Introduction for Teachers

Designed by Amy Markowitz (amy_markowitz@ apsva.us) & Lissa Reeves (elizabeth_reeves@ apsva.us). Last updated (July 15, 2005).

This lesson was developed as part of An Adventure of the American Mind Northern Virginia Partnership (AAMNVA) , a federally funded professional development program to assist educators in using Library of Congress primary resources to support student learning.

This LibraryQuest is part of an ongoing series of web-based lessons

School District and State: Arlington Public Schools, Virginia

Unit Number/Title: V. The New Nation

Conceptual Unit Question: Can people be trusted to govern themselves?

Enduring Understanding:A system of checks and balances keeps government accountable to the public.

Knowledge Goals:

Challenge 1:

• Understand the traits, duties, rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
• Judge/ evaluate which traits, duties, rights and responsibilities of citizenship are most key

Challenge 2:

• compare the evolution of rights in three documents

Challenge 3:

• Compare the first political parties that developed in the United States
• Understand the differences between the first political parties

Skill Goals:

Challenge 1:

• Categorize citizenship ideas
• Interpret images
• Synthesize ideas of traits, duties, rights and responsibilities of citizenship and create original message

Challenge 2:

• Analyze primary sources-- three documents
• Compose a tableau based on a individual rights

Challenge 3:

• Analyze primary source documents including political cartoons
• Interpret the message of political cartoons
• Construct a political cartoon
• Utilize reading strategies to make text comprehensible

Key Concepts:

• Rights, duties, responsibilities and traits of citizenship

• The emergence of political parties

• The evolution of individual rights which make up the Bill of Rights