Puyallup Civics with Washington State History

Unit Outline

Why Government

Why Government? | iCivics

Students take a look at two political thinkers that spent a lot of time trying to answer the question, "Why Government?" - Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. This lesson combines our Influence Library entries on these men and adds activities that ask students to compare and contrast Hobbes and Locke and to think about how these philosophers influenced those that followed in their footsteps. 

Learning Objectives

• Identify the basic ideas on government from Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. 
• Define the terms: state of nature, natural rights, sovereign.
• Trace the development of the idea of the social contract from Hobbes and Locke.

Terms of Use: This lesson is copyright iCivics Inc. Educators must sign in to iCivics in order to download materials. Use of these materials is limited to personal study, teaching, and research.

Key to John Locke

The Key to John Locke | The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

The student will understand some of the basic theories of John Locke including limited government, unalienable rights, equal rights, and authority from consent of the governed.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will interpret the ideas of John Locke as they relate to limited government, unalienable rights, equal rights, and authority from the consent of the governed.
• Students will apply their interpretations of specific quotations from Locke to contemporary paintings by Norman Rockwell, The Problem We All Live With, by Dave Cutler, Flag With Male Symbol, and to a photograph from the 1989 revolt in Tiananmen Square.

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher. 

The Sovereign State

The Sovereign State | iCivics

In this lesson, students learn four features of a sovereign state. Graphic organizers and mini-quizzes help reinforce the information. Using what they learned, students then create a fictional country and decide on a variety of features their new state will have. 

Got a 1:1 classroom? Find fillable PDFs for this lesson's activities here. 

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and describe the four features of a state.
• Differentiate between a sovereign state and the “states” in the United States by deciding whether the four features of a state apply to each.
• List the four roles of government.
• Apply the features and roles of a state by creating a profile of a new, fictional sovereign state and deciding on its priorities.

Terms of Use: This lesson is copyright iCivics Inc. Educators must sign in to iCivics in order to download materials. A PowerPoint slide deck on The Sovereign State is also available for download. Use of these materials is limited to personal study, teaching, and research. 

What is Democracy?

What is Democracy | The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

Fundamental to the understanding of American government and culture is the core concept of democracy. In this lesson, students will define democracy, its different forms and underlying principles. Students will also investigate what makes American democracy unique, and discover elements of it in political cartoons, music lyrics and a town meeting simulation.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will interpret and analyze political cartoons.
• Students will define the concept of democracy.
• Students will identify and evaluate the types of democracy.
• Students will analyze the basic ideas and principles that underlie American democracy.
• Students will evaluate apparent contradictions in American democracy.
• Students will create an actual democracy in a town hall simulation.
• Students will identify and discuss the pros and cons of a democratic form of government.
• Students will interpret and analyze a song lyric related to the Bill of Rights.
• Students will interpret and analyze several quotations related to democracy.
• Students will create and present artwork portraying American democracy.

Terms of Use: Used here with the permission of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. For additional resources, visit their website and register. Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher. 

Citizenship - Just the Facts

Citizenship: Just the Facts | iCivics

In this lesson, students get the basics of U.S. citizenship. As a foundation for studying the rights and responsibilities of citizens, they’ll learn what it means to be a citizen and how people become U.S. citizens. Students also look at related symbols and traditions, such as the flag, U.S. holidays, and patriotism, and they examine how the right of U.S. citizenship has changed over time. 

Learning Objectives

• Define citizenship
• Identify ways to become a U.S. citizen
• Describe loyalty and treason
• Identify the U.S. national anthem and major U.S. holidays, including Independence Day
• List rights and responsibilities of both U.S. citizens and all U.S. residents
• Define the Selective Service System
• Trace the progress of citizenship and voting rights for different groups over time

Note: This lesson is copyright iCivics Inc. Educators must sign in to iCivics in order to download materials. A PowerPoint slide deck on The Sovereign State is also available for download. Use of these materials is limited to personal study, teaching, and research. 

Readings: Unit1

You may link to the online version of the textbook from the chart or download a PDF copy of the readings for Unit 1 below:

Terms of Use: These readings from U.S. History.org by The Independence Hall Association are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.