward, Alderman, & Parking Zone
- Find your Alderman/Alderwoman contact information, website, email, or phone number.
- Contact your Alderman/Alderwoman and ask your question(s).
- Report back to the class when you hear back.


BONUS: Learning the grid system requires some effort, but once you understand it, it will enable you to navigate Chicago with much more confidence. A grid-savvy Chicagoan immediately knows, for example, that Harper Library (1116 E. 59th St.) can be found on the north side of 59th Street, which should be an east-west road approximately 7 miles south of the city center (and therefore on the South Side). That same Chicagoan, when asked to meet a friend at Kimbark plaza (53rd and Woodlawn) on a cold winter evening after a long day of studying in Harper, immediately recognizes that this would involve a seven block walk, that that's almost a mile, and that they don't want to do it in January. Read more: UChicago: Chicago's Grid System and/or watch How to Navigate Chicago's Grid System Video
Discussion Questions:
- What streets mark the center of the city or 0 N/S and 0 E/W?
- How many blocks equal a mile?
- Name a diagonal street that doesn't follow the Chicago Grid System?
- Where do you live? As long as you know your address you should manage your way home using Chicago's Grid System
Policies enacted by state and local government affect people on a daily basis. This lesson provides an introduction to federalism and how it helps ensure that the federal government does not become too powerful. Students analyze the Government; Who Takes Care of What? visual representation (below) and “complicate” the visual by adding ways civic actors can influence all levels of government through advocacy.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- Why is our government so complicated? What do I need to know about that complexity to be a powerful civic actor?
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
- How will I interact with government to work for the common good?
- In our democracy, power is limited by being separated among different branches and levels of government.
- Democracy is based on a set of core values, though those ideals may not always be reached.

Government; Who Takes Care of What?
Discussion Questions:
- What is the main idea/concept of the visual representation Government; Who Takes Care of What?
- How does the visual representation help you understand about federalism?
- Based on the visual representation, can you identify a way that federalism has affected you, your family, and/or your community?
- What amendment(s) to the U.S. Constitution establishes the concept of federalism? HINT: Go back to Lesson 2: What Is the Constitution and How Does It Protect Our Rights? Part 2: Understanding The Bill of Rights
- What are the benefits of federalism?
- What might be a disadvantage of federalism?
- Give an example of shared power/responsibility? Brainstorm: Give of an example on how this works.
- How can understanding federalism help you as a civic actor?
- List any questions you have about federalism, specific levels of power, or the visual representation Government; Who Takes Care of What?

Closure & Assessment:
Ask students to identify how their lives are affected in at least two ways each by state and local government.
Lesson 10: How Can Individuals Influence Government through Elections?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- Why is our government so complicated? What do I need to know about that complexity to be a powerful civic actor?
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- Individuals have used and continue to use their power to choose democratic leaders, to influence policy, and to seek change through voting, advocacy, and activism, but some individuals have been denied access to these methods of participation.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
- Would the information you gained from the videos make you more confident about going to vote for the first time?
- Imagine that you’ve gone and successfully voted. Now the polls have closed. What happens next?
Reasons People Don’t Vote
- One vote doesn't matter
- Too busy/conflict
- Didn’t like candidates or issues
- Illness
- Out of town
- No transportation to polling place
- Forgot
- Inconvenient Location or Hours
- Didn’t Know Where to Vote
- Line Too Long
- Did Not Receive Ballot in Mail
- Problems with Registration
- Bad Weather
- Problems with ID

- Do you think one vote matters? Why or why not?

- Why was the Electoral College created in 1789? Did it make sense in 1789?
- How does the Electoral College work differently now than it did in 1789?
- Does the Electoral College accurately represent the voting populace?
- Can you give an example of a Presidential election where a candidate won the popular vote but lost the electoral college vote? [Hint: There are several in US history]
- Why do we still have the Electoral College? Is it time to discard the Electoral College?
- Would the Electoral College be worth keeping if every state did it similar to Maine and Nebraska?
12) Back into groups. See directions (below), discuss, answer and prepare to present.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
- How will I interact with government to work for the common good?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- Democracy is based on a set of core values, though those ideals may not always be reached.
- Individuals have used and continue to use their power to choose democratic leaders, to influence policy, and to seek change through voting, advocacy, and activism, but some individuals have been denied access to these methods of participation.
- Rights often come into conflict with one another, and these conflicts can be difficult to resolve.
1) Let's review some of methods of influencing government studied in the past lessons. Imagine you’ve been writing your legislators about a bill the Illinois legislature has been considering. You even went to a town meeting and talked about why you supported the bill. But the legislature has just defeated the bill. You are feeling somewhat powerless.
Discussion Questions:
- What would you do next?
- Why might you continue making direct contact with policymakers?
- Think about the sources of power you learned about previously (physical force, wealth, state action, social norms, ideas, numbers). Which might you be able to activate to increase your power?
- How might you develop a strategy to increase your power through numbers, that is, by getting more people involved? To show the strength of public opinion on your side of the issue?

