Curriculum Map U.S.

Government

Theme / Focus

Essential Questions

January 20 3rd Term Starts

The Purpose and Role of
Government, a Democratic
Republic (3 classes)

1. What is the purpose and role

of government in the United
States and other countries?
2. What philosophies and events
have contributed to the creation
of the U.S. government?

February
Foundational U.S. Government Documents
(12 classes)
The Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
The U.S. Constitution
1. What events, ideas, and documents
influenced the creation of the U.S.
Constitution?
2. What are the major ideas of our founding
documents? Who did they represent
historically and who do they represent
presently?
3. Where do we see the impact of the
Constitution in our daily lives?

March
The Bill of Rights and U.S.
Constitutional Amendments (4
classes)

1. How does the U.S. Bill of

Rights promote a just legal
system, civil rights, and protect
diversity?
2. In what ways do the U.S.
Amendments to the Constitution
protect individuals and groups?

Assessments

Entrance/Exit Slips
Journal writes
Cornell Notes
Graphic Organizers
Portfolio creation (Authentic
self-assessment)
Social Contract Group Project
Forms of Government Jigsaw
Presentations
Collaborative rubrics for group
work
End of Unit Summative Exam

Entrance/Exit Slips
Journal writes
Cornell Notes
Graphic Organizers
Portfolio additions (Authentic selfassessment)
Collaborative rubrics for group work
Constitution Reading Packet with Jigsaw
activity
U.S. Constitution Socratic Seminar
Ratifying the U.S. Constitution Promotional
Project
End of Unit Summative Exam

3. What is the significance of the

1st and 14th Amendments, and
how do they impact our lives?
Entrance/Exit Slips
Journal writes
Cornell Notes
Graphic Organizers
Portfolio Review (Authentic
self-assessment & teacher
assessment with Rubric)
Collaborative rubrics for group
work
Collaborative Amendment
Poster Project
Current Events Paper
End of Unit Exam

Content

The essential ideas of the US

constitutional government
(6210-0102)

The significance and impact of the U.S.

Constitution on everyday life (6210-0101).
Compare and Contrast, and Analyze:

The protections and privileges of

individuals and groups in the
U.S. (6210-0201).

Curriculum Map U.S. Government

Skills & Strategies

2
Examine the purposes
and role of government
in the U.S. and other
countries.
Investigate the major
philosophies/ideas that
contributed to the
creation of the U.S.
Constitution
Magna Carta
English Bill of
Rights
Mayflower
Compact
Iroquois
Confederation

Skills:
Writing Skills Development
Pre-write, Draft, Revise, Edit,
Publish
Content Obligatory Language
Note Taking Skills
Pre-Reading Strategies
Summarizing main ideas
Investigate events that led to the
creation of the United States
government
Strategies:
ATB/Homework Journal
Writing
KWL / Graphic Organizers
Visual Vocabulary Cards
Word Wall
Think-Pair-Share activities

Writing of John Locke

Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
Themes of U.S. Constitutional
Convention
Role of compromise in creation of the
U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution

Skills:
Argumentative and Analytical Writing Skills
Content Obligatory Language
Academic Language Skill Development
Note Taking Skills
Improved Pre-Reading &Strategic Reading
Compare and Contrast the Articles of
Confederation with the U.S. Constitution
Summarizing interpretations of the U.S.
Constitution
Using evidence from documents to construct
an argument
Public speaking skills / Interpersonal skills
Reading and creating timelines
Strategies:
ATB/Homework Journal Writing
KWL / Graphic Organizers
Think-Pair-Share activities
Group Discussion

Examine how the Bill of

Rights and U.S.
Amendments promote
civil rights and protect
diversity.
Look primarily at
Amendments 1-10, 1314.

Skills:
Analytical Writing Skills
Content Obligatory Language
Academic Language Skills
Note Taking Skills
Strategic Reading
Summarizing main ideas
Research Skills
Public Speaking/Interpersonal
Skills
Strategies:
ATB/Homework Journal
Writing
KWL / Graphic Organizers
Think-Pair-Share activities
Build up the Board to activate
prior knowledge

Curriculum Map U.S. Government

Build up the Board to activate
prior knowledge
Explicit instruction on
skimming/scanning to pre-read
text

Resources

Textbook Chapter 1
Word Wall
Dictionary
Local and/or National
Newspaper (print or digital)
YouTube videos (TBA)
Websites

3
Socratic Seminar
Build up the Board to activate prior
knowledge
Skimming/Scanning documents for main
ideas and key facts
Explicit instruction on making inferences
while reading
Expertise Reading/Jigsaw
Letter to the Editor
Textbook Chapters 2, 3, 4
Primary Documents/artifacts/images
Dictionary
YouTube videos (TBA)
Local and/or National Newspaper (print or
digital)
Websites:
http://constitutioncenter.org/
http://constitution.org/
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention

Explicit instruction on
skimming/scanning to pre-read
text
Jigsaw research/reading activity
Poster project

Textbook Chapters 3, 19, 20, 21

Primary
Documents/artifacts/images
Dictionary
Local and/or National
Newspaper (print or digital)
YouTube videos (TBA)
Student created Amendment
Posters
Websites:
http://constitutioncenter.org/