7th Civics

Constitutional Issues

What matters most to you?

Washington State Social Studies Classroom Based Assessments

Student Directions (pdf file)

Rubric (pdf file)

Suggested Outline (pdf file)

Glossary (pdf file)

Student Checklist (pdf file)

Citations (pdf file)

Essay Requirements (pdf file)

Essay Checklist (pdf file)

Democratic Ideals Vocabulary (pdf file)

5 Principles of Democracy Vocabulary (pdf file)

IJH CBA Checklist (pdf file)

Suggested Outline (pdf file)

Note Card Information (pdf file)

Essential Question:

How does the Constitution of the United States support the ideals and principles of democracy?

Guiding Questions

·        What rights are listed in the Bill of Rights?

·        What amendments have changed the Bill of Rights?

·        What laws or rules support the Bill of Rights?

·        Which aspect of the first amendment to the Constitution important to you and your community? 

·        What are the Principles of the Constitution?

·        What are Democratic Principles?

·        Is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment? 

·        Should the death penalty be legal in the United States? 

·        Was it the intention of the Second Amendment to give all citizens the right to own any type of weapon? 

·        Do gun control laws prevent crime?

·        Should the Constitution have an amendment banning corporal punishment nation wide? 

·        How are students and schools impacted by corporal punishment?

·        Should teachers, principals, and other school staff members be allowed to search a student’s belongings without his/her permission? 

·        Should police be allowed to search homes, cars, and other private property without authorization?

Vocabulary (click here for definitions)

Amendments

Bureaucracy

Checks and Balances

Civic Responsibility

Compromise

Consent of the Governed

Constituent

Controversial

Core Values

Currency

Demographic

Dictator

Doctrine

Domestic

Empower

Executive

Federal

Foreign Policy

Forms of Government

Formulate

Framers/Founding Fathers

Humanism

Impact

Incentives

Initiative

Inquiry

Interest Groups

International

Interpret

Investigation

Investors

Justice

Liberty

Local

Multicultural

Multiple Perspectives

National Interest

Negotiate

Per Capita

Persuasive

Political Parties

Popular Culture

Position

Precedent

Pros and Cons

Public Goods

Rights

Separation of Powers

Stakeholders

Tariff

Public Services

Recall

Referendum

Reform

Reliability

Representative Government

Responsibilities

Common Readings and Key Resources (by topic)

More books can be found here (title only - all available in the IJH Library)

Freedom of Speech

Kronenwetter, Michael.  Under 18: Knowing Your Rights.  Hillside, New Jersey: Enslow, 1993.

Ritchie, Donald A.  Know Your Government: The U.S. Constitution.  New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989.

Corporal Punishment (and others)

Day, Nancy.  The Death Penalty for Teens: A Pro/Con Issue.  Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Enslow,2000.

Fridell, Ron.  Open for Debate: Capital Punishment. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2004.

Gonzales, Doreen.  A Look at the 4^th Amendment.  Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Enslow, 2008.

Taslitz, Andrew.  Reconstructive the Fourth Amendment.  New York: New York UP, 2006.

Web Resource (by topic – databases require subscription)

Note on SIRS: Link will not open in a new window automatically.  Right-click on the link and select "Open in New Window" for easier navigation.

General Constitution

·        Interactive Constitution - http://www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/ (web) Search the Constitution by keyword and other criteria.

·        Original Constitution of the United States - http://www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/ (primary – web) Transcript See a visual image of the Constitution and read with the transcript.

·        The U.S. Constitution Online - http://www.usconstitution.net/constfaq_fiy.html (web) FAQ guide for the Constitution.

·        The Bill of Rights (database - eLibrary)

·        History of the Bill of Rights - http://www.aclu.org/crimjustice/gen/10084res20020304.html (web) Basic history of the writing and contents of the Bill of Rights.

Freedom of Religion

·        Religion in School (database - eLibrary)

·        The Freedom of Religion - http://www.illinoisfirstamendmentcenter.com/religion.php (web) Basic facts and information about what “freedom of religion” means.

·        So What Does the Constitution Say About Religion? (database - eLibrary)

·        When Religion Conflicts with the Law (database - eLibrary)

·        Religious Freedom – Congressional Testimony (database – eLibrary - primary document)

·        Freedom of Religion on SIRS (database – provides multiple links)

Freedom of Speech

·        Freedom of Speech and Press (database - eLibrary)

·        Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly Today (database - eLibrary)

·        Freedom of Speech on SIRS (database – provides multiple links)

Gun Control/Right to Bear Arms

·        Facts About Gun Violence - http://www.abanet.org/gunviol/factsaboutgunviolence/uscompared.shtml (web) Short lists of statistics about gun violence and accidents.

·        How Stuff Works: Gun Control - http://people.howstuffworks.com/election-issue6.htm (web) Political site that gives some information about gun control.

·        Gun Control on SIRS (database – provides multiple links)

Search and Seizure

·        Search and Seizure: Overview (database - eLibrary)

·        Searches and Seizures (database - eLibrary)

The Death Penalty

·        Information from Cornell University - http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Death_penalty (web) General overview of the death penalty as it relates to state and federal governments.

·        Capital Punishment on SIRS (database – provides multiple links)

·        How Stuff Works: Capital Punishment - http://people.howstuffworks.com/election-issue2.htm (web) Political site that gives information about the death penalty.

Freedom of the Press

·        Freedom of the Press: How Far Does it Go? (database - eLibrary)

·        Freedom of Speech and Press (database - eLibrary)

·        The Rights of a Free Press (database - eLibrary)

·        Freedom of the Press (database - eLibrary)

·        Freedom of the Press on SIRS (database – provides multiple links)

Corporal Punishment

·        Corporal Punishment on SIRS (database – provides multiple links)

·        Child Abuse (database - eLibrary)

·        Spanking Sends False Message About Discipline (database - eLibrary)

·        School to Nix Paddle Policy (database - eLibrary)

Acknowledgements

Created by: Richard Snyder, Librarian

Inglewood Junior High

2441 N. E. 8^th Street

Sammamish, Washington 98074

rsnyder@lwsd org 425-836-7280 x 125

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

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