Welcome to Political Behavior Studies: Grade 12!
This unit of study covers the many different facets of being an active, participating citizen.
California Content Standards:
12.6 Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.
- Analyze the origin, development, and role of political parties, noting those occasional periods in which there was only one major party or were more than two major parties.
- Discuss the history of the nomination process for presidential candidates and the increasing importance of primaries in general elections.
- Evaluate the roles of polls, campaign advertising, and the controversies over campaign funding.
- Describe the means that citizens use to participate in the political process (e.g., voting, campaigning, lobbying, filing a legal challenge, demonstrating, and petitioning, picketing, running for political office).
- Discuss the features of direct democracy in numerous states (e.g., the process of referendums, recall elections).
- Analyze trends in voter turnout; the causes and effects of reapportionment and redistricting, with special attention to spatial districting and the rights of minorities; and the function of the Electoral College.
Common Core Literacy Standards:
Reading:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.6
Evaluate authors' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors' claims, reasoning, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Historical Essential Questions:
-Why is America a two party system? What are the different roles of the party in power and the minority party?
-Understand the strengths and limitations of a third party.
-How are polls, campaign advertising and campaign funding crucial yet controversial in the political process?
-What are the different ways ordinary citizens can participate in the political process?
-Why is voter turnout so important? How is it manipulated?
Big Ideas:
Students will analyze why we have a two party system.
Students will understand the different roles of the party in power and the minority party play.
Students will master how citizens participate in the political process.
Students will uncover the controversies of campaign advertising, campaign funding, and polls.
Students will analyze voter behavior including voter qualifications, voter turnout and political efficacy.
Assessments:
Jig-saw reading Poster.
Guided reading, short answer questions.
Student research paper about third parties in the United States.
Student research about the controversies in the political process; campaign advertising, campaign funding and polls.
Student creation of campaign commercial including propaganda techniques and platform.