BW #1 What is the purpose of the rules that you must follow in school or in a club of which you are a member? How is the purpose of those rules similar to the purpose of rules established by government?

BW #2 Identify a rule or law that you must follow. Brainstorm what life would be like without that law – consider both the positive and negative effects.

BW # 3 Write a half page response to the following questions. What are your duties and responsibilities as a citizen of the United States? What is the role you play in government?

BW #4 “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” (This means it is natural that you have to lose some freedoms (or have them restricted) in order for the government to grow and get stronger.) Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? Write a ½ page response.

BW #5 Write a 1/2 page response to the following question: Why is peaceful resolution to conflict important for democracy?

BW #6 A Beijing demonstrator blocks the path of a tank convoy along the Avenue of Eternal Peace near Tiananmen Square. This image represents one student’s willingness to stand up in the face of certain danger for a belief—in this case, the desire for democracy. Have you ever felt the need to stand up for a belief, an idea, for the rights of another? Write at least a ½ page response to this photo. Explain a situation in which you had to stand up for something in which you believed and defend your actions.

BW #7 Suggest some public policies that you believe promote the common good. What is it about these policies that makes them serve the public good? Can policies to serve the public good sometimes go too far? Explain your answers.

BW #8 What are basic human rights? From the rights you have listed, where did you learn these rights?

BW #9 Review the text on page 29-30 about ordered, limited and representative government and the Magna Carta. Could the basic concepts of ordered, limited and representative government have developed without the signing of the Magna Carta? Explain your answer. ½ page required.

BW #10 Would you expect a revolutionary new computer software program to run free of glitches?? Why or why not? From what you do know about the American Government, give 2 -3 examples of “glitches” that have had to be repaired over time.

BW #11 The Founding Fathers had the task of fixing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, as well as balancing the needs and demands of the States…… What other challenges do you think the Founding Fathers faced when they tried to draft a new Constitution? (think about their personal lives as well)

BW #12 What were some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Why was it made so weak? Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan with the New Jersey Plan.

BW #13 What were the major issues on which the delegates agreed to compromise? In what ways did the compromises concerning slavery represent a contradiction of the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence? (Answers can be 1-2 sentences each.)

BW #14 What kind of government do you think best protects citizens’ natural rights: a stronger one similar to that under that Constitution or a weaker one similar to that under the Articles of Confederation? Explain your answer.

BW #15 Why is it important to be able to make changes to the U.S. Constitution?