Virginia and United States Government

Virginia and United States Government

GOVT.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the political philosophies that shaped the development of Virginia and United States constitutional government by analyzing the natural rights philosophies expresses in the Declaration of Independence.

SOURCE Africans in America: Part II: Revolution 1750-1805
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/title.html

This is an extensive web site that provides numerous sources of information on Africans in America throughout its history. The section on the revolution looks at various issues dealing with natural rights and natural laws and how slavery was viewed in those terms. In addition, the site provides both contemporary opinions as well as modern viewpoints concerning the view of natural rights and slavery. The site Africans in America also provides teacher resources for using the materials that it provides, maps, narratives, primary sources, and links to other aspects of the subject. The site is easy to use with links pointing the user to the next part in the site.

Have small groups go over a small portion of the documents and present to the class how they felt Africans were taken into account when the Declaration was written, how they were viewed, what their role in society was, and then go over how each group’s view is different. Finally come to a class decision as to what really was going on

GOVT.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of democracy

SOURCE http://americanhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/experience/

Published by the Smithsonian, this site contains a variety of picture, audio, and text files to document the experience of Japanese Americans during WWII. As a multicultural resource, it finds its application to US government through the above standards. Of particular interest is a section on Constitution and Executive order, which examines the balance or conflict between the rights of citizens and the power of the state. In another section, the course cases and legal proceedings that followed WWII to “repair” the Constitution are examined.

Students may explore the site in an effort to recognize the meaning of the basic rights of democracy in a case study in which those rights were not met. I chose this particular site because its multitude of artifacts makes this idea engaging. It isn’t too wordy, and it is easily accessible for students.

Students can begin the lesson with a written reaction in which they are asked to rank the above concepts of democracy. They can be asked to explore how their lives would be different if one of these concepts did not exist.

Students can be given time to examine the site, under the guidance of the teacher’s lesson plan. After examining the site, students will then participate in an role-playing exercise – they will be divided into families of four, and given ten minutes to determine everything they would want or need to bring with them, after they are presented with the federal government’s order for deportation. (The actual document can be obtained from the site). This portion of the lesson idea is taken from the site itself.

Finally students can conclude the lesson with a second written response in which they simply react to their findings on the website as well as to the exercise. Students can submit these response to the website.

GOVT.6 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections by examining the impact of reapportionment and redistricting.

SOURCE www.fairvote.org/reports/1995/chp5/cox.html
The Supreme Court Rules on Race Conscious Districting www.fairvote.org/reports/1995/chp5/amy.html
District Shapes and Interest Representation

These two articles both explore the general topic of redistricting focusing specifically on racial gerrymandering. The first article examines the progression of the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding whether or not race can be taken into account when drawing voting districts. In Miller v. Johnson the Court ruled that race could not be the “overriding and predominant factor” used when drawing voting districts. The second article examines more broadly the issues that go into drawing districts and examines whether or not districts should be drawn heterogeneously or homogenously. The argument in favor of less compact districts is that they enhance the power of minority voters, thus enabling them to elect an official who represents their interests.

I chose these two articles because they address a very current and relevant issue in politics today. The issue of whether or not there should be districts composed primarily of minorities is a controversial issue and would lend itself well to a class discussion or debate. Furthermore, by reading these articles, the students would gain a better idea of the difficulty in ensuring equal participation and voting rights for all citizens. After discussing this issue I think that it would be a good idea to have students attempt to come up with their own plans for how districts should be drawn. They should also investigate the demographics of the district that they live in and draw hypotheses and to how these factors influence elections. Accordingly, I would plan this lesson during a unit on elections.

GOVT.7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the organization and powers of the national government by examining the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

SOURCE http://www.civilrights.org/issues/nominations/

This website examines the judiciary branch from the perspective of civil rights organizations. It includes links to articles pertaining to the nominations and actions of appointed judges. It provides judicial resources and resources for understanding current events.

I picked this site because it offers a perspective on the judiciary branch from a perspective of various interest groups and organizations. The civil rights perspective allows students to examine the background of nominees, and the reasons such groups either support or do not support them.

I would use it on a unit on the judiciary in a lesson on how judges are appointed. Students can look at how a judges ideology effects their chances of being nominated and confirmed. It also allows you to look at how various members of the judiciary base their decisions. Students can read through articles to compile arguments for or against the confirmation of a nominee.

GOVT.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the process by which public policy is made by analyzing how individuals, interest groups, and the media influence public policy.

SOURCE www.ethnicmajority.com/Political.htm

This website could be used in a number of ways, but as it concerns this particular SOL, I would use it to showcase minority interest groups and their impact on public policy. This site includes links to a lot of websites representing racial minority political organizations, such as the Congressional Black Caucus and the Chinese American Political Association. In addition to listing minority political interest groups this site also has links pertaining specifically to civil rights and also to the websites of minority candidates and members of Congress. The primary mission of this website is to encourage civic participation by minorities in order to achieve greater representation.

I chose this article because I think that it is important to show students the various interest groups that exist to promote equal participation by all; this is important because many students believe that politics is just for financially secure white males. By showing the various political interests groups the information becomes more relevant for students of different ethnicities.

You could incorporate this site in a couple of different ways. First you could use it when talking about minority representation in politics. Also, you could use it to demonstrate the role of political interest groups and their effect on public policy. One activity would be to have students research the missions, memberships, and tactics of a different interest group.

