United States Government
Unit 1
Suggested Dates
2 weeks
Title
Introduction and Origins of United States Government
Big Idea/Enduring Understanding
American Constitutional Government was influenced by ideas, people
and historical documents.
Guiding Questions
How do people influence the founding documents?
How do ideas influence the founding documents?
American beliefs and principals are reflected in the U.S. constitution.
How is the United States’ form of Government similar to other
governments? How is it different?
TEKS
Content TEKS
Process Skills
1ABCDEF
5C
7ABCF
12ABC
20AC
21ABCD
22AB
Vertical Alignment Expectations
*TEKS one level below*
*TEKS one level above*
SS TEKS
Sample Assessment Question
1A-F
-How does the U.S. Constitution reflect the political ideas of the past? -Identify the types of governmental systems and compare them. -Why are some forms of government more
desirable than others? -How have certain historical documents influenced the U.S. Constitution? -What individuals had the most influence on the writing of the U.S. Constitution and
why? -How did our fathers compromise to reach a common goal? -What events of the early American colonial experience led colonists to believe they would have representative
government? -Why were the colonists and the British unable to compromise and settle their differences? -How did the weaknesses of the Articles of confederation lead to the
Constitution convention?
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7A-F
-What is the purpose of a constitution? -What is the basic structure of the U.S. Constitution? -How did the Founders hope to prevent any one branch of government from gaining too
much power? -How does federalism divide power between levels of government? -From whom does government receive its power? -What is the importance of the Supreme Court case
Marbury v. Madison? -What is the function of each of the 3 branches of government? -How does the elastic clause strengthen the power of congress? -What are the primary ways that
changes are made to the constitution? -What freedoms and protections are granted in the Bill of Rights? -How do the amendments to the Constitution show the development of
democracy in the United States?
The resources included here provide teaching examples and/or meaningful learning experiences to address the District Curriculum. In order to
address the TEKS to the proper depth and complexity, teachers are encouraged to use resources to the degree that they are congruent with the TEKS
and research-based best practices. Teaching using only the suggested resources does not guarantee student mastery of all standards. Teachers must
use professional judgment to select among these and/or other resources to teach the district curriculum. Some resources are protected by copyright.
A username and password is required to view the copyrighted material.
Knowledge and Skills with
Student Expectations
Standard
Clarifications
Vocabulary
Instructional
Strategies
(​1) History. The student
understands how constitutional
government,
​
as developed in
America and expressed in the
Declaration of Independence, the
Articles of Confederation, and the
U.S. Constitution, has been
influenced by ideas, people, and
historical documents. The student is
expected to:
Philosophies,
philosophers and ideas
of government:
laws of nature
and of nature’s
God
graphic
organizers,
illustrated
dictionary
chart,
visuals/videos,
reciprocating
teaching,
Cornell Notes
*(A) explain major political ideas
in history, including the laws of
nature and nature's God,
unalienable rights, divine right of
kings, social contract theory, and
● Written
constitutions,
natural law and
right/wrong
forms of gov,
such as
authoritarian,
direct
democracy,etc.)
● Constitutionalis
m-​ is the
principal behind
a political system
unalienable
rights
divine right of
kings
social contract
theory
government
resistance
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Suggested Resources
Resources listed and categorized to indicate
suggested uses. Any additional resources must be
aligned with the TEKS.
McGrawHill TEXT
NationalGeographic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVG4mOgJotY
Inside the Shadows of North Korea
ABC News: North Korea: Inside the Shadows
--Students will
view the video
Inside the
shadows of
North Korea
the rights of resistance to
illegitimate government;
(B) identify major intellectual,
philosophical, political, and
religious traditions that informed
the American founding, including
Judeo-Christian (especially biblical
law), English common law and
constitutionalism, Enlightenment,
and republicanism, as they address
issues of liberty, rights, and
responsibilities of individuals;
●
●
(C) identify the individuals whose
principles of laws and government
institutions informed the American
founding documents, including
those of Moses, William
Blackstone, John Locke, and
Charles de Montesquieu;
●
●
in which the
people limit the
powers of their
government by a
written or
unwritten
constitution or
contract.
Thomas Hobbeslaws of nature,
rule of law,
protection of the
minority.
Jean Jacques
Rousseau-laws
of nature,
populare
sovereignty, scial
contract theory
John
Locke-social
contract theroy,
unalienavle rights
Charles de
Montesquieu-sep
aration of
powers, checks
and balances,
Enlightenment
and its influence
on political
thought.
English
Common Law
Constitutionali
sm
Liberty
Monarchy
Powerpoint/cla
s lecture-fill in
notes
classical
republic
authoritarian
direct
democracy
theocracy
tribal
socialists
woksheets and
handouts of
excerpts of
documents
Group
assignment:
Pros/cons of
dictaorships
and
democracies.
republics
confederate
system
unitary system
parliamentary
system
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and write three
essays in
relation to the
topic.
Political
Philosopers
stickfigures.
