Standards
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.
-
The structure and function of local, state and
national governments impact policy making.
-
Political ideologies influence governmental
policies and decisions.
-
Foreign policy influences political relationships
among nations.
-
Citizen of the United States are either native
born or naturalized.
-
Civic participation involves roles, rights, and
responsibilities.
-
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?
-
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?
-
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?
-
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?
-
Where
do different political ideologies belong on the political spectrum?
-
What
are the beliefs associated with each?
How do
the two major political parties differ?
-
What
is foreign policy?
Why
does the United States have foreign policy?
-
Which
foreign policy goal has the greatest impact on how the United States
interacts politically with other nations?
-
Which
diplomatic strategy used by the United States to develop and implement
foreign policy has been most effective? Why?
-
Which
governmental official has the greatest responsibility for foreign
policy?
-
What
is citizenship?
How
does one become a citizen?
What
are the duties and responsibilities of a citizen?
-
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. | 
