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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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.
Colonial Grievances and the Social Contract
In this lesson, students examine how the grievances in the Declaration of Independence demonstrate a broken social contract. Through a matching activity and analysis of draft documents from the Library of Congress, students identify patterns of unfairness and evolving argumentation. Using a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework, they practice identifying them as legal arguments and apply their understanding to modern contexts before completing a final written evaluation.
Civic Compass
Civic virtue has been defined by the National Constitution Center as the character of a good participant in a system of government. Understanding the necessity of working towards the common good and positive personal habits are necessary for the health of a democracy and a system of government. This lesson asks students to reflect on character formation and the example set by notable Americans in the past to see how they exemplified civic virtue. Students will then consider civic virtue and the examples from previous generations and build a case for a living American that embodies civic virtue and serves as a civic role model.