Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13
Lesson: 01
Suggested Duration: 5 days
Bill of Rights and Current Issues
Lesson Synopsis:
In this lesson, students apply their understanding of the Bill of Rights to current events in the United States.
TEKS:
8.15
8.15D
Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the Declaration of
Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and other important historic documents. The student is expected to:
Analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and
balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights.
Readiness Standard
8.19
8.19A
Citizenship. The student understands the rights and responsibilities of citizens of the United States. The student is
expected to:
Define and give examples of unalienable rights.
Readiness Standard
8.19B
Summarize rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
Readiness Standard
Social Studies Skills TEKS:
8.30
8.30D
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
Create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator(s):
•
Create an illustration depicting a current event and its relation to individual rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
(8.19B; 8.30D)
4J
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
•
Limited governments guarantee specific rights to their citizens.
— How does the U.S. Constitution reflect the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and
balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights?
©2012, TESCCC
05/06/13
page 1 of 7
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13 Lesson: 01
— What are unalienable rights?
— What rights are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
•
individual rights
•
unalienable rights
•
natural rights
•
limited government
•
republicanism
•
checks and balances
•
federalism
•
separation of powers
•
popular sovereignty
Materials:
•
Refer to Notes for Teacher section for materials.
Attachments:
•
Handout: Issue Investigation (1 per student pair)
Resources and References:
•
Texas Law-Related Education provides a variety of relevant resources regarding individual rights and the
law at http://www.texaslre.org/
•
Consider gathering a series of contemporary topics relating to Constitutional issues that students may
use as a possible focus of research.
Advance Preparation:
1. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson.
2. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
3. Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this
lesson.
4. Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
5. Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
6. Gather a set of constitutionally-related topics relevant to contemporary times students may investigate and
analyze.
©2012, TESCCC
05/23/13
page 2 of 7
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13 Lesson: 01
Background Information:
At the conclusion of the American Revolution, “the United States faced severe economic and foreign policy problems. A
huge debt remained from the Revolution; paper money issued during and after the war was worthless; and Britain and
Spain occupied territory claimed by the United States.
The new nation lacked the machinery of government. It consisted of nothing more than 75 post offices, a large debt, a
small number of unpaid clerks, and an army consisting of just 672 soldiers. There was no federal court system, no navy,
and no system for collecting taxes. Congress enacted a tariff to raise revenue; created departments of state, treasury and
war; and organized a federal judicial system.
To strengthen popular support for the new government, Congress approved a Bill of Rights in the form of ten amendments
to the Constitution protecting the rights of the individual against the power of the central government.
The Constitution provided only a broad outline of the office and powers of the president, and it was up to the first
president, George Washington, to establish many precedents. He modeled the executive branch along the lines of a
general's staff. He asserted the power to dismiss presidential appointees without the Senate's permission. He negotiated
treaties and then sent them to the Senate for ratification.”
Source: Mintz, S., & McNeil, S. (2013). Overview of the Early National Period. Digital History. Retrieved from
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=4&smtid=1
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
ENGAGE – Unalienable rights skit
Suggested Day 1 – 30 minutes
1. Organize students into small groups.
Materials:
•
American History scrapbook
2. Students review the unalienable rights notes from previous
lessons in their American History scrapbook or in their textbook
or other available resource.
©2012, TESCCC
05/23/13
page 3 of 7
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13 Lesson: 01
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
Purpose:
3. Groups plan and perform a one-minute skit to demonstrate the
•
meaning of unalienable right with one example.
The purpose of this part of the lesson is to
engage students in discussions about individual
rights to support other discussions in this
lesson.
4. Facilitate a discussion about the meaning and examples of
unalienable rights. Possible questions to include:
• What are unalienable rights? Consider reviewing text
TEKS: 8.19A, 8.19B
from the Declaration of Independence
• What rights are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights? Review
the Bill of Rights to facilitate a conversation about
connections that students have made since their last
discussion about the Bill of Rights.
Instructional Notes:
•
As groups discuss their plans for the skit,
monitor group discussions to ensure that
misinformation is corrected or that appropriate
examples are being used in the skit.
•
During discussion, students may make current
events connections that lead to deeper
discussions about the role of the Bill of Rights
today. Encourage this type of discussion as it is
the ultimate goal of this lesson. If discussion is
rich, the teacher can chart the discussion to
identify the high interest issues that students
can research in the next part of the lesson.
Charting this information would allow students
to examine their understanding before and after
their current issues research.
5. Chart current issues as they naturally arise in the discussion to
use for research. Add additional current issues that you
propose in the discussion.
Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 20 minutes
EXPLORE – Current Issues Research
Suggested Day 2 – 50 minutes
1. Students form pairs or small groups based on the current issue
Suggested Materials:
that most interests them.