GOVT.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the process by which public policy is made by examining different perspectives on the role of government; analyzing how individuals, interest groups, and the media influence public policy.

SOURCE http://www.publicagenda.org/

Public Agenda is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization based in New York City. Their website addresses a wide variety of issues including immigration, AIDS, crime, and national security. Public Agenda receives funding and support from a large variety of sponsors. They claim to have two main purposes, which include helping leaders better understand the public’s point of view on major issues and helping citizens make better and more informed decisions through education on crucial issues.

Public Agenda is a good technological resource because it draws information from varied and credible sources. The website is a comprehensive compilation of current issues of interest to a wide audience in accordance with public policy. The site seemed well thought out, organized, well-documented, and readily accessible. Also, the site had a lot of recognizable sponsors (both public and private agencies/companies) and a clear mission statement.

Public Agenda has information on a many topics for which teachers could incorporate multicultural perspectives.On a unit on immigration, for example, teachers could take polling information off the site to supplement immigrant viewpoints. These viewpoints/perspectives could be used to analyze the role of government in immigrants’ lives or how immigrants are influential or lack influence with respect to the formation of public policy.

SOURCE http://www.civilrights.org/

Civilrights.org features audio, video, and written sources that communicate up-to-date news about civil rights throughout the United States. This organization, through its website, is committed to educating the public about the continual struggle for social and economic justice. The site publishes varied viewpoints with respect to issues of concern. To illustrate, some of the sponsors/contributors include National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Women’s Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union, National Education Association, National Council of La Raza, and Human Rights Campaign.

Civilrights.org is a good technological resource because it compiles many perspectives, as evidenced in the numerous sponsors/contributors it lists on the site. The site is attractive and easily navigable. One can access many types of media files, including video and audio clips. The sources this site incorporates are recognizable and credible, while offering varying perspectives on a great deal of current issues.

Teachers will be able to incorporate this resources rather easily into their government curriculum. In a study of civil rights, teachers can use information from the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University (a study published on this site) to show students a trend toward resegregation of public schools, and lead a discussion concerning the implications of such a trend. Another way to use this resource could be to access “The State of Indian Nations Today” Address, presented by the National Congress of American Indians (also published on the site). In a study of First Americans, this primary source can be valuable in ascertaining their perspectives of their current situation/status in the United States.

GOVT.11 The student will demonstrate knowledge of civil liberties and civil rights.

SOURCE MTV’s Fight For Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination www.mtv.com/onair/ffyr/discrimination/

This website is meant to enhance youth’s knowledge about discrimination in America and how it effects our civil liberties. In addition, it looks at how post September 11^th government might be encroaching on those liberties in its attempts to stamp out terrorism. It also includes articles about understanding the Muslim world, a look at national ID cards, and links to the US Department of Justice.

Divide the class. They will use the website to create a debate. One side will take the side of the Justice Department, the other will argue the side for civil liberties and rights of people before anti-terrorism legislation that encroaches on American liberties. After looking at the site in detail they will hold small debates with each other about the validity of anti-terrorism legislation in regards to civil liberties.

GOVT.16 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of government in the Virginia and United States economies.

SOURCE http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/95nov/strawber.htm

Eric Schlosser, the same author as the award-winning “Fast Food Nation,” wrote this award-winning article published in the Atlantic Monthly. “In Strawberry Fields” examines California strawberry picker labor from the perspectives of migrants, farmers, big business, government, and suburban growth. The article online contains a few vivid, modern-day photographs to enhance the experience of reading the article. Schlosser exposes the grueling work experience of the migrant laborers, subject not necessarily to law but to the discretions of the farmers, big businesses, and suburban interests. It presents an arena for discussion regarding the responsibility of government towards contracts, consumer rights, labor-management relations, and competition in the marketplace

I chose this article because it is powerful, and its power comes from Schlosser’s ability to present migrant labor from many perspectives. It reveals to readers how complex the labor system can be, and furthermore, it demonstrates how government intervention can become complicated and debatable. In presenting the positions of the various players clearly, Schlosser allows for students to be able to assume these roles if asked to, and to analyze the competing arguments.

The article is long, so perhaps the best way to dissect it would be to divide it among groups, who can then present their portion of the article to the rest of the class. After holding a class discussion of the article, each student could then be assigned to a different group in which they will explore: what you think each of the individuals listed below would say if they were asked what they thought are/were the biggest problems with California’s agricultural industry. Students will then present their decisions.
1.A strawberry picker who illegally immigrated from Mexico.
2.A strawberry picker who legally immigrated from Mexico
3.The grandfather of a successful San Francisco business woman who immigrated to California from Japan in 1909 to work picking sugar beets.
4.A strawberry farmer who employs immigrant labor.
5. A sharecropper
6. A suburban, middle-class resident of Southern California who lives near a strawberry farm.

For homework students should prepare a written response regarding what they feel the government can/should do about the migrant labor situation, if anything.

GOVT.18 The student will understand that thoughtful and effective participation in civic life is characterized by respecting differing opinions in a diverse society

SOURCE http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/immigration/immigration.htm

This website is the compilation of survey data in a study funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The survey’s aim is to gauge the opinions of recent immigrants to the United States. In addition to asking participants about their views on America and their hopes and dreams, the survey also included questions that gauged the feelings of the immigrants post-September 11^th.

This would be a great website for students to explore when discussing immigration and participation in politics. I would have students independently search the website on topics of their choosing. The site would be helpful in teaching students to respect the opinions of citizens of different ethnicities.