Constitutions and Charters: UbD Framework Curriculum Design

Overview
Unit Name: Constitutions, Charters, and Contracts

Teacher: Dylan Frendt

Subject: Social Studies

Grade: 09-10

Briefly give a narrative overview of the learning unit:

Societies create governments in order to prevent chaos and establish order. This order almost always takes the form of a government. While the
exploration of government, civics, and democratic virtue is often a task reserved for students in eleventh and twelfth grades, younger high school
students should understand that the rules, policies, and procedures that are enforced in their school and classroom are a mirror of the rules, policies, and
procedures that we create and enforce with our governing institutions. By devoting a unit to having the students create their own classroom
constitution and their own expectations, I hope to provide them the space to be involved with civic discussions that have a practical purpose. This
lessons seeks to involve students with the democratic process, in their classroom, so that they can be exposed to critical thinking and writing and so that I
can also gain an understanding of their current learning portfolio as it relates to reading, writing, critical thinking, and willingness to engage in
discussion.
Desired Results
Established Goals:
PA Core Standards for Reading in Social Studies:
CC.8.5.910.E.Analyzehowatextusesstructuretoemphasizekeypointsoradvanceanexplanationoranalysis.
PACoreStandardsforWritinginSocialStudies:
CC.8.6.910.B:Introduceatopicandorganizeideas,concepts,andinformationtomakeimportantconnectionsanddistinctions;includeformatting
(e.g.,headings),graphics(e.g.,figures,tables),andmultimediawhenusefultoaidingcomprehension
CC.8.6.910.C:Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthedevelopment,organization,andstyleareappropriatetotask,purpose,andaudience.
Understandings:
Essential Questions:
Governments have a basic foundation of rights, privileges, and
Who decides the basic foundations found in government documents?
consequences that is often written down.
What are some of my rights as a citizen or human being?
It is the duty of the people to work to update, correct, and change How do these rights differ from place to place?
these rules and the laws that exist because of these rules.
How do rights differ from time to time?
All people can be involved in this process and should learn to
How can I be involved in updating the rules?
understand how to get involved.
What are the barriers to being involved in the process?