Date: ^{_________________________________________}

Objectives: The students will

I. identify resources where they can find information regarding the state of American Democracy.

II. compare the Watergate scandal with that of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair

III. review the major elements of the Constitution of the United States
 

Warm Up Activity (Anticipatory Set): Vocabulary: Chapter 4: The Bill of Rights

A) List the some or all of the following vocabulary terms on the overhead projector.
B) These terms come from Chapter 4 of American Civics
 
 

Vocabulary Terms: Chapter Four, American Civics Page Numbers are indicated below.
Section 1	Sections 2 and 3
Bill of Rights (77) Freedom of religion Seaparation of church and state Freedom of speech Slander (78) Freedom of the Press  Libel  Freedom of assembly Freedom of petition The Right to bear arms (79) Search Warrant Indicted Self-incrimination Double jeopardy Due process of law (80) Right to own private peoperty Eminent Domain Eighth Amendment/Bail The rights protected by the Ninth Amendment Tenth Amendment	Section Two 1) Civil Rights (84) 2) Thirteenth Amendment 3) Fourteenth Amendment 4) Suffrage 5) Fifteenth Amendment (85) 6) Seventeenth Amendment 7) Nineteenth Amendment 8) Twenty-third Amendment (86) 9) Twenty-fourth Amendment 10) Twenty-sixth Amendment  Section Three 11) List five (5) duties of citizenship (86-87) 12) Draft (87) 13) Register  14) List (5) responsibilities of citizenship (88-89) 15) Page 53: Outline the steps in amending the Constitution.

B) Have students use their texts to define these terms in writing and in oral discussion. One might assign cooperative groups two or three terms and have those groups report their definitions to the class as others take notes. Have student groups place their definitions on overhead transparencies and allow the students to teach the class.

C) A Vocabulary Matching exercise is available for Section One's terms.
 
 
 

Vocabulary Terms: Chapter Five, Government in America
Section 1	Supreme Court Cases
Civil Liberties (142) Freedom of religion Virginia Statute of Religious Libery (142, 143) Establishment Clause (143) Free Exercise Clause (143) Conscientous Objector (147) Section 2 Freedom of  Speech (150) Pure Speech Speech Plus Sedition (150) Clear and Present Danger (150) Smith Act (152) Defamation Slander (153) Libel (153)	Investigate the following cases. Describe the facts of the case and the Supreme Court's decision in the case. 1) Engel v. Vitale (pg. 146) 2) Yoder v Wisconsin (pg 147) 3) US v O'B rien (pg. 151) 4) Tinker v Des Moines School District. 5) Schenk v US 6) Dennis v US 7) Yates v US 8) Brandenburg v Ohio 9) NY Times vs Sullivan 10) Chaplinsky vs New Hampshire

Main Activity (Instructional Input): Watergate vs.  Zippergate

A) Have students read aloud pp. 46-49: Watergate: A Test of the Constitution

B) After the reading, have students list similiarties and differences between Watergate and what they know of the Lewinsky affair.

C) Use internet and print articles to illustrate these points.

Answer to chart are now available

 C) Outline the steps involved in the impeachment process. Have students identify how the impeachment process acts as part of the system of checks and balances.

Examples (Modeling): Diagram: The Structure of American Government

A) Display the diagram of the three branches of governemnt.

B) Have students use Page 42 to complete the chart. review students' responses orally.

Check For Understanding: Exercises on Checks and Balances

A) Display or distribute questions on checks and balances.

B) Have students identify which branch is being checked and which branch holds the power.
 

Guided Practice: Research In the Library

A) Distribute 3 white 3 x 5 index cards to each individual in student groups.

B) Students must place one key idea on each card as they research their assigned democracy questions.

Homework (Independent Practice): Three Branches In The News

Using newspapers, news broadcasts, or the Internet,  have students find one or more news stories that illustrates the powers of the three branches and the way they check on each others' powers described in the activity above. Also, have students create a large diagram of the impeachment process. As the Congress acts on the Lewinsky scandal, keep track of the process by posting headlines on the diagram to show where the Congress is in the process.
 

Wrap-Up Activity (Closure): Illustrating the Freedoms of the Bill of Rights

A) Have students draw a picture, use magazine articles and photos, or write a poem to illustrate which freedom in the bill of rights they feel is most important to them. Have them right a paragraph about the meaning of the right they chose and have them include an explanation of why they chose those that right.

B) Allow students time to present their poems, illustrations, or artwork to the class.
 

Evaluation: The lesson will be evaluated by:

I. the accuracy of student's written responses;

II. student's scores on future tests and quizzes.