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The
United States
Constitution: A Living Document
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General
Information
This
unit
focuses on primary
source documents as a way to understand the United States Constitution
as a “living document”. The majority of the attention will be
spent analyzing the Amendments to the United States Constitution and
how they make this document a “living document”. Students will
learn about the Amendments through a simulation as well as various
research activities. (SS 8.1.30, 8.2.1, 8.2.13, 8.2.3) Students
will also supplement their learning by creating a PowerPoint
presentation based directly on their research. These activities
will foster deeper learning and research skill development.
Students will also learn how to analyze a primary source document and
apply their knowledge directly to their lives. At the conclusion
of this unit, students will be able to create thoughtful questions
about primary source documents and how they relate to the United States
Constitution. This unit is designed to promote student inquiry
related to primary source documents.
| Grade Level |
Grade 8 |
Topic |
The Amendments to the United
States Constitution |
| Creator |
Chad Carr |
Geographic Area |
United States of America |
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Time Period |
1787 to present |
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Duration |
10 Instructional Days |
| |
Academic Standards |
SS 8.1.30; SS 8.2.1; SS 8.2.13; SS
8.2.3 |
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Standards Tapestry
The United
States Constitution serves as the backbone of freedom for individuals
in the United States. The Amendments to the Constitution allow it
to be a flexible, ever-changing document. Students will be
exposed to the Amendments of the Constitution and conduct individual
research on a chosen Amendment. The focus of this project is
centered on the Amendments to the Constitution, which ultimately allow
students to prove that the Constitution is a living document.
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Assessment
Rationale
I plan on using
a variety of assessments to gauge student learning. I will be
assessing using a Frayer Diagram, paragraph writing, jigsaw worksheet,
Research Question Worksheet, exit cards, and a PowerPoint presentation.
Standards
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Differentiated Activities
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Worksheet
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Lab Sheet
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Treasure Hunt
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Poems/Songs
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SS 8.1.30
SS 8.2.1
SS 8.2.13
SS 8.2.3
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X
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X
X
X
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X
X
X
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X
X
X
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X
X
X
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Humanities-rich
Resources
The
links below can be used as
valuable tools to conduct research. They will allow you to expand
your lesson plans and give insightful ways to utilize primary source
documents.
Type
(book link, etc.)
|
Name
|
URL
(if any)
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Annotation
(can include
description and notes on how to use.
|
Link
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Our
Documents Website
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http://www.ourdocuments.gov/ |
A
variety of primary documents can be found on this site to enrich lesson
plans |
Link
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Resource
Connection
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http://resource.smartdesktop.org/
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Allows
you to view and find humanities-rich items, such as lesson plans,
images, and primary source documents |
Link
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Lesson Plans
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http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/ |
Allows
you to perform free-text searches in a selected category |
Link
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Amendment Resource
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http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/ |
Allows
a student to perform research on a chosen Amendment |
Link
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Response to Write Representatives
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http://www.house.gov/writerep/ |
Allows
a student to write a representative from the House of
Representatives |
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Book
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Class Textbook
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Call To Freedom
Holt,Rinehart, Winston
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Students
can use their class text as a resource tool |
Link
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Court Case Resources
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http://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/digest/
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This
is a sample website that will allow students to view court cases
dealing with the Fourth Amendment |
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| Instructional Day
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Description |
Day 1
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Search and Seizure Activity
(see file attachment or alternative_lesson_plan attachment) |
Day 2
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Jigsaw Activity #1 (see Jigsaw
Questionairre, Jigsaw Instructions, and Jigsaw Activity Plans #1
attachments) |
Day 3
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Jigsaw Activity #2 (see Jigsaw
Questionairre, Jigsaw Instructions, and Jigsaw Activity Plans#2,
Paragraph_Writing_Assessment attachments) |
Day 4
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Inquiry Activity (see
Inquiry_Questions_Doc, 104-Who_Does_Research, Inquiry_Rubric, and
Inquiry_Lesson_Plan attachments) |
| Day 5 |
Computer Lab/Library Research (see
computer_lab attachment) |
Day 6
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Computer Lab/Library Research (see
computer_lab attachment) |
| Day 7 |
Finish Research/PowerPoint
Demonstration (see PowerPoint_Demonstration and
PowerPoint_Demonstration_Instructions_Attachments) |
Day 8
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PowerPoint Creation (see
PowerPoint_Rubric attachment) |
Day 9
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PowerPoint Creation (see
PowerPoint_Rubric attachment) |
Day 10
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PowerPoint Demonstrations (see
Constitutional Amendments PowerPoint Presentation Rubric) |
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