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Enduring Understandings - important ideas
that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received
this year.
- Political theories and documents
provided the foundation for the US Constitution.
- The purposes and design of the US
government impact individuals and society.
- Citizens must be able to analyze
Constitutional conflicts.
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The
structure and function of local, state and national governments impact
policy making.
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Political ideologies influence governmental policies and decisions.
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Foreign policy influences political relationships among nations.
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Citizen of the United States are either native born or naturalized.
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Civic participation involves roles, rights, and responsibilities.
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Citizen participation influences the making of public policy.
Essential Questions
- most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer
after completing learning activities.
- What documents and theories form the
basis of the United States government? How did they influence the
development of US government?
- What is a constitution? How does a
constitutional government work? What is a constitutional government?
- What was the purpose of the Declaration
of Independence?
- How did the Articles of Confederation
influence the development of the US Constitution?
- What are the purposes of government? How
does government impact life today? What is the role of government in a
citizen’s life?
- Why are the six basic principles of US
Constitutional government important? How is the Constitution organized?
- How and why must a citizen be able to
analyze Constitutional issues?
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What is the role and what are the powers of the legislative branch?
How
does the legislative branch interact with other branches of government?
How
does a bill become a law?
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What are the powers of the Executive branch?
What
are the powers of the president?
How
does the executive branch interact with other branches of government?
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What
is the role of the judicial branch?
How
does the legislative branch interact with other branches of government?
How
has the Supreme Court influenced public policy?
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Where
do different political ideologies belong on the political spectrum?
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What
are the beliefs associated with each?
How do
the two major political parties differ?
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What
is foreign policy?
Why
does the United States have foreign policy?
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Which
foreign policy goal has the greatest impact on how the United States
interacts politically with other nations?
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Which
diplomatic strategy used by the United States to develop and implement
foreign policy has been most effective? Why?
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Which
governmental official has the greatest responsibility for foreign
policy?
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What
is citizenship?
How
does one become a citizen?
What
are the duties and responsibilities of a citizen?
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Which
strategies can citizens use most effectively to influence public policy?
Standards and Benchmarks
Civics 1: Students understand the purpose of government, and the
basic constitutional principles of the United States republican form of
government.
Benchmark 1A: Students understand the principles of the United States
constitutional government.
Benchmark 1B: Students know the essential characteristics of limited and
unlimited government.
Benchmark 1C: Students know and understand what government is and what
purpose it serves.
Benchmark 1D: Students know the distinctive characteristics of political
culture of the United States.
Benchmark 1E: Students know the fundamental democratic principles inherent
in the US concept of a constitutional democratic republic.
Civics 2: Students know the structure and function of local, state and
national government and how citizen involvement shapes public policy.
Benchmark
2A:
Students know the organization and functions of local, state and national
governments.
Benchmark 2B:
Students know how power, authority, and responsibility are distributed,
shared, and limited through federalism as established by the US
Constitution.
Benchmark 2C:
Students know and understand the place of law in the Colorado and US
Constitutional systems.
Benchmark 2D:
Students know how public policy is developed at the local, state, and
national levels.
Civics 3: Students know the political relationship of the US and its
citizens to other nations and to world affairs.
Benchmark 3A:
Students know how and why governments and nongovernmental agencies around
the world interact politically.
Benchmark 3B:
Students understand how the US government develops foreign policy.
Benchmark 3C:
Students understand the domestic and foreign policy influence the US has on
other nations and how the actions of other influence politics and society of
the US.
Civics 4: Students understand how citizens exercise the roles,
rights, and responsibilities of participation in civic life at all levels.
Benchmark 4A:
Students know what citizenship is.
Benchmark 4B:
Students
know how citizens can fulfill their responsibilities for preserving the
constitutional republic.
Benchmark 4C:
Students know how citizens can exercise their rights.
Benchmark 4D: Students know how citizens can participate in civic life.
D-11 Social
Studies Indicators for Civics
1. Explain
the purposes of government and their impact on individuals and society in
the late 20th and
beginning 21st century.
2. Analyze
the six basic principles of US constitutional government.
3. Describe
political theories and documents that influenced the development of the US
Constitution.
4. Develop,
evaluate, and defend positions based on conflicts involving Constitutional
principles or the Bill of
Rights.
5. Compare
and contrast the structures and functions of local, state and national
governments.
6. Describe
the political spectrum and the role of political parties in the functioning
of local, state and national
governments.
7. Identify
diplomatic strategies and give examples used by the United States government
when interacting
with other nations.
8. Identify
strategies for influencing public policy. | 
