USF's WebQuest
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WebQuest Title: Checks and Balances: The Students' Court: Historical Supreme Court Decisions
Grade Level: 9 - 12th Grade Level
Dear Colleague: This unit is designed to increase student level of understanding of the three branches of the United States government as defined by the U.S. Constitution. The first section of the unit will cover the definitions, roles, functions, and separate responsibilities of the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch of the United States government. In addition, the relationship that the three branches have to each other will be clarified by defining the concepts of separation of powers, checks and balances, expressed powers, enumerated powers, elastic clause, veto, executive privilege, judicial review, and unconstitutional. This unit is designed to develop reading and thinking skills, as well. The second section of this unit will cover the WebQuest: "The Students' Court: Historical Supreme Court Decisions.
.Author: Fay Osborn
Date: April 7, 2006
Unit Summary:
Goals/Objectives:
Students will be able to correctly define the three branches of the United States government in terms of their names, functions, responsibilities, and relationship to each other.
Students will correctly identify the principles of separation of power, checks and balances, expressed powers, enumerated powers, elastic clause, veto, executive privilege, judicial review, and unconstitutional.
Students will use critical thinking skills through the use of reading strategies: Prior Knowledge Activation Activities, Read Alouds, Concept Mapping, Vocabulary Word Maps, Mind Mapping, and Historic Frames.
NCSS Theme:
II. Time, Continuity, and Change: Human beings seek to understand their historical roots and to locate themselves in time. Knowing how to read and reconstruct the past allows one to develop a historical perspective and to answer questions such as: Who am I? What happened in the past? How am I connected to those in the past?
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Institutions such as schools, churches, families, government agencies, and the courts play an integral role in people's lives.
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: Understanding the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary U.S. society and other parts of the world is essential for developing civic competence.
Florida Sunshine State Standards:
SS.C.4.1 understands the nature of political authority and the nature of the relationship between government and civil society in limited governments (e.g. constitutional democracies) and unlimited governments (e.g. totalitarian regimes)
SS.C.4.2 understands the ideas that led to the creation of limited government in the United States (e.g. ideas of natural rights philosophy, and the concept of popular sovereignty).
SS.C.4.3 understands how the overall design and specific features of the Constitution prevent the abuse of power by aggregating power at the national, state, and local levels; dispersing power among different levels of government; and using a system of checks and balances (e.g. federalism).
SS.C.4.5 understands how personal, political, and economic rights are secured by constitutional government and by such means as the rule of law, checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and a vigilant citizenry.
Days: 7 days - Block Schedule Time Frame
Content:
The content of this unit will focus on the definitions, roles, functions, and responsibilities of the three branches of the United States government. Students will mine the first three articles of the U.S. Constitution to learn the intent of the Founding Fathers as to the specific roles of these branches. Students will role play these functions as they research four historical Supreme Court cases that involved all three branches of government in some manner. Students will come to a clear understanding of the prescribed doctrines of the separation of powers and checks and balances as demonstrated by these cases.
Methods:
Within this unit, the class is involved in prior knowledge activities, vocabulary activities, "Read Alouds," lectures, discussions, PowerPoint Presentations, concept mapping, internet research, role playing, script writing, and the WebQuest activity.
WebQuest Summary:
Goals/Objectives:
Students will use the internet to research specified historical Supreme Court Cases: Marbury v. Madison (1803), Plessey v. Ferguson (1896), Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954), and The United States v. Nixon (1974).
Students will understand the relationship between the three branches of the U.S. government as played out in these four Supreme Court Cases.
Students will be able to define separation of powers, checks and balances, expressed powers, elastic clause, veto, executive privilege, judicial review, and unconstitutional in terms of these four Supreme Court cases.
Days: 3 days - Block Schedule Time Frame
Content:
Students will be separated into four groups and assigned one of the four historical Supreme Court cases: Marbury v. Madison (1803), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Brown v. The Board of Education (1954), and The United States v. Nixon (1974). Each group will be further divided into mini-groups that will represent the three branches of the U.S. government. The students will research these cases through websites provided for them. They will be producing a reenactment of the case they are assigned. They will be required to write the script, create a PowerPoint Presentation to accompany their role-playing effort, and perform the reenactment for the class. Their production must detail the case, explain the role each of the three branches of government played in the case, and the impact the ruling had on present day constitutional law. In addition, each group will be responsible for completing a History Frame Worksheet that will be provided.
