Evan+Long-+Thinking+and+Planning+Big


 * 8th Grade Social Studies with US/NC History **


 * Expanded Write-up**
 * Theme 1:** //I vs. We: The Struggle over Individual Liberty and Collective Security-//America was founded on often-competing values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Although this theme could encompass so much more, this unit will cover topics such as the immigration (past and present), gun control, environmental regulations, and government surveillance in the 21st century today with a focus on North Carolina. This enduring issue has come up again and again and has no easy answers, thus allowing students to delve into personally meaningful inquiries on a series of vastly different, yet intricately-connected controversial topics. 8th grade students would find this theme relevant to their own lives as it mirrors numerous disputes they may be having with their parents in regards to their personal autonomy and safety.

//Donald Trump-// Donald Trump represents a timely iteration of the security view in this ongoing national debate. His views on limiting immigration have sparked debates on both sides of the political aisles regarding common sense border policies and America's immigrant heritage and value system. Students would find Donald Trump compelling (whether positively or negatively) and would have their interest sparked with inclusion of him towards the end of the unit. //John// //Adams//- John Adams is famously known as an author of the Declaration of Independence, defense attorney for the British soldiers accused after the Boston Massacre, the first VP, and the 2nd POTUS; however, students would be surprised to learn that he signed the Alien and Sedition Acts which targeted political opponents and established one of the first early anti-immigration policies. Because he is often considered a very good president, this may create some cognitive dissonance in students as they wrestle with the question of how to deal with the question of seemingly-great, but deeply flawed historical heroes. //Vuthy Seng-// This man murdered a 12 year-old child in my mother's Sunday School class in the 1995 along with 2 of his siblings and almost "got off" due to a judicial technicality in which his miranda rights were not translated properly for him in his native language. This case demonstrates the complexity of due process in judicial decisions and the difficulty of balancing individual and collective rights. Including a personal connection is risky because I would have a hard time remaining unbiased in discussions on it, but it is worthwhile because of its potential to stimulate interest in students. It also demonstrates a possible case study in the debate over gun control and mental illness.
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//Excerpts from the Patriot Act//- Including this helps to connect the issue to one of the biggest historical events in modern times- 9/11 terrorist attacks. This controversial piece of legislation continutes to be debated in the seemingly never-ending War on Terror. It highlights an early post-9/11 debate on the liberty vs. security theme. //Rising Tide of Migrants// by Bucci and Insera. This somewhat obscure secondary source was produced by the Heritage Foundation- a deeply conservative think tank. Using this exposes students to a contemporary scholarly source and should only be used with extreme caution and care. I would balance this out by including a scholarly source from a reputable progressive think tank. This source helps students to understand that debates over security-liberty cross partisan lines in interesting ways (e.g., conservatives typically prioritize security on issues like immigration, but they usually prioritize personal liberty on issues like environmental regulations). //The Bill of Rights// Students cannot understand the origins of the liberty vs. security debate in the United States without understanding the first ten Constitutional Amendments which spell out many of our personal protections from the federal government. They may be surprised to learn that many people, specifically Federalists, opposed inclusion of the Bill of Rights because they were afraid it would "box our rights in".
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Andrew Jackson- He strengtheded the presidency with his excessive use of the veto and neglect of Supreme Court Decisions. Students would find his folksy biography compelling. Franklin Roosevelt- He expanded the size of federal government to combat the Great Depression and in the process helped modernize much of the economy. His supreme court packing attempt and decision to run for president 4 times makes him an essential individual. Lyndon B. Johnson- His War on Poverty revolutionized the role of the American presidency and introduced many reforms that are still debated today. //King Andrew Jackson Political Cartoon-// This highlights opposition to Jackson's powerful rule. //1st 100 Days Political Cartoon-// This demonstrates the alphabet soup of federal policies enacted by the FDR administration. //Chart of Executive Orders by president-// This shows Executive Orders of presidents and helps students to contextualize which presidents "went at it alone" the most.
 * Condensed Write-ups**
 * Theme 2:** //Extreme Makeover?: The Evolution of the Presidency:// The American Presidency has evolved since the early days of our Republic. Debates over the limits to the presidency continue to divided the nation and impact students' lives in direct ways. Topics included in this theme include the expanded role of presidential vetoes, presidential appointments, Executive Orders, presidents and mass media.
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