Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Foundations of American Government Name: Jason Collar

Content Area: American Government Grade Level: 12
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other
essential documents of American democracy.
1. Analyze the influence of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and leading European political thinkers such as John Locke, Charles-Louis
Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government.
2. Discuss the character of American democracy and its promise and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.
3. Explain how the U.S. Constitution reflects a balance between the classical republican concern with promotion of the public good and the
classical liberal concern with protecting individual rights; and discuss how the basic premises of liberal constitutionalism and democracy are
joined in the Declaration of Independence as “selfevident truths.”
4. Explain how the Founding Fathers’ realistic view of human nature led directly to the establishment of a constitutional system that limited
the power of the governors and the governed as articulated in the Federalist Papers.
5. Describe the systems of separated and shared powers, the role of organized interests (Federalist Paper Number 10), checks and balances
(Federalist Paper Number 51), the importance of an independent judiciary (Federalist Paper Number 78), enumerated powers, rule of law,
federalism, and civilian control of the military.
6. Understand that the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government and state governments.
12.2.1: Discuss the meaning and importance of each of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is secured (e.g., freedom of
religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, privacy).
12.2.4: Compare the relationship of government and civil society in constitutional democracies to the relationship of government and civil society in
authoritarian and totalitarian regimes.
12.4.2: Explain the process through which the Constitution can be amended

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

Foundational principles and philosophies within American government.

Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
Articles of Confederation
The Constitution
Checks and Balances
Federalism

Unit Summary:

Students will examine the principles of government and the foundational philosophies within the American government. The focus will be on
the philosophical influences, the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, The Federalist Papers, and the Original Constitution.
Furthermore, students will learn that the two-party system in American politics traces its origins to the opposing views of the Federalists and
the Anti-Federalists. From the origins of government and the foundations of American government, the focus shifts to the structure and
importance of the Constitution, along with the process of how it can be amended. Following the lesson on the importance of the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights, the final section of the unit will focus on Federalism and how power is shared or delegated to state and national
governments. Throughout this unit, many of the assessments and activities will be online-based and interactive to promote digital citizenship.
Following the completion of this unit, students will be able to explain the purposes and functions of the U.S. government, demonstrate mastery of
the significance of the Constitution, explain how Federalism pertains to American government, as well as understand the civic virtue embedded
within the historical and philosophical roots of the American system.

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level: Formative: Summative:

Survey: Students will access the online survey
by going to Surveymonkey.com that requires
them to answer questions to assess their prior
knowledge on what Federalism is.
Quickwrite: Students will submit a written
response to Google Classroom addressing the
prompt of identifying two freedoms students
believe they have as American citizens.
Brainstorm: Students will be asked to go to
Padlet.com and submit 2 responses
brainstorming the difference between a
constitutional democracy and a dictatorship.
K.W.L Chart on Federalism: Students will
create a graphic organizer using Microsoft
Word that has a column labeled “What I know
about Federalism,” and second column titled,
“What I want to know about Federalism,” and a
third titled, “What I learned about Federalism.”
In addition to the entry level survey, students
will fill out this first and second columns before
the lecture and reading begin. Once the lesson
has concluded, students will fill out the last
column and submit their file to Google
Classroom.
Quiz on Delegated powers: Students will go to
Quizlet.com and join the class by using the link :
https://quizlet.com/join/nWzPATB2Q and
Digital Mind Map on Federalism: This
assessment has students go to Popplet.com
and use information from their notes, as well as
the textbook, to identify the different and
shared powers of national and state
governments. Students are also to analyze a
part of the Constitution to make connections
with how the government gets its power from
the Constitution.
Principles of Government and Origins of
American Government Mind Map: Students
will go to Mindmeister.com and create a digital
mind map answering 8 questions that
demonstrate comprehension of the material
from the lesson. Students will use the textbook
take the online quiz that asks questions
about the division of power between state
and national governments, as well as
interstate relations.
The Constitution and Bill of Rights webercise:
Students will navigate various websites
provided to them on the handout to complete
a series of questions that allows the students to
be in charge of learning the material on the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights. All of the
answers can be found at the corresponding
links in each section of the webercise handout.
Checks and Balances activity: Students will use
their Chromebooks to find a current event
within the last 3 years where the U.S.
government is either using Checks and Balances
for the benefit of the people or for the benefit
of the government. Once they have found an
appropriate article, students will write a 2-
paragraph response answering why/how the
government is using Checks and Balances in
that fashion.
Quiz on Principles of government and origins
of American government: Students will go to
Socrative.com and use the class code
BZVZBHB to participate in a digital quiz that is
in the form of multiple-choice, true/false, and
short answer.
Guided notes on Principles of Government and
Origins of American Government: Students will
access Google Classroom to download their
or their notes to answer these questions and
then make their project a presentation.
Amending the Constitution group activity: In
this assessment, students will demonstrate
what they’ve learned about the Constitution
and how it can be amended by writing up their
own amendment about an issue they consider
to be important. Once all students have created
their amendment, the class will hold a mock
Constitutional Convention where students will
experience the process of how an amendment
is passed by reading their proposal to the class
and having the class vote to pass or not pass
students’ amendments.
End of Unit Exam: At the end of the unit,
students will take a comprehensive exam that
covers all four sections of unit 1, which include
Principles of Government, Origins of American
Government, The Constitution, and Federalism.
The exam will consist of multiple-choice,
true/false, short answer, and two essay
questions. This exam will demonstrate that
instruction was clear, that content was
delivered appropriately, and inform the teacher
of any learning gaps that need to be addressed
before moving on to the next unit.
 guided notes template on the Principles of
Government and Origins of American
Government for the Prezi lecture. Hard copies
will be available for students who require
them. This activity will inform the teacher the
students were comprehending the lecture and
the final part of the assessment has the
students demonstrate their understanding by
filling in word-bubbles for Thomas Jefferson
and Adolf Hitler explaining their points of view
on how to govern people.

