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Content Area: Social Studies
Index: 6.2B Grade 4 CPI 1
Standard: 6.2 - Civics
Strand: B - American Values and Principles
Cumulative Progress Indicator: 1 - The student identify the fundamental values and principles of American democracy expressed in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the first New Jersey Constitution.
Grade: 4
Sample Activities:
· Students learn that the Constitution of the United States makes reference to “the general welfare of its citizens.” Students create a collage of hand-drawn pictures (or cutout magazine illustrations) that represent some of the things needed to lead a happy life, such as food, clothing, homes, friends, and family. Next, students create a second collage depicting “wants” — those things that seem attractive but are not necessities of living.
· Key documents are historically important statements of basic American principles. They include the major documents of our history: the Constitution, Washington’s inaugural speech and farewell address, the inaugural speeches of Lincoln and Kennedy, selected letters of Thomas Jefferson, the Federalist papers, notable Supreme Court decisions, and many others. The list will continue to grow. There have been many collections of these documents; the most well-known is the Commager collection. We also include the Pledge of Allegiance, which, while not exactly a document, is an important American statement. Students are most familiar with the Pledge of Allegiance because it starts their school day. Provide background information to students on the origin of the pledge in 1892, when Francis Bellamy wrote it to celebrate the anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in America.
· The Significance of the Pledge of Allegiance: For centuries, rulers required such pledges and all were forced to comply. Only in a democracy is such a pledge voluntary. Students learn that this is part of our heritage of freedom. It is important also that they have an idea of what the words mean and why it is something that is repeated in schools throughout our nation every day. They should also see its relationship to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. How does the phrase “with liberty and justice for all” reflect sentiments expressed in the other major documents of our history?
· Research the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Discuss why the Pledge was first written and what kind of purpose it provided for citizens. Be sure they know what the Pledge means and the significance of making a pledge or promise. Ask students to name other pledges they may have said or heard said, such as Girl Scout Promise or the Boy Scout oath. They may work to create new pledges to New Jersey, to their community, to the school, to the class, to their family, or perhaps to a best friend.
· The stripes on our country’s flag represent the 13 original colonies. The colonies, although each had a colonial government, were ultimately governed by the mother country. Those individuals who wanted to break away from the mother country needed to make a statement. The result was the Declaration of Independence. Students need to understand what it means to declare something and the new responsibilities that being independent entails. Ask them to list all of the things that are provided for them by parents or other family members. Write these items on the chalkboard. Next, ask students which of the items on the list they could supply themselves if they became independent. Discuss how much independence costs in terms of loss of assistance, guidance, and protection.
· After researching some of the factors that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence, invite students to role-play a debate between a patriot and a loyalist living just prior to the American Revolution. Encourage them to state reasons why or why not independence from Great Britain was a good idea.
· Tell the students that they are going to an imaginary planet. Brainstorm characteristics and natural resources that they would like to find. Inform them that they will take along with them everything that they will need to establish a settlement there. Not long after arriving, they will need to write a constitution so that they, as citizens of this planet, will be able to plan how they will be governed. Encourage students to use their imaginations to think of the issues that they may need to face in order to establish this government.
· Draw upon stories, biographies, and other sources to analyze how people have continued to struggle to bring all groups in American society the liberties and equality promised in the basic documents from the founding of our country. Prepare a synopsis of the 1844 New Jersey Constitution, including a brief description with key quotations from each of the nine articles. Discuss these quotations with the class.
· The class visits the historic Old Barracks Museum in Trenton. Students observe and participate in one of the tableaus that are regularly presented there for schoolchildren. Through the vivid performances of a recruiting officer, a hospital worker, a Loyalist, and a Loyalist prisoner’s wife, children see ordinary 18th century people in extraordinary circumstances. When a musket is fired, the smell and smoke evoke a battlefield. The three-sided bayonet gives a wound that will not easily heal, a straw mattress is scratchy, the blanket is torn. Questions such as the following present themselves to the students just as they presented themselves to the colonists: Loyalty to your king or loyalty to deeper principles? What are these principles? Law and order or suspension of law and order for the securing of “rights.” (In the post-visit classroom, point out that the answers lie in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.) Students must decide whether to be part of the Continental Army or to be Tories loyal to the English crown. Present arguments for both sides to the students in advance of their visit. When the students arrive at the Old Barracks, they actually become part of the program. At that point, they must make a decision: to remain loyal to the king or to enlist in the Continental Army. By enlisting in the Continental Army, students make a conscious decision to support the principles espoused in the Declaration of Independence. Although the Constitution had not yet been written in 1777, many of the principles it would later contain are brought to light in the crisis of revolution. From the Loyalist point of view, the security of British common law and its espousal of free speech and choice provide a safer alternative than the insecurities of the “rebel” government. Students develop a new appreciation and understanding for the future Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence is referenced several times, and students are challenged to understand the implications of the document from the point of view of its time. Jefferson’s comments about “foreign mercenaries,” for example, take on a new light when students are asked to consider how they would like foreign soldiers occupying their homes and learn “firsthand” what it was like.
· Probably at no time in the history of our country did the government have a more direct impact on the lives of its citizens than during the Revolution. Students compare the U.S. Constitution and the Articles of Confederation in simplest terms. For example, the Articles gave more power to each state, while the Constitution strengthened the central government. Issues such as these should be clarified as the class discovers the differences, thereby setting the stage for their study of the Constitution.
· Discuss with students the concept of rights. What does it mean to them? Do they have rights within their own families? What rights do they not have in the family context? What rights do they have in school and in the community? Develop with students a list of responsibilities corresponding to each of the rights they have at home, in school, and in the community. Colonial Context. Explain the following points: King George III of England had dominion over the American colonies and levied a tax on sugar, stamps, and other essentials used by colonists. The colonists objected to what they considered unfair policies, including taxation and the quartering of troops in their homes. The colonial governments were not entirely democratic. Out of this context came the basic philosophy of the Bill of Rights. Students develop a questionnaire for colonists soliciting their reaction to the taxes and other unfair policies of the British crown.
· Introduce students to the Bill of Rights, and list the contents of the first eight parts on chart paper. (Note: Articles 9 and 10 will be too advanced for this level.) Prepare and distribute a list of the sections, and discuss them with the class. Each student writes a brief essay on one of the eight articles, speculating about a situation in which the particular right might apply.\
Kidspiration Activity:
· Use symbols and links to create a concept map. · Brainstorm ideas in picture view · Go to writing view to organize ideas and add details · Use SuperGrouper categories to sort ideas and arguments. · Use symbols and links to create concept maps that explore relationships between groups. · Use SuperGrouper categories to create compare/contrast activities. |
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