Puyallup Civics with Washington State History

Unit Outline

Anatomy of the Constitution

Anatomy of the Constitution | iCivics

This lesson gives an article-by-article overview of the structure and function of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process, and the role of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. (Note: Anatomy of the Constitution now includes content previously covered by the lesson Directions for Democracy.)

Learning Objectives

• Explain the structure, function, and powers of the U.S. government as established in the Constitution.
• Identify the roles of the three branches of government.
• Describe the constitutional amendment process.
• Interpret the intentions of the Preamble of the Constitution.

Terms of Use: This lesson is copyright iCivics Inc. Educators must sign in to iCivics in order to download materials. Use of these materials is limited to personal study, teaching, and research.

Freedom and the Declaration

American Values: Freedom and the Declaration of Independence |  The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

This lesson briefly examines the importance of freedom in American history and American government. Students will look at the content of the Declaration of Independence and create their own definition of freedom based on those words. By creating their own declarations students will be able to conceptualize the idea of freedoms and how that term might be applied in their daily lives.

Learning Objectives: 

• Students will examine events that took place prior to the writing of the Declaration of Independence in order to determine the need for the document.
• Students will analyze the words found in the Declaration of Independence in order to describe their importance to Americans.
• Students will create their own declarations in order to describe the values that are important to students as individuals in society.

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher. 

Federalism

Federalism | The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students that the United States governmental powers are divided among the national, state, and local governments.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will define the concept of federalism.
• Students will be able to compare and contrast the powers held by the local, state, and  national governments.
• Students will be able to explain the powers held by the local, state, and national governments

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher. 

Four Key Constitutional Principles

Four Key Constitutional Principles | The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

Through this lesson, students will understand the four key principles of the Constitution: separation of powers, checks and balances, Federalism, and limited government.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will define key features of the United States Constitution.
• Students will analyze political cartoons in relationship to key principles of the Constitution.
• Students will work cooperatively to research and teach one Constitution principle to the other members of the class.
• Students will demonstrate understanding of the Constitution through individual writing.

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher. 

Congress in a Flash

Congress in a Flash | iCivics

Need to teach the legislative branch in a hurry? This lesson is designed to cover the basics in a single class period. Students learn what Congress is, what the Constitution says about the legislative branch, and how a bill becomes law. They analyze some actual language from the Constitution, compare the House and the Senate, and simulate the lawmaking process by reconciling two versions of the same fictional bill.

Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the structure and powers of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government.
• Describe the legislative process in the U.S. Congress.
• Identify the legislative branch's role in the system of checks and balances/separation of powers.
• Analyze a primary source (excerpts of Article I).

Three Branches of Government

Constitution Three Branches | The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the structure and function of American government. Using the United States Constitution as a primary source, students will gain a greater understanding of the role of each of the three branches of government.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will understand that the U.S. Constitution establishes the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches as the structure of American government.
• Students will identify the three branches of government and understand how government functions by identifying the jobs of each branch.
• Students will demonstrate their understanding of the three branches of government and the responsibilities of each.

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher.  

Fiscal Policy

Fiscal Policy | The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

This lesson is intended to provide students with the skills necessary to evaluate government spending and to offer policy solutions for how it might be managed more efficiently. Using the materials of Public Agenda’s Facing Up program, public radio’s Budget Hero and the resources of the Center for Politics this activity will bolster student knowledge of fiscal policy and how it is created. This lesson compliments ideas found in YLI’s Congressional Earmarks: Should Congress Bring Home the Bacon? lesson plan.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will manage a congressional budget in order to determine the difficulties in providing services while limiting governmental debt.
• Students will examine current policy proposals to manage fiscal policy in debt in order to evaluate how each will solve the nation’s debt problem.

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher.   

Supplemental Resources

Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS) Resources

Oyez | Cornell’s Legal Information Institute (LII), Justia, and Chicago-Kent College of Law

Archive of SCOTUS recordings w/ moving transcripts

SCOTUSblog | Tom Goldstein and Amy Howe, et al.

Reputable Blog for SCOTUS cases, resources with videos, editorials, explanation of current cases in common language. SCOTUSblog is devoted to covering the U.S. Supreme Court comprehensively, without bias and according to the highest journalistic and legal ethical standards. The blog is provided as a public service. 

Declaration of Independence

The Argument of the Declaration of Independence | EDSITEment! National Endowment for the Humanities

Terms of Use:  Except where otherwise noted, NEH holds the copyright for lesson plans and student resources, and licenses such content under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images and other materials on this website may be protected by copyright laws and other restrictions. 

The Federalist Debates

The Federalist Debates: Balancing Power Between State and Federal Governments | EDSITEment! National Endowment for the Humanities

Terms of Use:  Except where otherwise noted, NEH holds the copyright for lesson plans and student resources, and licenses such content under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images and other materials on this website may be protected by copyright laws and other restrictions. 

Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution

Magna Carter: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution  | EDSITEment! National Endowment for the Humanities

Terms of Use:  Except where otherwise noted, NEH holds the copyright for lesson plans and student resources, and licenses such content under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images and other materials on this website may be protected by copyright laws and other restrictions. 

Readings: Unit 2

You may link to the online version of the textbook from the chart or download a PDF copy of the readings for Unit 2 below:

Terms of Use: These readings from U.S. History.org by The Independence Hall Association are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.