Unit 2 - Celebrate Freedom Week - Our Founding Documents
This unit bundles student expectations that provide an opportunity focus on concepts related to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights so as to address state and federal mandates regarding Celebrate Freedom Week (the week of September 17) and Constitution Day (September 17). This unit is a stand-alone unit designed to help districts meet those mandates. The standards and concepts studied in this unit will be addressed later in the year as well.
Background Information - Celebrate Freedom Week is a time to reflect upon the founding documents. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution provided the foundation for a representative republic – a constitutional republic - system of government in the United States and set a precedent for other countries to follow.
End of unit thoughts -
We discussed, in this short unit, the unalienable rights that man has - rights granted to him by simply being born. Those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The two documents that we looked at in class were the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (in which we found the Bill of Rights).
The worksheet that we copied into our notebooks describes the issues/grievances that the colonists had with the King of England, as well as the ways in which our Constitution and Bill of Rights protects us from these grievances reoccurring.
Background Information - Celebrate Freedom Week is a time to reflect upon the founding documents. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution provided the foundation for a representative republic – a constitutional republic - system of government in the United States and set a precedent for other countries to follow.
End of unit thoughts -
We discussed, in this short unit, the unalienable rights that man has - rights granted to him by simply being born. Those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The two documents that we looked at in class were the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (in which we found the Bill of Rights).
The worksheet that we copied into our notebooks describes the issues/grievances that the colonists had with the King of England, as well as the ways in which our Constitution and Bill of Rights protects us from these grievances reoccurring.
Misconceptions
Students have difficulty differentiating between natural rights and rights listed in the Bill of Rights.
Book Proposal Project
Develop a book proposal for a children’s book on American freedom. Include the documents that are the foundation for the American system and explain how they reflect life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, equality, consent of the governed, and independence.
Parts of the book proposal for this Performance Indicator should include:
1. a title
2. the characters
3. the target readers
4. the importance/value added for the reader/s if the book is published
5. a brief description of the book
Book proposals are not books but are more of a summary of the book with possible chapters listed. Book proposals are submitted to publishing companies when an author is trying to have a book published.
Parts of the book proposal for this Performance Indicator should include:
1. a title
2. the characters
3. the target readers
4. the importance/value added for the reader/s if the book is published
5. a brief description of the book
Book proposals are not books but are more of a summary of the book with possible chapters listed. Book proposals are submitted to publishing companies when an author is trying to have a book published.
Key Vocabulary
Natural rights (Unalienable Rights) – basic rights that government cannot deny from the people
Colonial grievances – wrongs, as perceived by the colonists that were committed by the King George III toward the colonists. Twenty-seven grievances are listed in the Declaration of Independence.
Primary source - evidence produced by someone who participated in an even or lived during the time being studied. Examples are speeches, letters,
diaries, auto-biographies, interviews.
Secondary source - descriptions or interpretations prepared by people who were not involved in the events described. Researchers often use primary
sources to understand past events but they produce produce secondary sources. Examples are textbooks, articles where the author
studied information to write it, encyclopedias, biographies.
Colonial grievances – wrongs, as perceived by the colonists that were committed by the King George III toward the colonists. Twenty-seven grievances are listed in the Declaration of Independence.
Primary source - evidence produced by someone who participated in an even or lived during the time being studied. Examples are speeches, letters,
diaries, auto-biographies, interviews.
Secondary source - descriptions or interpretations prepared by people who were not involved in the events described. Researchers often use primary
sources to understand past events but they produce produce secondary sources. Examples are textbooks, articles where the author
studied information to write it, encyclopedias, biographies.
Helpful Links
- Declaration of Independence http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
- U.S. Constitution http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
- Bill of Rights http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html
Class worksheets
| unit_2_grievances_and_solutions.pdf |
| unit_2_weholdthesetruths.pdf |
| unit_2_what_is_in_our_constitution.pdf |