TITLE OF LESSON PLAN: Civic Responsibility
LENGTH OF LESSON: 1-2 lessons
GRADE LEVEL: 6-12
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to evaluate the importance of civic responsibility
MATERIALS:
Intolerable Acts, Political cartoon of the Patriot Act, Bill of Rights, cause and effect graphic organizer
PROCEDURE:
Background: Students will have learned about the events in Massachusetts up to the Intolerable Acts. (pages 138-139 American Journey) This lesson will focus on why and how the Intolerable Acts were enforced in Massachusetts. Hook students by having a gallery walk where students walk around the classroom and look at primary source documents related to the Intolerable Acts including:
Boston Port Act- closed Boston Harbor
MA Government Act- regulated the government
Quebec Act- set the boundary line
Quartering Act of 1774- British soldiers could occupy colonist’s homes without consent
Administration of Justice Act- to prevent a failure of justice and for the suppression of riots.
1. Place students in groups of 2-4 students. Provide each group with one of the Acts listed above to focus on.
2. Students will complete the cause and effect graphic organizer for the Act assigned.
3. Jigsaw so that students form new groups to report to other students about the act their group studied.
4. Students will discuss the Acts and then compare them to the Bill of Rights. Students will make connections to the Amendments that guarantee basic rights in relation to the Intolerable Acts.
5. Teacher will show a political cartoon of the Patriot Act and discuss why Americans are opposed to it. Teacher will remind students that the only Amendment that was ever repealed was the 18th (Prohibition), by the 21st Amendment.
6. Students will debate about whether or not the Patriot Act is constitutional in comparison to the 4th Amendment.
EVALUATION:
Ask students to answer the following as a “ticket out the door”
1. How did the Intolerable Acts influence the idea of revolution?
2. Compare and contrast the Intolerable Acts to the Patriot Act.
3. How would you react if you were a colonist in Massachusetts?
4. Is the Patriot Act constitutional? Students will debate about the topic and write their opinion.
EXTENSION (if any):
R.A.F.T. assignment ( Role, Audience, Format, Topic)
1. Students can pretend to be Patriots writing a letter to the King for representation in Parliament.
2. Students can pretend to be British soldiers writing a speech to Patriots to obey the laws in the colonies.
3. Students can write a letter to Congress with their opinion about the Patriot Act.
4. Using examples from the lesson, write a persuasive essay about the importance of civic responsibility. (Voting, changing laws, etc…)
TAH GRANT REFERENCES:
Summer Institute 2008, gallery walk technique TCI workshop
STANDARDS: Civic & Government
Standard 2- Evaluate the roles, rights, and responsibilities of U.S. citizens and determine methods of active participation in society, government, and the political system.
