The Promises of America
How have interactions between the United States government and indigenous nations changed throughout history?
In this lesson, students will explore and evaluate period-relevant treaties in relation to the concept of social contracts and their evolution.
“In 1787, in the Northwest Ordinance, Congress pledged that the utmost good faith would always be observed towards the Indigenous peoples of the nation and that land would never be taken from them without their consent. In reality, the policy of the United States fluctuated many times over the next two hundred years.”
Featured Lesson Plans
Expanding the Vote
Students will explore the tension throughout United States history in expanding the elective franchise. This tension draws into question some of the Declaration of Independence’s founding principles: popular sovereignty, republicanism, and equality.
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.
Protecting Rights
Students will analyze how government power has been defined and limited over time through Influences on the Founding, various Founding Documents, and landmark Supreme Court cases.