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Kentucky Core Academic Standards: High School Social Studies
Lesson 1: A Different Kind of Government Course introduces students to CAP. First, students learn that one of the main purposes of public education is to prepare future citizens to participate in our democracy. Then they are given an overview of CAP. Finally, they brainstorm the attributes of an effective citizen.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 2: Introduction to Public Policy introduces the link between policy and problems. First, students read and discuss a short article defining policy. Then they discuss policy and its connection to problems. Next, in small groups, they do a newspaper search to find examples of public policy.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 3: Problems, Policy, and Civic Actions gives students further background in problems, policy, and civic action to prepare them for CAP. First, students analyze problems in terms of causes and effects. Next, they explore how policy can be linked to problems. Finally, they list possible civic actions that can be taken to when working on a problem.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 4: Introducing Policy Analysis helps students develop a deeper understanding of public policy and the interaction between government and citizens in making policy. They look at case studies and are introduced to policy analysis.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- individual rights in a democracy may, at times, be in conflict with others’ individual rights, as well as with the responsibility of government to protect the “common good.”
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 5: Policymaking in the Three Branches of Government introduces students to executive, legislative, and judicial policymaking and to policy evaluation. First, students discuss how policy can be made by each of the branches. Then they read about and discuss how the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance to suppress gang activity and how each branch of government was involved in the policy. Finally, students are introduced to a policy-analysis rubric (GRADE) and apply it to the Chicago gang ordinance.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- individual rights in a democracy may, at times, be in conflict with others’ individual rights, as well as with the responsibility of government to protect the “common good.”
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
High School Skills and Concepts. Students will
- analyze how powers of government are distributed and shared among levels and branches, and how this distribution of powers works to protect the “common good”….
Lesson 6: Analyzing Anti-Gang Policies provides students with practice in analyzing policy. First, as a whole group, they evaluate an anti-gang policy using GRADE. Then in small groups, they are given policies that address gang violence and they evaluate each.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- individual rights in a democracy may, at times, be in conflict with others’ individual rights, as well as with the responsibility of government to protect the “common good.”
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
High School Skills and Concepts. Students will
- analyze how powers of government are distributed and shared among levels and branches, and how this distribution of powers works to protect the “common good”….
Lesson 7: Policymaking at the Local Level gets students to examine an instance of policymaking at a school board, one of the most common institutions at the local level. First, students read about and discuss a common local (and national) problem, the dropout rate. Then they role play subcommittees of a hypothetical school board, examine documents about the dropout problem, and craft a policy to address the dropout problem. Finally, they exchange policies with other groups and evaluate one another’s policies using the GRADE rubric.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 8: Law & Policy informs students about how existing law can influence public policy and policymaking. First, students read about and discuss how existing law can influence public policy. Then in small groups, they role play members of a public policy law firm and decide whether a policy of evicting renters violates existing law and whether a new law is needed to protect renters.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 9: Persuading introduces students to the art of persuasion. First, they read about and discuss the three types of persuasion: logos, ethos, and pathos. Then students prepare two-minute persuasive talks on why the issue that they have chosen to address in CAP is important. Finally, in pairs, students present and critique one another’s talks.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 10: Building Constituencies introduces students to the importance of building a constituency to support or oppose public policies. First, students read and discuss about how a historically significant movement gained support in the community. Then in small groups, students brainstorm how they can get support for their CAP issue.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Academic Expectation 2.20: Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.
High School Understandings (specific to United States History, from Reconstruction to the Present).
- U.S. History has been impacted by significant individuals and groups.
Lesson 11: Setting the Public Agenda introduces students to the public agenda and its importance to policy. First, students read about and discuss the public agenda and ways that citizens can influence it. Then in small groups, students are given different situations and they develop strategic plans for getting their issues or solutions to issues on the public agenda.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 12: Using the Media helps students learn about the importance of the media in setting the public agenda. First, they read about and discuss how the media help set the public agenda and how citizens can influence the media and even create their own media to help change the public agenda. Then they develop a plan to do one action to use or affect the media. Finally, they begin to implement their plan. As homework, they complete their action.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 13: Persuading Policymakers informs students that legislative and executive bodies often hold public hearing and how students can make effective presentations at these hearings. First, students read about public hearings and techniques for making presentations at these hearings. Then students role play a city council and people appearing before it attempting to persuade policymakers on hypothetical issues.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
Lesson 14: Creating Change Through the Electoral Process focuses on electoral politics and how it deeply influences policymaking. First, students read about and discuss the role that electoral politics plays in policymaking. Then in small groups, students role play campaign workers and create strategies to attract young people to participate in an election campaign.
Academic Expectation 2.14: Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom.
High School Enduring Knowledge – Understandings. Students will understand that
- all citizens of the United States have certain rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
- the level of civic engagement in a democracy can impact the government’s effectiveness.
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