2) Being involved in these kinds of actions is called activism.
Discussion Questions:
- What is the main source of activism’s power?
- Can you think of a time when you or a family member has been involved in activism?
- What skills might you need to be an effective civic activists?
- Can you be civic activist on social media?
3) Watch and discuss:
Call to Activism | Advantage(s) | Disadvantage(s) |
Demonstrations: Mass Rallies and Marches / Targeted Protests
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Direction Action
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Social Media Campaigns/Activism
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Other Methods (see below)
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Which method do you think gives activists the most power?
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Explain |
Explain
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Definitions:
Demonstrations: Mass Rallies and Marches: A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against a cause of concern; it often consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.
Targeted Protest: Is a mass rally or demonstration specifically targeted at a specific location. e.g. Outside the White House, or store front with controversial business practices, vigils, or sit-ins at locations where policies are being implemented.
Direction Action: Such as providing legal services to immigrants or patrolling the border to assist the Border Patrol. There are two types of Direct Action non-violent and violent. Both direct action and actions appealing to others can include nonviolent and violent activities that target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the action participants. Non-violent direct action may include sit-ins, strikes, street blockades, and counter-economics. Violent direct action may include political violence, assault, arson, sabotage, and property destruction.
Boycotts: Boycotts are designed to economically impact a “target,” like a business that’s engaging in exploitative practices. Like with protests, boycotts are most successful when large groups of people participate.
Letter-Writing & Petitions: Two of the most common forms of activism. They’re used to pressure public officials, corporations, and other power-holders. The more letters or signatures on a petition, the more likely it is that people will pay attention. Letters also imply a degree of commitment that emails don’t, which makes it harder for power-holders to dismiss people’s demands. Petitions also have the downside of being so accessible and easy that they lose some of their power. They are most successful when paired with other actions.
Hunger Strikes: Non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The right to peaceful assembly is so important, it’s included in the United Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 and Article 20 protect the right to gather publicly and express, promote, and defend a belief. Together, these rights are often called the right to protest. National constitutions (like the United States) also protect this right. Demonstrations and protests are often complicated by the presence of law enforcement and counter-protesters. Activists should anticipate resistance and work to ensure everyone’s safety.
Activism Resources:
Lesson 12: How Can Individuals Influence Government through the Courts?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
- How will I interact with government to work for the common good?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- Democracy is based on a set of core values, though those ideals may not always be reached.
- Individuals in a democracy have many rights that allow them to exercise their power, but these rights are limited, and some individuals’ rights are more limited than others’.
1) When we have talked about policymakers, what branches of government have we been talking about? What branch haven’t we talked about? What do we already know about the judicial branch or the courts? While the courts do not formally make policy, they affect policy through their job of interpreting the laws, of determining if laws and government actions are constitutional or not.
2) In general, court cases move up on this chart. Given that, where do you think the cases you have heard about start? Explain that there are specialty courts that handle specific types of cases--family court, traffic court, bankruptcy court (a federal court because bankruptcy laws are federal laws), drug court, etc. The job of municipal courts, circuit courts, and district courts is to determine guilt or responsibility. Still, the judges in these courts do make some decisions about whether laws or government actions were legal or constitutional. For example, a judge might decide to throw out evidence in a case because it was obtained without a warrant.


