8th Grade American History Students

8th Grade American History Students

1. Objectives (Outcomes)

   • Students will analyze the executive branch of government, its departments, and the powers it processes
   • Students will analyze and evaluate the three branches of government and their individual roles at the national level.
   • Students will evaluate the legislative branch and the process of writing laws
   • Students will be able to explain the process of a bill becoming a law, and how it involves all three branches of government
   • Students will compare different Supreme court cases and examine how they impacted our Country

2. Guiding Questions

   • How do the branches work together to form a working government?
   • Is our government effective?
   • What is the purpose and responsibilities of each branch of government?
   • How does a bill become a law? Who all is involved in the process?
   • How is the federal government set up to protect the rights of citizens?

3. Big Ideas

   • Executive Branch
     • Departments
     • Powers
     • Process
   • Judicial Branch
     • Supreme Court
   • Legislative Branch
     • How a bill becomes a law
     • Process of writing laws

4. Enduring Understandings

   • Understand the difference between the 3 branches
   • Understand how the branches interact within each other

5. Concepts, Topics, and Standards

   • Nebraska Standards under Civics
   • Judicial Branch
   • Executive Branch
   • Legislative Branch

6. Background Knowledge

   • Basic Understanding of Government in General
   • Know a brief description of the 3 different branches

7. Supplemental Experiences

   • Guest Speaker
   • Field Trip
   • Constitution
   • Court Cases

8. Technology

   • iCivics Website
   • Street Law Website
   • Teaching Tolerance Website Resource

9. Marginalized Populations

   • White Males are Majority
   • All Minority Groups Under-Represented

10. Strategies and Differentiation

    • Talking Statues
    • Pre-Reading
    • Illustrated Outline
    • Differentiate through easier and/or more difficult reading levels

11. Literacy Support

    • Context Clues
    • Sounding Words Out
    • Extra Time Outside Class

12. Assessments

    • Pre-Assessment
      • Citizenship Questions
    • Formative Assessments
      • Court Cases Website Activity
      • Illustrated Outline
      • Class Discussions
      • Talking Statues
    • Summative Assessments
      • Summative Chapter Test