Methods:
Through a WebQuest, students will research the internet as a resource for their class presentation. With each group further divided into the three separate branches of the U.S. government, each mini-group will be responsible for researching the role their branch played in their assigned case. Each mini-group must choose a spokesperson to present their branch's role in the case. The mini-groups will reassemble into their one court case group and all will then be responsible for assisting in the creation of the presentation. They presentation will involve role-playing, problem solving, and cooperative learning.
Unit Information:
Background Resources
Web-based Subject Matter Content Descriptions of the 3 branches of government: Go to http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/3branches.asp Supreme Court Website: Go to : http://www.supremecourtus.gov
Downloadable copies of Constitutional Documents: Go to: http://www.archives.gov Then click under Most Requested/U.S. Constitution
Thorough description of U.S.Constitution: Go to: http://www.constitution.org U.S. Senate Website: Go to: http://www.senate.gov/ Detailed Description of the Constitution: Go to: http://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm White House Website: Go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Web Pedagogy Content Examples of WebQuests /USF: Go to: http://www.coedu.usf.edu/webquest/ Resources for teaching with WebQuests: Go to : http://webquest.sdsu.edu/materials.htm Lesson Plan Suggestion for American Government: Go to: http://www.civiced.org/programs.php Reading Strategy Worksheets: Go to: http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/readquest/
Other Resources More information on the 3 branches: Go to:http://www.trumanlibrary.org.
Unit Lesson Sequence
Day 1 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Prior Knowledge Activator: KWL
Students will make connections between what they already know and what they are going to learn on this topic. Instruction for KWL Introduction of Topic
Lecture
Read Aloud
Teacher and Students will read from the Constitution Read Aloud Handout Concept Mapping
Class will fill out the Concept Map of the Three Branches of Government with the teacher using the Read Aloud Handout Blank Concept Map
Establish 4 groups
Class will be divided evenly into four groups to represent the branches of government: Senate, House of Representatives; Executive Branch; and Judicial Branch Summarize and discuss next day activities.
Check for understanding of material presented on this day
Day 2 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Bell Work
Student Presentation: "On This Day in History"
Group Activity
4 groups set up to do Vocabulary Activity and Mind Mapping Vocabulary Powerpoint
PowerPoint of the unit vocabulary words defined and correct pronunciation given before students begin group activity. Vocabulary PowerPoint Group Activity
Groups complete Vocabulary Word Maps and Mind Maps Instruction Vocabulary Instruction for Mind Mapping Activity
Summarize and discuss next day activity
Day 3 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Bell Work
Student Presentation: "On This Day in History"
Complete Group Activity Complete Activity and then have each group present their Mind Map. Copies of each Mind Map will be made for each member of the class by the teacher. Venn Diagram Activity Establish relationship between the 3 Branches of Government
Instruction for Venn Diagram Activity
Vocab. Quiz Review Review for Three Branches of Government Vocabulary Quiz Quiz Review
Day 4 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Bell Work
Student Presentation: "On This Day in History"
Vocabulary Quiz
Evaluation of Vocabulary Concepts
3Branches Quiz Introduce WebQuest
Divide Class into WebQuest Groups
Instruction for Dividing into Groups WebQuest
Explain how to navigate WebQuest and clarify assignment Use WebQuest Summarize for tomorrow's activities Clarifying any questions before the start of the WebQuest activity
Day 5 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Bell Work
Student Presentation: "On This Day in History" WebQuest History Frame WebQuest Report Form
Day 6 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)WebQuest WebQuest Presentations Group Presentation Rubric Individual Rubric for Webquest Presentation
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)WebQuest Presentations Prior Knowledge Activator Brainstorm with class what they have learned during this unit.Complete KWL
Students WebQuest
At the conclusion of this unit, students should possess a firm understanding of the roles and relationships between the three branches of the United States government. Students should also have a clear understanding of the purposes and implementations of the doctrines of separation of powers, checks and balances, veto, executive privilege, judicial review, and unconstitutional. Students will clearly see how the Constitution is the foundation of our government and how this document effects their own lives on a daily basis.
Credits/References:
Monk, Linda R. The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to The Constitution. New York: Hyperion,2003.
O'Connor, Karen and Sabato, Larry J. American Government: Continuity and Change. New York: Longman, 2000.