Rational- Through this curriculum, students will explore the development of such fundamental American
political ideas as individual rights and freedoms.
Today as in the past, Citizens of the United
States cannot ignore the need for their individual rights and freedoms. The events
of 9/11 and the continual threat of terrorism have made these issues more important than ever.
However, many citizens take for granted the rights established with the founding of our nation. People within the United States lack the knowledge of our basic rights as granted in the documents created
during this time period. Most citizens in the United States could tell you the
names of all five Simpson cartoon characters, but could not tell you even 5 of the 10 Amendments established in The Bill of
Rights. The lack of understanding coupled with the inertia of action in today’s
society has created an important need for such knowledge in the future of our youth.
We need to develop a society interested in the past in order to understand the importance of being a productive, contributing,
informed member of society. This unit will focus on events and issues that led
to the establishment and interrelationship of the past and the future of our American culture.