Supreme Court
Landmark Cases Resources:
- Landmark Supreme Court Cases
- U.S. Courts - Landmark Cases
- C-Span: Landmark Cases
- Annotated Constitution: Supremacy Clause
- TIME: Why the Supreme Court Needs 27 Justices
- Mr. Raymond's Civic Class Video Lesson
- Constitutional Classes Online: Canonical & Landmark Case Video
- CRASH COURSE: Supreme Court Video
- HipHughes: Supreme Court Cases You Should Know Video *
- ACTEC: Landmark Civil Rights Cases Video
6) Now we will look at some of the Supreme Court - Landmark Cases. You will be assigned #1-25. Take some time doing a little a bit of research on the specifics using some of the websites below or searching on your own. You will then get into small groups to share the importance of your Supreme Court case and answer the following:
Supreme Court - Landmark Cases
Discussion Questions:
- Share the importance/impact of your Supreme Court Landmark Case:
- Without the power of judicial review, who would decide whether laws were constitutional? What problems might arise if the same branch of government both passed laws and decided if they were constitutional?
- Do you think that nine judges should be able to decide whether laws created by an elected body are unconstitutional? Explain.
- Give an example of a Supreme Court strengthening the power of the federal government and weakening that of the states.
- How can a state be forced to follow a federal law and/or Supreme Court decision with which it disagrees? Hint: Supremacy Clause
- Why is our government so complicated? What do I need to know about that complexity to be a powerful civic actor?
- How can individuals interact with the institutions of government?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- In our democracy, power is limited by being separated among different branches and levels of government.
- Democracy is based on a set of core values, though those ideals may not always be reached.
VISUAL: Principles and Ideals of Democracy |
You have learned about several principles that underlie the U.S. government. These principles include limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and individual rights. These principles are written into the Constitution. |
These principles are intended to create a system of government that protects and prompts important democratic ideals. Can you name any of these ideals? Self-government, liberty, justice, equality, property, and security are some of the most-often named ideals.
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Finding Democratic Ideals in the Constitution |
You have read the Preamble and the Fourteenth Amendment. Where in these two parts of the Constitution can you find mention of important democratic ideals?
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Preamble: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
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Fourteenth Amendment: Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
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Assessing Democratic Ideals in Your Life |
Now think about your own experience. How well have the Constitution and the government done in terms of putting the democratic ideals in practice?
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2) We are going to have an opportunity to read and talk about a famous poem written more than 80 years ago. Open the Let America Be America Again handout. Let's note that some of the language Hughes used was common in 1936 but would be considered offensive today. Please note this language may make students uncomfortable, angry, or sad--in short, they may experience a range of emotions. All of these reactions are natural. Their reactions will be shaped, in part, by their lived experiences. Please be mature and respectful.
3) Try to answer 3 of the Discussion Questions and be prepared to share with the class.

Let America Be America Again
Discussion Questions:
- How are the passages in parentheses different from the other passages?
- How would you summarize the poem’s message or theme? What do you think the poet is saying about American ideals?
- What challenges to achieving freedom and equality does the poet write about?
- What is your favorite line or stanza? Explain your choice.
- Does reading the poem remind you of anything that has happened to you or any family stories that have been important to you?
- Do you Langston Hughes is more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Why?
- Who do you think is more optimistic about the future--you or Langston Hughes? Why?
5) Share your findings with the class. We will compile lists of the specific issues on which the 16 highlighted people have worked and the kinds of actions they are taking to advance equality.
6) Using the VISUAL: Principles and Ideals of Democracy (above) or the links provided. Compare the U.S. Preamble and Fourteenth Amendment phrase by phrase noting connections to the democratic values. What similarities and differences did you find? How much does the United States live up to the U.S. Preamble and 14th Amendment? What are areas of improvement, maybe noted by Langston Hughes?
Closure & Assessment: Think about what you could do to fight for a more equal America and create a plan to take at least one action in support of equality in the next month or write a new stanza for “Let America Be America Again”.
Extra Lesson:
Lesson 14: What Are Your Communities?
How Can You Identify the Common Good in Your Communities?
How Can You Identify the Common Good in Your Communities?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- Who has power in your community? What are the sources of their power? How do they use their power?
- What power do you and your family have? What power does the school have? What power do community organizations have?
- What is the importance of public and private policy in your community? How do people with power work to change policy?
- How will you choose to use your power to promote the common good in your community?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
- The source of power can affect how that power can be used.
- You and your family have power in the community and can determine how best to use it.
- A variety of organizations, including nonprofit and advocacy groups, the school, religious groups, and businesses have power in the community. The sources of their power and their goals may be different, but all can shape the community.
- Public and private policies affect all aspects of community life. Those with power in a community can work in various ways to change policy.
- Young people can choose to use their power in the community in a variety of ways.
- Working for the common good of the community requires specific skills in order to be effective.
Part 1: Common Good & Community
1) Identity: Jot down two words that describe you!
2) Definitions:
Identity: the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that creates a sense of who one is.Community: a group of people with common interests, often living in a particular area.
Common Good: the benefit of the public.

