Being an American ELL

In this lesson, students will explore the structure, purpose, and significance of the Declaration of Independence. Students will analyze the concepts of inalienable or natural rights and government by consent to begin to understand the philosophical foundations of America's constitutional government.

In this lesson, students will study the Constitution from three perspectives: structure, content, and underlying principles. They will study the purpose, content, underlying ideas, and constitutional principles of each Article in the Constitution.

For the Bill of Rights to remain more than what Madison referred to as a "parchment barrier," citizens must understand the purpose, content, and meaning of this important American document. In this lesson, students will identify and analyze the protections in the Bill of Rights as well as evaluate Supreme Court decisions in cases centered on Bill of Rights protections.

This lesson offers students the opportunity to reflect on the virtues the Founders considered fundamental to a free society. After reflecting on the meaning of these values, students will analyze situations where civic values can be exercised and identify modern examples of those values in practice.

Students will examine how a diverse group of Americans have exemplified the responsibilities of citizenship. Students will consider how these historic figures defended the principles of the Constitution and Bill of Rights through their choices and actions.