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
Protecting Natural Rights: The Bill of Rights and Government Power
Students will investigate how governments protect people’s natural rights by examining the Bill of Rights, grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence, and different forms of government. Through source analysis, collaborative discussion, and constructive dialogue activities, students will evaluate how democratic governments protect individual freedoms and how constitutional rights continue to shape civic life today.
Pursuit of Happiness
In this lesson, students will investigate how Americans conceptualized the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ at various points in history and how this relates to government action and their own individual civic virtue. Students watch a short video, examine excerpts from primary sources, and reflect on their own understanding of happiness through debate, dialogue, and writing. By the end of the lesson, students will evaluate whether it is more important to have a government of laws or a culture of individual civic virtue in order to promote the “pursuit of happiness.”
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.