Lesson 1 (Teacher Lecture)

Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence Lesson Activities:
(Assessments):
Students will understand The teacher will begin the class by having the students go to Padlet.com and submit 2 posts identifying
the difference between a Students will submit 2 what they think a constitutional democracy is versus a dictatorship. The teacher will then deliver a
constitutional democracy posts to the class Padlet at PowerPoint presentation covering the foundations of American democracy, influencing philosophies, and
and a dictatorship and the beginning of the class. the Constitution. Students will take guided notes during the lecture to use on their assignment. Students
learn about philosophical Students will be provided will become familiar with different forms of government, concepts of democracy, influential philosophers
that contributed to the creation of the Constitution and the founding fathers. Throughout the lecture, the
influences, documents, and with a Prezi presentation
teacher will use questioning strategies to ensure students are comprehending the content. Once students
founding fathers that and a guided notes
have completed their guided notes activity, they will go to Socrative.com to take a short quiz to
shaped American handout. The teacher will demonstrate comprehension of the content. The teacher will then go over the responses with the class
government. put a stamp on completed and ensure there are no learning gaps.
guided notes and collect
them at the end of the class
period for credit. Students
will take a short digital quiz
and must have a passing
score of 70% or better.
Lesson 2 (Webercise/ iPad Lesson)
Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:

Students will learn about
the Constitution and the
importance of the Bill of
Rights, along with their
rights as American citizens.
Using provided websites,
students will complete a
webercise to gather
information about the
Constitution and the Bill of
Rights. Students will
The teacher will begin the class by calling on students at random, using equity cards, to recall principles,
amendments, philosophies, or important passages from the previous day’s lesson to inform the
instructor if the class is ready to proceed to the next lesson. The teacher will then inform the students to
go to Google Classroom and download a digital handout and inform the students to go to the provided
links to answer the questions. Students need to write the correct responses to the questions and submit
their completed work to Google Classroom. Once they have completed and submitted their webercise
At the end of the lesson, the
students will demonstrate
their understanding of the
Constitution and the Bill of
Rights by completing the
webercise activity.
Lesson 3 (Graphic Organizer)
Student Learning Objective:
provide the correct
responses for each question
using the provided websites
as their sources.
Acceptable Evidence:
digital handout, students will then create 10 digital flash cards on Quizlet.com. Each card must have a
right and its definition to receive full credit.
Lesson Activities:

Students will understand
the importance of
Federalism as it pertains to
American government and
learn about the different
and shared powers
between the nation and
state governments.
Students will demonstrate
their understanding of
Federalism and identify
powers associated to the
state and national
government by creating a
digital mind map using
Popplet.com
Unit Resources:
Students will create a The teacher will begin the class by asking if anyone shot off fireworks over the Summer for 4th of July.
digital mind map using Some students will answer yes and some will answer no. The teacher will inform the students that
Popplet.com identifying fireworks are legal and illegal depending on where they live. The teacher will then inform the class that
and defining the shared and this applies to some to laws on the state and federal level and will begin the lesson. Following a Prezi
different powers of state presentation on Federalism, students will use their notes and read chapter 4 of their textbook to create a
mind map of the shared and delegated powers of the state and national governments. Students will then
and national governments.
submit their work to Google Classroom for the teacher to grade.
There needs to be at least 3
main topics and 5 sub-
topics with at least 2
pictures on each subtopic to
receive full credit. Students
will upload their work to
Google Classroom for the
teacher to grade.

Magruder’s American Government CH 1-4

Chromebooks
Checks and Balances Worksheet
Microsoft Word
Padlet.com
PowerPoint
Prezi
Webercise websites:
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/what-do-the-declaration-constitution-and-bill-of-rights-really-mean
https://www.ashford.edu/constitution/preamble
http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/page/the-bill-of-rights-game
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/happy-birthday-bill-of-rights-2
https://www.icivics.org/games/do-i-have-right
https://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm
https://www.usconstitution.net/constquick.html
Popplet
Mindmeister
Constitutioncenter.org
iCivics.org
Socrative
Quizlet

Useful Websites:

Teaching Strategies for English Language Learners

NetSmartz
National Archives’
CrashCourse US Constitution
CrashCourse Political Parties
Khan Academy: Foundations of American Democracy
Scribd
Rubistar