civics and economics

Civics and Economics

Concept-Based Planning

Course PacingUnit Title Content Conceptual

Lens

1 Foundations and Development of American Government

Principles underlying US government: what they are, where they came from, historical context for their inclusion in the US Constitution.

Values and Beliefs

2 American Systems of Government

The hierarchy of power that organizes the government systems of the United States (the structure of, functions of, and relationship between national, state, and local governments);ie, Federalism

Hierarchy

3 American Legal System

Function of laws, the law-making process, authority and enforcement

Power and Authority

4 Citizenship Obligations and privileges of citizenship; immigration and naturalization; historical struggles for full citizenship rights

Inclusion

Course PacingUnit Title Content Conceptual

Lens

5 Conflict Resolution in a Democracy

The role of parties, elections, interest groups, and media in shaping public opinion and resolving conflict

Influence

6 Macroeconomics Types of economies; characteristics of market economies (private property, profit, market forces, role of government)

Economic Systems

7 Microeconomics Role of the individual in a market economy; personal economics; consumerism

Choices

8 Global Trade Trade, globalization, competition, specialization, foreign policy

Interdependence

Conceptual Lens: Values and Beliefs

Unit 1: Foundations and Development

of American Government

Macro Concepts • Power

• Authority

• Conflict

• Freedom

• Justice Standards and ObjectivesStandard: CE.C&G.1 - Analyze the foundations and development of American government in terms of principles and values

Clarifying Objectives: CE.C&G. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5

Micro Concepts• Immigration

• Colonialism

• Adaptation

• Mercantilism

• Egalitarianism

• Social Contract

• Revolution

• Democracy

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Critical Question: Why did Americans

reject monarchy?

Guiding Questions What caused the American Revolution?On what principles is the US government based and where did the ideas come from?What is the connection between the Revolution and the major principles the Founding Fathers placed in the United States Constitution?What was the Articles of Confederation and why was it abandoned?Who were the Federalists and the Antifederalists and what did they want? Describe the US Constitution: how it is organized, what it contains, and how it grants authority.Describe the Bill of Rights: what is in it and what is its purpose?

Instructional Sequence• The American Revolution:

Rejecting Monarchy

• Trial and Error: From Confederation to Constitution

• Analyzing the US Constitution

• Analyzing the Bill of Rights

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Enduring Understandings

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When people immigrate, their values, beliefs, and institutions often change.

No system of government is entirely new; it is always influenced by ideas and practices of the past.

People may revolt against a government if they believe it to be detrimental to their well-being OR if they believe its authority to be illegitimate. A nation’s government reflects its values and beliefs. A nation’s government reflects the distribution of power within its population.

Economic disadvantage can lead to social conflict.

Conceptual Lens: Hierarchy

Unit 2: American Systems of Government

Macro Concepts • Government systems

• Hierarchy/Structure

• Power

• Rights

• Adaptation/Change Standards and ObjectivesStandard: CE.C&G.2 - Analyze government systems within the United States in terms of their structure, function, and relationships.

Clarifying Objectives: CE.C&E.2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7

Micro Concepts• Federalism

• Popular Sovereignty

• Limited Government

• Civil Liberties

• Civil Rights

• Loose and Strict Construction

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Critical Question: What is Federalism?

Guiding Questions What is the purpose of government in a democracy?

What is federalism and why did the US adopt a federal form of government?

How are federal, state, and local governments organized?

What powers are exercised by each level of government?

How do governments evolve and adapt to change?

Instructional Sequence• Federalism: what it is and why

it was adopted

• National Government: structure and powers

• State Government: structure and powers

• Local Government: structure and powers

• The US Constitution: a “living” document

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Constitutions exist not only to organize governments but also to limit them.

Governments are structured in ways that enable them to carry out their basic functions.

In the United States, local, state, and federal governments form a web of overlapping authority that serves to disperse, decentralize, and limit power.

The structure of the national government and state governments is parallel, but the authority is hierarchical.

Governments must be allowed a degree of flexibility, or they cannot adapt to change.