4) Open the Eighth-Graders and Their Communities handout. In small groups, read all of the different profiles and compare them. In small groups, answer the following:
Eighth-Graders and Their Communities
Discussion Questions:
- Relate the choice of words in these profiles to the two words you selected to describe you. Any similarities?
- Who did you most relate to? Explain.
- Would you change your 2 words? Why or why not?
- Do you think these students are or will be personally responsible, participatory, or justice oriented participants? In other words, what level are they currently at regarding their own identity or ability to become powerful civic actors in their communities? [Note: Refer back to Civics - Unit 0 - Lesson 2: Power and Participation] Give one example from the seven profiles and explain your answer.
5) We are going to be looking at the many policy decisions that affect a community they are all part of--the school community. Open the Policy Affecting the School Community handout and identify the different individuals and/or groups that influence the school and describe a policy or decision that they might make.

- What is power?
- What is the source of the power?
- What does power look like in a community?
- Can you think of a specific example of an individual or group displaying power in your community to change policy and/or promote the common good?
- Note: The sources of power may vary in importance at different times and in different places.
Source of Power | Examples |
Physical Force
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In 2020, moms in Portland, Oregon, formed a line to protect protesters from masked federal officers.
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Wealth
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From 1965-1970, people stopped buying grapes because the growers did not treat workers well.
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State Action
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Chicago Freedom School sued the Chicago Police Department in June 2020. They said the CPD had violated various rights, including their First Amendment rights.
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Ideas
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In 2016, 12 community members in South East Chicago believed that their high school should remain open. They went on a hunger strike to save Walter H. Dyett High School.
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Numbers
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In 1916, 5000 people (mostly women) marched down Michigan Avenue to demand votes for women.
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Social Norms
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A Chicago theater group created an anti-bullying pledge to prevent bullying of LGBTQ youth. Their goal was to make opposing bullying the accepted way to act.
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Extra Conversation:
Fame |
Sir Elton John, who has lost many close friends to HIV/AIDS, is at the forefront of the fight against the disease. He established the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and has raised over $125 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention, education and service programs in 55 countries around the globe.
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2) Let's take a look at some local power in your community. In four groups (#1-4) open the Community Change Case Study w/ Note-Catcher Handout. Use the note-catcher and be ready to present.
3) You are going to collect information about sources of power from your family members. Open the Interview with Your Family handout. In pairs write 4 questions on the back. Share your 4 questions and narrow it down with groups around you. Decide on 2 questions, 1 per section, to ask your adult. Share your question(s) with the class. The two purposes of the interviews with family members:
- to expand what they learned about power in the community in this lesson and
- to find out how their families see their own power in the community. Working in their table groups, have students create two questions in each category that they think would prompt good conversation with their families, putting these questions on separate sheets of paper.
Part 3: How Can You Work with Organizations to Promote the Common Good?
1) We are going to explore community organizations in Chicago. Take a look at the VISUAL: Working in the Community, 1 (right), which shows volunteers of varying ages filling backpacks with school supplies
Discussion Questions:
- What do you see in this picture?
- Who do you think the people pictured are? What are they doing? Why do you think they are doing that?
- Have you ever participated in something similar to the action that is happening in the photograph?
- Stretch your minds some more. What do you think had to happen to get ready for this event?
- What does this picture tell you about working with a community organization?


3) Now take a look at VISUAL: Working in the Community, 2 (left),
which shows young women preparing for a demonstration. P
Discussion Questions:
- What do you see in this picture?
- Who do you think the people pictured are? What are they doing? Why do you think they are doing that?
- Have you ever participated in something similar to the action that is happening in the photograph?
- Stretch your minds some more. What do you think had to happen to get ready for this event?
- What does this picture tell you about working with a community organization?
4) The organization shown is called Girls/Friends. Its members work with other organizations to develop awareness of the issue of missing and murdered Black and Ingenious women and girls in Chicago, Minnesota, and across the nation. Its eventual hope is to focus government, including law enforcement, on preventing such crimes and solving the crimes that have already occurred.
5) Now you will have the chance to investigate some other community organizations in Chicago, some in your own neighborhood. The organizations have different purposes, serve different audiences, and engage people in different ways. Open the Mini-Directory of Chicago Community Organizations handout. In groups take some time to research some of the following Chicago Community organizations. Then complete the note-catcher included a find 1 new community organization in Chicago not listed. Please be able to share your findings with the class.
Closure & Assessment: Which organization you would most like to work with? What is holding you back from reaching out to that organization today?