Social Studies- Fourth 9 weeks 

The U.S. Constitution and The Early Republic. 

The U.S. Constitution Unit will provide students the opportunity to build context for the Constitutional Convention, explore events during the Constitutional Convention, and discuss parts of the United States Constitution and the government it sets up.  To build context we will identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and describe key concepts in the Constitution (such as popular sovereignty, limited government, republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances).  When exploring events in the Constitutional Convention we describe life as a delegate using a fictional identity, debate and vote on how congressional representatives should be chosen, debate and vote on how states should be represented in Congress and how long presidential terms should be, identify sections in the Constitution which permitted slavery and how these sections affected the nation, as well as identify primary source quotes as Federalist or Antifederalist arguments.  When diving into our Constitution and Government, we will use the constitution to summarize the main ideas of each section and answer questions about the government, translate and illustrate the Constitution's Preamble, explain how power is separated between the three branches of government, list and analyze the powers of the federal and state governments and research elected officials, interpret and teach about the Bill of Rights,  categorize the amendments and create our own amendment, and explain how the constitution influences daily life and analyze The American's Creed. 

The Early Republic Unit will provide students the opportunity to research several early American Presidents.  During the first week of the unit, they will write and perform a news broadcast about George Washington's presidency, summarize the most important events from John Adams' Presidency and create a political cartoon about one of the events during it, contrast the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans and vote in a simulated election of 1800, research and teach about a key event from Thomas Jefferson's presidency, describe the causes, major events, and effect of the war of 1812. During the second week of the unit, they will examine the Monroe Doctrine and its effects on foreign policy and create a foreign policy doctrine, write and perform a news broadcast about John Quincy Adams, summarize the most important events from Andrew Jackson's presidency by participating in a Reader's Theatre and create a timeline with important events from the Early Republic, identify the causes and effects of the industrial, Transportation, Communication, and market Revolutions and compare the Market Revolution to the American Revolution, and experience the forces of supply and demand by participating in a market economy simulation.  During week three of this unit, they will describe the impact of cotton on the US economy, the world economy, and slavery, analyze primary and secondary sources to explain why and where Irish and German immigrants settled in the US, describe their experience, and identify how they've impacted American culture,  investigate the causes and effects of early 19th-century reform movements, research and teach about an influential women's rights leader, and they will sequence and analyze events relating to the abolitionist movement during the Early Republic Era.

U.S. Constitution Unit

5.C.1 Summarize the principles and purposes of government as stated in the Preamble to the  United States Constitution. 

5.C.3 Identify and explain key ideas about government as noted in the Declaration of  Independence, Articles of Confederation, Northwest Ordinance, United States Constitution,  and the Bill of Rights. (Essential) 

5.C.4 Describe the primary and general election process for local, state, and national offices,  including those used to select congressional and presidential office holders. 

5.C.5 Identify the three branches of the United States government and explain the functions of each. (Essential) 

5.C.7 Examine ways by which citizens may effectively voice opinions, monitor government, and bring about change in government, including voting and participation in the election process. 

5.H.15 Explain why the United States Constitution was created in 1787 and how it established a  stronger union among the original 13 states by making it the supreme law of the land.  Identify people who were involved in its development. (Essential) 

5.H.16 Explain why the United States Constitution was created in 1787 and how it established a  stronger union among the original 13 states by making it the supreme law of the land.  Identify people who were involved in its development. (Essential) 

5.H.17 Explain why the first American political parties developed, and analyze the impact political parties had on early presidential elections. 

5.H.18 Identify and describe the contributions of important early American artists and writers and traditional arts and crafts to the new nation’s cultural landscape. 

The Early Republic Unit

5.E.2 Define types of trade barriers. 

5.E.3 Describe the impact of technological developments and major inventions on business productivity during the early development of the United States. (Essential) 

5.E.4  Explain how education and training, specialization, and investment in capital resources increase productivity. 

5.E.5 Predict the effect of changes in supply and demand on price. (Essential) 

5.E.6 Explain the purpose and components of a personal budget, and compare factors that influence household saving and spending decisions in early United States history and today.

The US Constitution Unit

• I can classify characteristics of the Articles of Confederation as strengths or weaknesses.

• I can explain Shays' Rebellion and how I would revise the Articles of Confederation.

• I can identify and describe popular sovereignty, limited government, republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances. 

• I can describe the Constitutional Convention delegates

• I can create a character sketch for my assigned identity as a delegate for the Constitutional Convention. 

• I can debate and vote on how congressional representatives will be chosen in a simulated Constitutional Convention.  

• I can compare our class decision with the decision made at the Constitutional Convention. 

• I can debate and vote on how states should be represented in Congress in a simulated Constitutional Convention.

• I can debate and vote on how long presidential terms should be in a simulated Constitutional Convention. 

• I can read primary source quotes and identify them as Federalist or Antifederalist arguments.

• I can reflect on my experience participating in the Constitutional Convention.

• I can summarize the main idea of each section in the US Constitution.

• I can use the US Constitution to answer questions about the US Government. 

• I can translate the Constitution's Preamble into my own words. 

• I can illustrate a phrase from the Preamble.

• I can memorize the Preamble.

• I can explain how power is separated between the three branches of government. 

• I can identify the powers of each branch of government.

• I can list and analyze the powers of the federal and state governments.

• I can research my elected officials and answer a writing prompt about politicians.  

• I can interpret and teach about one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights.

• I can explain the main ideas in the Bill of Rights. 

• I can use a timeline and chart to analyze and categorize the amendments to the US Constitution.

• I can create my own amendment and vote on an amendment to our school rules. 

• I can explain how the Constitution affects me in my daily life.

• I can analyze and answer questions about The American's Creed. 

The Early Republic

• I can write and perform a news broadcast about George Washington's presidency.

• I can summarize the most important events from John Adams's Presidency and create a political cartoon about one event.

• I can contrast the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.

• I can vote in a simulated election of 1800.

• I can research and teach about a key event from Thomas Jefferson's presidency. 

• I can describe the causes, major events, and effects of the War of 1812.

• I can examine the Monroe Doctrine and its effects on foreign policy.

• I can create my own foreign policy doctrine based on my opinions on America's role in the world.  

• I can write and perform a news broadcast about John Quincy Adams.

• I can summarize the most important events from Andres Jackson's presidency and participate in a Reader's Theater.

• I can create a timeline with important events from the Early Republic. 

• I can identify the causes and effects of the Industrial, Transportation, Communication, and Market Revolutions. 

• I can compare the changes brought by the Market Revolution to the changes brought by the American Revolution. 

• I can experience the forces of supply and demand by participating in a market economy simulation.

• I can describe the impact of cotton on the US economy, the world economy, and slavery. 

• I can analyze primary and secondary sources to explain why and where Irish and German immigrants settled in the US, describe their experiences, and identify how they've impacted American culture.

• I can investigate the causes and effects of early 19th-century reform movements.

•  I can research and teach about an influential women's rights leader. 

• I can sequence and analyze events relating to the abolitionist movement during the Early Republic Era.

Text -Scott Foresman - Social Studies- The United States

Moby Max