It Makes Sense! Common, That Is!
How did Thomas Paine's Common Sense contribute to the colonists' belief that power comes from the people instead of a monarch?
Students will trace the establishment of Republicanism in history using the primary sources including the Mayflower Compact, Common Sense, Declaration Of Independence, Articles Of Confederation, Constitution.
Objectives:
Understand why “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just power from the consent of the governed.”
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The Power of Your Voice!
In this lesson, students will investigate the meaning of natural rights, their place in the Declaration of Independence, and the role of citizens in protecting these rights. Students will engage in small-group deliberation, utilize a myriad of resources, and ultimately engage in a student voice project. By the end of the lesson students will have seen several examples of fellow students engaging in active citizenship, and how they might exercise their own voice.
Beyond the Text
In this lesson, students investigate how the Supreme Court expands, limits, and redefines individual rights over time by analyzing landmark constitutional cases. Through a collaborative gallery walk and peer presentations, students compare legal precedents and construct an evidence-based argument on whether the Court should protect rights not explicitly written in the Constitution.
To Expand or to Limit, That Is the Question
Students will connect prior experience of expansion and contraction of voting rights to current debates.