Conceptual Lens: Power and Authority

Unit 3: The AmericanLegal System

Macro Concepts • Justice

• Power/Authority

• Limited Government

• Rights

• Equality Standards and ObjectivesStandard: CE.C&G.3 – Analyze the legal system of the United States in terms of the development, execution, and protection of citizenship rights at all levels of government.

Clarifying Objectives: CE.C&G.3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 5.2

Micro Concepts• Due Process

• Equal Protection

• Rule of Law

• Judicial Review

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Critical Question: How well does the American legal system maintain equilibrium between individual

rights and government authority?

Guiding Questions What is the purpose of laws?How are laws made at the national, state, and local levels?What are the different kinds of laws?Who enforces laws?What is the structure of the American court system?What procedures govern civil and criminal cases?What is judicial review?How has the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review shaped American law?What is “due process” and how is it applied?

Instructional Sequence• Purpose and types of laws

• How laws are made and enforced

• The judicial system: how it is organized

• The judicial system: civil and criminal procedure

• The Bill of Rights and due process

• Judicial review and major Supreme Court decisions

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Societies cannot exist without laws.

Laws exist both to control the actions of citizens and to impose limits on government.

Most citizens will respect the law if they view it as fair.

In a democracy, voters influence the laws through their elected representatives.

There are different types of laws (civil, criminal, juvenile, regulatory) with different agencies, courts, and procedures to ensure their enforcement.

Conceptual Lens: Inclusion

Unit 4: Citizenship

Macro Concepts • Citizenship

• Democracy

• Movement

• Identity

• Power Standards and ObjectivesStandard: CE.C&G.4 – Understand how democracy depends upon the active participation of citizens.

Clarifying Objectives: CE.C&G.4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5

Micro Concepts• Duties and Responsibilities

• Multiculturalism

• Immigration/Migration

• Inclusion/Exclusion

• Discrimination

• Activism

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Critical Question: What is an American?

Guiding Questions Who can be a US citizen?What is the current demographic make-up of the US population?How has immigration shaped the American national identity?What values have shaped the American national identity?What are the rights, duties, and responsibilities of US citizens?Why does democracy depend on the active participation of citizens?What is mean by the terms “rule of law” and “equal protection of the law”?How can government either impede equality or foster it? When have governments in the United States done both?

Instructional Sequence• How citizenship is conferred

• Current demographics

• Immigration and national identity

• Rights of citizens; duties and responsibilities of citizens

• Equality and Citizenship: a history

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United States citizenship carries with it important privileges, duties, and responsibilities.

For a democracy to function, citizens must understand and acknowledge their roles.

An “American” national identity can be difficult to define, but some bedrock values and beliefs are enduring.

Immigration has had a profound impact on American national identity.

Citizenship rights have not been equally experienced throughout American history.

The long struggle by marginalized groups for equal citizenship continues to the present.

Conceptual Lens: Influence

Unit 5: Conflict Resolution In a Democracy

Macro Concepts • Political systems

• Conflict

• Leadership

• Influence

• Beliefs/Values Standards and ObjectivesStandard: CE.C&G.5 – Analyze how political and legal systems within and outside of the United States provide a means to balance competing interests and resolve conflicts.

Clarifying Objectives: CE.C&G.5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 2.7, 2.8, 3.6

Micro Concepts• Elections

• Popular Sovereignty

• Politics

• Persuasion

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Critical Question: How are conflicts resolved

in a democracy?

Guiding Questions What is the two-party system and how/why did it develop?What distinguishes the two major parties?What is the role of third parties?How are elections conducted at the national, state, and local levels?How do elected officials help resolve conflicts?How do citizens implement laws and influence government policy?How are laws influenced by political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion?What are the major issues that divide Americans and how are

they resolved?

Instructional Sequence• Political parties: why they

formed and what they do

• Elections

• Interest groups, public opinion, and government agencies

• Current public issues

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The nature of party is adversarial, but democracy functions through compromise. There is always tension between the two.

People and institutions support political parties/candidates for a variety of reasons.

The two-party system of the United States poses unique advantages and disadvantages compared to other political systems.

