We kick off the year by discussing the roots of the ideas that influenced the development of the United States political system. We discuss philosophers ideas about society and what life was life before Democracy. We then go review Ancient Roman and Greek Democracy and how the U.S Founding Fathers adopted it and it has evolved into the style of government we know today! 

Next we move into a long unit on the Constitution. We will go over the articles themselves and dive DEEP into the Bill of Rights. Students will look at how these rights play out in today's society and they will read court cases to learn how these rights have been interpreted over the years.

An important aspect of learning about Civics is learning how to read and interpret the news. Media literacy is a key element in our society and students need to understand how to dig through the overabundance of information that is put out daily. By the end of this unit students will have a better understanding of how free press supports a democratic government AND have improved their research skills for other aspects of life and school!

Students will take a closer look at the specifics of political parties in the United States. We will discuss the two major parties as well as the role that third parties play in politics. 

At the end of the year students will use their knowledge of political parties and party agendas to construct a campaign of their own to run for President of the United States!!

Students will discuss how individual citizens play a role in maintaining a healthy democracy. Much of the information from this unit will have been touched upon in previous units, but students will develop a better understanding of the role that they play in their communities. It sets us up for the next unit, where these concepts will take action!

Within this unit we will discuss the structure of Massachusetts state and local government by researching issues within our own community and working to make a change. This will include students doing outside research and speaking with members of the community as well as political leaders! Students will see just how much of an impact young people can have on their communities.