2. Distribute Handout: Issue Investigation (1 per student pair).
3. Students choose roles to perform in their groups. Roles could
•
computer lab or other research device
•
chart paper/poster board
•
markers
•
district-approved resources and websites
include:
• Issue Investigator – Student researches valid primary and
Attachments:
secondary sources for the group to use to study the chosen
©2012, TESCCC
05/23/13
page 4 of 7
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13 Lesson: 01
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
issue. This student must cite the sources for the group.
•
• Constitutional Connector – Student researches how the
Handout: Issue Investigation (1 per student
pair)
group’s current issue is connected to the Bill of Rights.
• Principle Professor – Student analyzes their issue to
determine how the Constitutional principles have impacted
historical examples related to this issue.
Purpose:
•
The purpose of this part of the lesson is to apply
understanding of the principles of government
and the Bill of Rights to a current issue.
4. Students use available resources to research their issue,
according to the guidelines in Handout: Issue Investigation.
5. Students create a poster to explain their research findings,
according to the guidelines in Handout: Issue Investigation.
TEKS: 8.15D, 8.19B
Instructional Notes:
•
The identified group roles are major
responsibilities in this activity. Students should
serve in their role throughout research. Students
may need to do some research/thinking
individually, and then work with their group to
discuss their understanding. Questions may
arise that require them to do additional research
followed by additional discussions as they
understand the issues fully.
•
During group presentations, it is important that
students present the issues using their research
to support their presentation. All group members
should be included in the presentation.
6. Groups present research findings, based on the evidence they
discovered.
7. Facilitate a discussion about the similarities among the current
issues.
EXPLAIN – Principle predictions
Suggested Day 3 – 50 minutes
1. Post the following charts around the room:
Materials:
•
• limited government
American History scrapbook
• republicanism
Purpose:
• checks and balances
•
• federalism
• separation of powers
The purpose of this activity in the lesson is to
challenge students to predict and justify
possible outcomes in regards to contemporary
rights issues that may face the courts.
• popular sovereignty
©2012, TESCCC
05/23/13
page 5 of 7
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13 Lesson: 01
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
• individual rights
TEKS: 8.15D
Instructional Notes:
2. Students continue working with their research groups.
•
As students write, it is important that they make
predictions based on their understanding of
American History. Students may want to discuss
the issues as they write to deepen their thinking.
Encourage low volume discussion to allow
writers to write effectively.
•
Encourage students to seek additional insight
from other students when they regroup. This is
an opportunity to enrich and enhance
understanding.
3. Students write for 5-10 minutes in their American History
scrapbook about their predictions for the issue they
investigated.
4. Regroup students so that one student from each issue is
represented in the new group.
5. Students discuss their predictions. If students offer additional
historical connections, students may add to their writing to
include new insights.
6. Students return to their research groups to share their new
insights and understanding of the issues.
ELABORATE – Predicting the news
Suggested Day 4 – 50 minutes
1. Students work with research group partners to brainstorm
Materials:
future news headlines for their issue.
•
2. Each group member chooses a different headline.
Purpose:
•
3. Students write a news story in their American History
scrapbook to accompany their chosen headline. The news
story should include examples from history that predict how the
issue may take shape in the future. The news story should
reflect a particular point of view or multiple perspectives – such
as a political perspective, women’s perspective, ethnic,
religious, etc.
The purpose of this part of the lesson is to
predict the course of current issues based on
historical examples related to the principles of
government.
TEKS: 8.15D, 8.30D
Instructional Notes:
4. Post the headlines for each story.
•
©2012, TESCCC
American History scrapbook
05/23/13
Encourage students to use historical examples
to explain their predictions in writing and in
page 6 of 7
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 13 Lesson: 01
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
5. Students look for headlines that they have strong feelings
discussion.
about – agree or disagree.
6. Choose volunteers to share their thinking on the predictions.
Possible questions to consider:
• How does the U.S. Constitution reflect the principles of
limited government, republicanism, checks and
balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular
sovereignty, and individual rights?
• What are unalienable rights?
• What rights are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?
• Which of the issues are related to individual rights?
EVALUATE – Current Events Illustration
Suggested Day 5 – 50 minutes
•
Suggested Materials:
Create an illustration depicting a current event and its
relation to individual rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
(8.19B; 8.30D)
•
American History scrapbook
•
District-approved resources and websites
4J
Purpose:
•
The purpose of this part of the lesson is to
evaluate student understanding of the
relationship of individual rights to current events.
TEKS: 8.19B, 8.30D
Instructional Notes:
•
©2012, TESCCC
05/23/13
Students may use notes from their news stories
or from the issues posters to create the
illustration. Students may also research
websites to enrich their illustrations.
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