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2. John Locke Ideas Impact Info Philosopher Born August 29, 1632
Studied at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford
Single
Wrote Two Treatises of Government
Photo from iep.utm.edu
Snapshot
DOB: August 1632
DOD: October 1704
From: England
Networks: Westminster School, Christ Church, Oxford, Royal Society
Review the general information about John Locke with the students.
Click “Ideas” to move to the next section.

3. “ ” Locke had multiple ideas that influenced the Founders:
Natural Rights/Law
Select either natural rights/law or social contract. Both options will be in a logical order for the presentation.
Social Contract

4. First, we need to answer one question…
Individually, answer this question:
What are natural rights?
How would you define it?
What is natural law?
Distribute the student handout to the class.
Ask students to individually create a definition of natural rights on their handout. Discuss responses as a class.
Ask students to individually create a definition of natural law on their handout. Discuss responses as a class.
Note: definitions will be provided on the following slide.
How would you define it?

5. Natural Rights Life Liberty Property
John Locke believed all humans have natural rights, those being:
Life
Liberty
Property
He believed all people have these rights just because they are human beings.
Discuss what could be meant by “Life, liberty, and property”
Ask students for examples of what natural rights they think they have.

6. Natural Law
Natural law is…
A higher, unchanging set of rules that govern human relations
Click on the picture below to learn more about natural law and natural/human rights.
NATURAL LAW
Click on the image of the United for Human Rights documentary “What Are Human Rights?” to be redirected to the 9 minute video.
This video will discuss the history of natural rights along with natural law. It will also make connections to modern times.
Discuss the video with the students. Ask what they felt was most interesting about the video.

7. Natural Rights/Law
Imagine a group of people are out at sea and their boat is shipwrecked on a deserted island
There is no government
There are no laws
According to Locke, this is known as a “state of nature”
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of living in a state of nature?
Divide class into groups of 3-5 students.
Read over slide together and direct students to section II of their handout.
Have students work in their small groups to complete section II.
Discuss responses.
What rights would you expect to have?
In a group of 5, complete your “State of Nature” worksheet*

8. Natural Rights/Law
Answer these questions on your worksheet individually:
What are 3 rights that you think every person has or should have?
How are those rights guaranteed?
Now, in a group of 5:
Decide on 5 rights every person should have.
Students should work individually in Section III of their handout to answer the question “What 3 rights do you think every person should have?”
Have students work with their groups to create a list of 5 rights from their individual responses. Students should work on consensus building and cooperative skills. Students should also explain why they selected that natural right.
Now, as a class:
Decide on 5 rights every person should have.

9. Now think about this question…
Individually, answer this question:
What is the purpose of government?
On the WDYT (What Do You Think?) page, have students individually answer “What is the purpose of government?”
Have students answer the same question in their groups, coming up with a collaborative answer.

10. Go To Natural Rights/Law
Social Contract
Locke proposed that in order to keep our natural rights, the people must engage in a social contract
The people agree to create and live under a government and obey its laws.
They also must give that government the power to make and enforce laws.
Discuss the components of social contract: the people agree to live under and obey the government, the people give the power to make and enforce laws, and the government gives protection to the people in return.
Follow up: ask students how the government offers protection to the people.
In return, the people gain the protection of the government
Go To Natural Rights/Law

11. Impact
According to Locke, the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of individuals
The Founders agreed and included these natural rights and social contract in the Declaration of Independence.
The Founders also included the idea of social contract in the first three words of the Preamble to the United States Constitution…
…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
Discuss the purpose of government being the protection of the people and the natural rights of the people.
Have a student read the quote from the Declaration of Independence. As a class, discuss the highlighted potions of the Declaration of Independence as related to natural rights and the consent of the governed.
Discuss the words “We the People” which are the first words of the U.S. Constitution – our rule book for government.
Ask students how “We the People” shows social contract. Answer: the power comes from the people, not the government itself.
The Constitution also limits the powers of government to protect the rights
of the people.