Principles of Government MR. S. WNOROWSKI ROOM 252

PREVIEW In 1787, after years of struggle for independence from Great Britain, the men who would later be known as the founding fathers gathered in Philadelphia to form a government that would not only strengthen the new nation, but unify it. Realizing that the country needed a stronger government than the one that had been established following the Revolutionary War, the founding fathers carefully considered the foundation and principles of government before crafting the central guiding document of our democracy – the Constitution of the United States of America.

DISCUSSION PREAMBLE Video  Follow along as I read the Preamble out loud.  What are the six goals of the government  Discuss how the Preamble forms the six goals of government for the U.S, and sets the purpose of our government.

VIDEO EXCERPT  View an excerpt from: We the People, A Giant Screen Film  Watch the video clip have them record ideas of how “We the People” is defined.  Record evidence from the film on how the phrase changed over time.  Think-Pair-share to discuss your perception of the meaning of the phrase “We the People.” What evidence from the video did students identify that helped them understand the phrase “We the People?”  PLANS/PREAMBLE-HIGHSCHOOL/ PLANS/PREAMBLE-HIGHSCHOOL/

PRIMARY SOURCE ACTIVITY  Handout graphic organizer and the primary source document sheet A-G.  Students will read and analyze each document excerpt to further their understanding of how the founding fathers interpreted the phrase “We the People” in the 1790s, and how it has changed over time.  Have students cite evidence to support their answers in the graphic organizer provided. The quotes from the reading should help supplement how “We the People” has changed over time. For example: Abigail Adams told John Adams to “remember the ladies.”  Process: Each table will have one documents  Round-Robin-Read the document  Address each analysis question and discuss the document  Rotate to the next table when told to do so.

ANALYZE  What do you think of when you read or hear the phrase “We the People?”  What do you think the founding fathers meant when they wrote those three words and what do you think is the relevance of the phrase today?  What significance is there to the three words “We the People?” Why is it important to understand the phrase?

DBQ Essay  Answering a D.B.Q. or Document Based Question requires you to first analyze each document (See Chart you just Completed)  Next, Study the Prompt.  Notice Key Terms and words that are telling you what to do  Third, Write a One sentence answer..this is your topic sentence  Fourth, laundry list your answer Ideas, then create an outline  Follow the A.C.E.S. Rubric to address the prompt

DBQ RUBRIC / A.C.E.S.  A.nswer the Question: The question or writing prompt is clearly restated. The writing prompt is answered fully and with sophistication and deep understanding of the topic  C.ite Evidence : The requested number of examples are provided that fully support the answer and exhibit deep understanding  E.xplain Evidence: The explanation of the evidence is insightful and sophisticated  Summarize: The summary is clear, ties evidence to answer and is insightful

DBQ Prompt:  Write an essay comparing the founder’s impression of the phrase “We the People” and how it has changed over time.  Students should cite 2 pieces of textual evidence from sources to defend their answers.  Follow the A.C.E.S. Rubric

EXIT SLIP  Evaluate how the Federal Government serves the purposes set forth in the Preamble to the Constitution.