Introduction

Standards

Objectives

Activities

Assessment

Results

Resources

Introduction

This lesson introduces students to the Age of  Enlightenment and its relationship to the origin of  The United States of America. It allows students the opportunity to analyze not only The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution but trace the ideological beliefs that led to those documents and our American Revolution. Further students will learn about both Enlightenment thinkers and those Founding Fathers whose beliefs led to our great and successful Democracy.

United States History
Our Democratic Beginning
Eleventh Grade

Standards Addressed

11.1.1 Describe the Enlightenment and the rise of democratic ideas as the context in which the nation was founded.

11.1.2 Analyze the ideological origins of the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers’ philosophy of divinely bestowed unalienable natural rights, the debates on the drafting of the Constitution, and the addition of the Bill of  Rights.

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Instructional Objectives

1. Students will analyze the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution for their ideological beliefs concerning governments and human rights.
2. Students will define the Age of Enlightenment.
3. Students will identify and relate the Enlightenment and its great thinkers to our Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and our Bill of Rights.
4. Students will identify and relate ideological beliefs of our Founding Fathers as they relate to America’s need  for revolution, what type of  government we should have and the issue of human rights.

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Student Activities

Introductory Activity
Students will be given a worksheet ( Governments ). They will be given 10 min to answer questions on the sheet from their prior knowledge. Through class discussion, using the information on their worksheets, students will share and expand their knowledge of  types and purposes of governments. Students will take notes and add information on their worksheets for future reference ( 10 min. ).

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Enabling Activities
Students will define and describe the Enlightenment and Democracy , as it relates to our Revolution, Government and Human Rights. They will research using lecture notes, the net, our text and the historical library in class. On at least a single page they will define or describe the  Enlightenment and in writing or the use of  creative diagrams (Venn) or charts relate The Age of Enlightenment to our Revolution, Government and Human Rights.

Students will define terms found in the Resource section of  this text. Those definitions will be displayed in Glossary form.

Students will identify and give quotes and or beliefs of famous Enlightenment Thinkers that had an impact on our American Heritage ( Revolution, Declaration of Independence and Constitution). This information will be displayed by chart or diagram. Research via internet, text or classroom library.

Students will identify and give quotes and or beliefs ( ideologies ) of  our Founding Fathers that are consistent with the Enlightenment and relate to the founding of our country. This information will be charted or diagramed. Research via internet, text or classroom library.

Students will analyze the Declaration of  Independence to gain the five reasons given why the revolution was necessary. These reasons will be charted or diagramed and related to the Age of  Enlightenment. Research via the net, lecture, class discussion, text and class library.

Students will briefly analyze the Constitution in order to understand the structure and purpose of that structure for our government. Students will  display  identify   and describe the purpose of the different parts of the Constitution and relate  them to the Enlightenment and our Founding Fathers. This will be done by chart or diagram, Venn or other. Research will involve lecture notes, the internet, text and class library.

Students will briefly go over the Bill of Rights. They will display the Enlightenment concepts and ideological beliefs contained in the Bill of Rights. Research via lecture notes, the net, text and classroom library.

Students will display a copy or form of reproduction of the Bill of  Rights and the Constitution

Students will produce a title page and table of contents.

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Culminating Activity
Students have choice of displaying their project either in a journal, web page or power point. The journal, Web page or power point program will be called Paths to Our American Democracy. They will contain information tracing the road to American Democracy from The Age of Enlightenment to our American Revolution, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Charts, essays, definitions, maps, document reproduction, pictures and diagrams or graphic organizers will display your knowledge and understand of the development of American Democracy. Lists, essays and definitions will show the details and analysis that explain our unique American Democratic heritage

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Assessment

Insert your grading rubric for the culminating activity or a link to your rubric or test document file.

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Results

After implementing your lesson, insert a chart of your pre-test, post-test, and culminating assessment data.

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Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Content Resources (books, articles, etc.)
List and link any resources here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

Software Resources (CD-ROMs, URLs, etc.)
List and link the web resources here.

Hardware Resources (computer, TV, VCR, etc.)
List resources here.

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School Location
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Last Revised: 04/24/02