● William
Blackstone-The
relationship
between the
government and
the individual
Religious Influence
● Judeo-Christian
● Moses-Receives
the 10
commandments
Theories of
Government
● Evolutionary
Theory
● Force Theory
● Divine right of
kings​-​ is the idea
that a monarch
was ordained by
god and
responsible only
to God and not to
the people they
govern.
● Social contract
theory
The rights of resistance
to illegitimate
government- “Consent of
the governed”
rule of law
Enlightenment
Moses
William
Blackstone
John Locke
Charles de
Montesquieu
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Documents and Eras of
Influence:
● English
Common law
● Enlightenmen​ta cultural and
philosophical
movement in
Europe that grew
out of the new
method of
inquiry. The
basic premise
was the
superiority of
reason.
(5) Economics. The student
understands the roles played by
local, state, and national
governments in both the public and
private sectors of the U.S. free
enterprise system. The student is
expected to:
Bloom’s Level Analyzing
free enterprise
system
(C) compare the role of
government in the U.S. free
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enterprise system and other
economic systems;
(12) Government. The student
understands the similarities and
differences that exist among the
U.S. system of government and
other political systems. The student
is expected to:
Bloom’s Level
Analyzing
classical
republic
This student expectation
requires multiple
comparisons.
(A) compare the U.S.
constitutional republic to historical
and contemporary forms of
government such as monarchy, a
classical republic, authoritarian,
socialist, direct democracy,
theocracy, tribal, and other
republics;
(12) Government. The student
understands the similarities and
differences that exist among the
U.S. system of government and
other political systems. The student
is expected to:
(B) analyze advantages and
disadvantages of federal,
confederate, and unitary systems of
government;
monarchy
authoritarian
socialist
RobinHood Clips: Divine Right of Kings, Magna
direct
Carta
democracy
Youtube: Reading of the Declaration of
Independence
theocracy
Bloom’s Level
Analyzing
Students must be able to
compare the advantages
and disadvantages of
each of these
government systems.
Federal Government
system​- a system of
political organization in
S​ystem of Gov
federal,
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Bill of Rights Institute Video Library
(Requires differentiated filtering –main page
includes links to short viewing guides- videos hosted
on YouTube)
Representative Government Video
which the powers of the
government are divided
between the national
(federal), state and local
governments.
confederate
unitary
Confederate
government system​- a
system of political
organization in which an
alliance of independent
states creates a central
government of very
limited power. The
member states have
supreme authority over
all matters except those
few which have been
expressly delegated to
the central government.
(12) Government. The student
understands the similarities and
differences that exist among the
U.S. system of government and
Unitary government
system​- -a system of
political organization in
which most or all of the
governing powers
resides in a centralized
government.
Bloom’s Level
Analyzing
McGraw Hill: Presidential and Parliament
Government graphic organizer.
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other political systems. The student
is expected to:
(C) analyze advantages and
disadvantages of presidential and
parliamentary systems of
government.
The students must be
able to compare the
advantages and
disadvantages of the two
systems
Presidential
system
Parliamentary
system
Presidential system​-​ In
the presidential system
there is a strong and
independent chief
executive with extensive
powers in domestic and
foreign affairs. They are
independently elected
apart from the
legislature.
The United States is the
originator of this system.
Argentina, Brazil,
Mexico, and the
Philippines are other
examples of the
presidential system of
government.
Parliamentary
System​-In the
parliamentary system the
legislative branch is
supreme to the executive
and judicial system. The
executive and legislative
branches are blurred. A
prime minister and the
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(20) Social studies skills. The
student applies critical-thinking
skills to organize and use
information acquired from a variety
of valid sources, including
electronic technology. The student
is expected to:
ministers of several
executive departments
carry out the functions of
the executive branch.
The majority political
party or a coalition of
parties selects the Prime
Minister.
Japan, Canada, Great
Britain are all examples
of Parliamentary systems
of government.
Bloom’s Level Analyzing
(A) analyze information by
sequencing, categorizing,
identifying cause-and-effect
relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea,
summarizing, making
generalizations and predictions, and
drawing inferences and
conclusions;
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(20) Social studies skills. The
student applies critical-thinking
skills to organize and use
information acquired from a variety
of valid sources, including
electronic technology. The student
is expected to:
Bloom’s Level Analyzing
(C) analyze and defend a point of
view on a current political issue;
(21) Social studies skills. The
student communicates in written,
oral, and visual forms. The student
is expected to:
Bloom’s Level Applying
(A) use social studies terminology
correctly;
(B) use standard grammar,
spelling, sentence structure, and
punctuation;
(C) transfer information from one
medium to another, including
written to visual and statistical to
written or visual, using computer
software as appropriate;
(D) create written, oral, and visual
presentations of social studies
information
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(22) Social studies skills. The
student uses problem-solving and
decision-making skills, working
independently and with others, in a
variety of settings. The student is
expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process
to identify a problem, gather
information, list and consider
options, consider advantages and
disadvantages, choose and
implement a solution, and evaluate
the effectiveness of the solution;
(B) use a decision-making process
to identify a situation that requires a
decision, gather information,
identify options, predict
consequences, and take action to
implement a decision.
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