US elections are governed by guidelines and procedures that ensure legitimacy.

In a democracy, elected officials should represent the will of the electorate, however it may be difficult to (1) identify public opinion and (2) translate it into coherent public policy.

Political activism is the right of every American and can take many forms.

Conceptual Lens: Economic Systems

Unit 6: Macroeconomics

Macro Concepts • Economic Systems

• Resources

• Scarcity

• Wealth

• Power/Control Standards and ObjectivesStandards: CE.E.1 – Understand economies, markets, and the role economic factors play in making economic decisions. CE.E.3 – Analyze the role of government and economic institutions in developing and implementing economic stabilization policies in the US.

Clarifying Objectives: CE.E.1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

Micro Concepts• Capitalism

• Market Forces

• Competition

• Regulation

• Policy

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Critical Question: How do economic systems work?

Guiding Questions How do communities determine how to allocate resources?What is money?What is an economy?What kinds of economic systems exist?How is a community’s economy related to freedom?What are the characteristics of a market economy?What is the role of government in a market economy?

Instructional Sequence• Scarcity and resources:

meeting needs and wants

• The nature of money and the creation of basic economic systems

• Modern economic systems and their characteristics

• How capitalism works

• The role of government in a market economy

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All societies have resources, needs, wants, and scarcity; all societies have economic systems.

The relative wealth or poverty of a society is mainly the result of its collective decision-making.

In a market economy, the primary incentive is profit and the primary regulator is competition.

The behavior of market economies is mostly dictated by the decisions of individuals and business, however government plays an important role.

Conceptual Lens: Choices

Unit 7: Microeconomics

Macro Concepts • Decision-making

• Fiscal Responsibility

• Standard of Living

Standards and ObjectivesStandards: CE.PFL.1 – Analyze the concepts and factors that enable individuals to make informed financial decisions for effective resource planning. CE.PFL.2 – Understand how risk management strategies empower and protect consumers. Clarifying Objectives: CE.PFL.1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6

Micro Concepts• Budgeting

• Risk

• Saving and Investment

• Credit and Debt

• Consumer

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Critical Question: What is the role of the individual

in a free marketeconomy?

Guiding Questions What factors influence personal wealth?What is credit? How is it both beneficial and problematic?How do individuals manage personal wealth responsibly?How do financial institutions (banks, credit unions, savings &loans, investment companies) help individuals accumulate and build wealth? How does the stock market work?What is consumerism and how does the government protect consumers?

Instructional Sequence• Income and personal budgeting

• Debt management

• Saving and investing

• Consumerism and government regulation

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In a market economy, individuals make decisions that affect their economic well-being.

All economic decisions are trade-offs.

Personal wealth is a combination of personal traits, opportunities, and intangible variables.

Personal wealth tends to rise when managed responsibly.

All individuals are consumers.

One role of government is to protect consumers from fraudulent or predatory business practices.

Conceptual Lens: Interdependence

Unit 8: Global Trade

Macro Concepts • Trade

• Interdependence

• Globalization

Standards and ObjectivesStandard: CE.E.2 - Understand factors of economic interdependence and their impact on nations. Clarifying Objectives: CE.E.2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4

Micro Concepts• Comparative Advantage

• Scarcity

• Specialization

• Protectionism

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Critical Question: Why do nations trade?

Guiding Questions Why are some nations rich and others poor?What is trade?How does trade affect participants?What is globalization and how is it affecting living standards around the world?How can government policies both hinder and foster trade?

Instructional Sequence• Global Wealth and Poverty

• Interdependence and Trade

• Globalization

• Foreign Policy and Trade

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Nations trade to offset scarcity.

Nations trade for comparative advantage.

Trade can encourage specialization and efficiency. Trade can also result in exploitation.

The prosperity and stability of advanced economies (such as the United States) are linked to the prosperity and stability of other nations.

A nation’s foreign policy is influenced by trade.

Public opinion is divided about the benefits of globalization.

civics and economics

Documents

government systems

nations government

system of government

us constitutionanalyzing

united states constitution

market forces

social conflict

distribution of power