Unit 2: Louisiana's Civics

Unit Description

In this unit, we will learn about how Louisiana became a state with the creation of our first constitution. Students will also learn about their role as citizens of Louisiana and how they can participate in making their community a better place. Lastly, students will examine our state and local governmental structure and how that structure is mimicked at the national level. We will study the government of our nation and our state through the lens of leadership to understand how different people relate to our government and governments as a whole

Essential Question

How do leaders make our community better?

Themes

  • Governments should protect their people.
  • Citizens have a say in how their community is lead and how it runs

Standards Addressed

  • 3.1.1 Create timelines that identify important events in the history of Louisiana
  • 3.1.2 Explain how technology has changed family and community life in Louisiana over time
  • 3.2.1 Explain how major explorers and leaders contributed to the early development of Louisiana
  • 3.5.1 Explain the difference between rules and laws
  • 3.5.2 Explain who is responsible for enforcing state and local laws
  • 3.5.3 Investigate the major responsibilities of the three branches of local and state government
  • 3.5.4 Explain how local and state governments meet the basic needs of society
  • 3.5.5 Discuss the powers of local and state officials
  • 3.5.6 Compare how government officials at the state and national levels are elected
  • 3.6.1 Explain the rights and responsibilities of individuals in making a community and state a better place to live
  • 3.6.2 Describe the qualities of a good leader and citizen
  • 3.6.3 Describe how a citizen can help solve a local issue

Unit Outcomes

Guiding Questions

  • How do citizens interact with a democratic government?
  • How are leaders held responsible in a democratic government?
  • What qualities make a good leader?
  • How do we elect our leaders, and what are we looking for in our leaders?
  • What is the difference between a rule and a law?
  • Why do communities and the government make rules and laws?
  • What are the 3 branches of the US government?
  • What is the role of each branch of government?
  • How do parts of the government work together?
  • What services does the government provide to citizens?
  • How does the government meet the needs of its citizens?


Students will be able to:

  • Annotate documents
    • Use the different steps for different types of documents when analyzing their contents
    • Unit focus writing skill
  • Source documents
    • Identify author’s point of view/position on a historical event
    • Identify author’s purpose in producing the document
    • Consider the source’s audience
  • Contextualize sources
    • Understand how context influences content of the document
    • Recognize documents are products of particular points in time

Unit Vocabulary

  1. territory: an area of land that is not yet a state
  2. Louisiana Purchase: when the U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803
  3. Lewis and Clark: explorers sent by PResident Thomas Jefferson to explore the land in the Louisiana Purchase
  4. citizen - member of a community, state, or nation
  5. rights- freedoms that are protected by the government
  6. responsibilities- things that citizens should do to make their communities a better place
  7. volunteer- offering time and/or skills to a cause for free
  8. Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments that protect U.S. citizens’ rights
  9. taxes- extra money that citizens pay to the government which helps fund government services and programs
  10. rule- tells you what is or is not allowed to keep the order and safety of a certain place
  11. law- rules made by the government that tells citizens how to behave
  12. democracy - a form of government in which people vote to choose who leads the community
  13. government - organizes communities to keep the order and safety and to provide services to citizens
  14. enforce - make sure something happens
  15. U.S. Constitution - our country’s written plan for government
  16. Founding Fathers - the men who wrote the U.S. Constitution
  17. national - relating to the whole country
  18. executive branch - enforces the laws
  19. legislative branch - in charge of writing or creating new laws
  20. judicial branch -in charge of judging laws and deciding if they follow the US Constitution.
  21. President - leader of the national executive branch
  22. Congress - in charge of the legislative branch; made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate
  23. The Supreme Court - in charge of the judicial branch
  24. governor - leader of the state executive branch
  25. checks and balances - powers that each branch has to make sure one branch of government does not become too powerful
  26. national government - in charge of running the country; located in Washington D.C.
  27. state government - in charge of running our state; located in Baton Rouge
  28. local government - in charge of taking care of the city or town; our local government is located in New Orleans
  29. mayor - leader of the local executive branch
  30. city council - in charge of the local legislative branch
  31. election - a process in which people, known as candidates, are voted into government office
  32. law enforcement - in charge or protecting ALL citizens by making sure EVERYONE follows the laws; part of the executive branch of government