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Abstracts of Curriulum Units from
The United States of America: The Ideal and the Reality

Citizenship Education & Participation
Luann Brazill

The student population at Valley High School, as in most Albuquerque Public Schools, is quite diverse. Although the US History course is primarily for 11th grade students, the students come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, aptitudes, and maturity levels. In a regular level class, we work with the traditional straight "A" student, the about-to-drop-out "at risk" student, and all the others that fall somewhere in between the two extremes. This unit will successfully challenge the students who have the basic skills and knowledge and will help those who don’t. I believe this unit will work for all high school students, no matter their experience, aptitude, or understanding of current events and issues.

Many of our students come to us appearing "apathetic" and uninterested in the world around them. I have found that they are all just waiting to be turned on to learning and community involvement. I have no doubt that even the most detached and indifferent student has an enthusiastic activist and passionate community member hiding inside, secretly hoping that someone will care enough to awaken that better self. I believe all teenagers are revolutionaries and activists at heart; they just need the training and opportunity to put all that angst into appropriate and positive action. The Citizenship Education & Participation unit will provide them with such an opportunity.

The unit was written specifically for the first nine week period of the school year. I think it is an interesting and exciting way to begin the course, and it will provide a solid foundation for the entire year’s learning. There are several opportunities for student choice and creativity. Students will meet state and district outcomes while having fun! The Citizenship Education & Participation unit focuses on civic values, the principles of democracy, service learning, and current political events. Students will begin the process of becoming life-long learners and involved citizens.

Contribution to the U. S. Constitution
Sean Callan

The purpose of this research is to look at the enormous contributions Native Americans, the League of the Iroquois in particular, had on the "Founding Fathers" who helped shape our Nation. A curriculum unit and lesson plans will be developed to assist teachers and students in broadening their understanding of how the United States was formed and the structure of democratic ideals that are in place today. Specifically, this curriculum unit will be used in the Native American Studies course sponsored by the Indian Education Unit of Albuquerque Public Schools. In facilitating this instruction, the teacher will see the direct correlation's between student learning and the District Core Curriculum Scope and Sequence in; listening and communication, self esteem, language arts 9-12, Geography 9, world history, United States history, government, as well as areas in math and science.To Top

Unit AbstractUnited States; T.R.I.C.K.Y.:
Teenage Reality, Ideals, Citizenship, Keepsakes, and You
JaNelle T. Cordova

The foundation of this unit is similar to its title: TRICKY. I want my students to explore the lifestyles and expectations of teenagers in United States history. Hopefully, this reality or presentation of facts will open their eyes to the opportunities of today. I will begin the nine week unit by introducing my students to a variety of young adult non-fiction, adult literature, and resource materials about the roles that teenagers had in history and the lives that they lead today. In addition to having the students become familiar with the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.

The first two week period will include a list of 10-15 vocabulary words to help the students recognize subject area grade level vocabulary. In the following weeks, I plan to create a "word wall" where the students continue to choose their own subject and age appropriate vocabulary words. I see this as a form of ownership for the students in contributing to this unit, and it leaves some room for variety and adaptation. These words will be used in their written work, classroom discussions, and occasionally tested for meaning. I want my students to aspire to become productive citizens or someone they appreciate as "famous" without only focusing on the professional athlete, singer, or movie star.

I want to teach this unit because I want to open my students to look at their pasts and the roles teenagers played in the history of the United States. I want them to acknowledge and embrace their present lives as worthy and whole. I want them to set goals for the future, and be proud and productive citizens of the United States. Through utilizing young adult literature, I want them to begin to recognize the documents of history that have given them the freedom they have today. I want to make what I am teaching important to their future. If they learn to value their past, they will hopefully begin to appreciate other’s pasts.

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Voyage of the Dream Weavers:
Discovering the American Dream and the Dreams of People of Other Nations-
A Shared Interdisciplinary Curriculum for the Sixth Grade
Tina Di Chiara

In a sixth grade curriculum integrating Literature and Social Studies, students will be challenged to extract the hopes and dreams of the average citizen of whatever culture, nation or civilization they are studying in their history classes, which focus on the Eastern Hemisphere.

Students will spend the first few weeks observing their own culture and what it means to be "American." Terms will be established and the context from which they will compare cultures to their own will be introduced. The introduction to the rest of the year’s curriculum is comprised of three separate units, each lasting approximately two to three weeks in duration.

The same important questions will arise each time another country is explored: What do average citizens of that time and place dream for themselves or their country? What dream do the leaders of the country have for its people? How does education play a part in reaching these dreams? What are the other factors that play a part in these dreams?

With these questions in mind, students will remain focused on comparing the American dream to that of the dreams of other nations.

This proposal centers on the first of three introductory units, which introduces the concept of American culture. To Top

Becoming Americans: Immigration and Naturalization in American Life
Susan Leonard

The objective of this unit is to establish an historic and cultural context for the study of immigration and naturalization. The idea rose from a service learning project of hosting a naturalization ceremony at our school. Our nation is undergoing a great new wave of immigration, mostly from Latin America and Asia, and the face of America is changing. By 2050, no more than fifty percent of Americans will be "white." Through studying civics and U.S. immigration policy, students can begin to examine our national attitude toward "strangers." Are we the nation that we claim to be, one that treats all as equals, or have we traditionally raised barriers to full citizenship for many? How can our newest Americans become involved in the civic life of the country, at the same time cementing their relationship with the nation?

The background information provides factual information about laws and practices which long restricted access to citizenship for members of minority races and women. The method by which one becomes a naturalized citizen today is explained. Some of the readings and activities suggest ways by which we can become the nation that we claim to be, with liberty and justice for all.

Teaching the Concept of Equality Through Literature
Donna McBroom

This curriculum addresses the ideal and reality of "All men are created equal" as promised by the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the Constitution. It uses literature as a vehicle for learning about the struggles of minorities and women to achieve equality under the law. To not only achieve legal equality, but to also have equal opportunity for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

The majority of students at Washington Middle School are Hispanics (Mexican Americans, Spanish Americans, and Mexican immigrants). They fit the national profile of having a higher drop out rate, lower voter participation, and lower economic status. This curriculum can encourage students to believe that government is in their sphere of influence. The recommended literature introduces them to the exclusion of minorities and women from the American system of government and what they wanted to have. Since many students want economic equality, the readings and lessons teach that to achieve economic equality students must have equality in education. It also gives them an opportunity to think about the rights the Constitution guarantees, and how those rights will enable them to reach the goals that are the ideals for their own lives.

¿Qué es América? – American Ideals and Reality:
Immigration and Human Rights for Immigrant Students
Kelly McCloskey-Romero

What does America stand for? Many American high school students may not know how to answer this question. Specifically, immigrant students are an increasingly important part of this question and the myriad of answers we may discover. The purpose of this unit, ¿Qué es América?, is to facilitate this process of inquiry and discovery, particularly for Mexican and Cuban students.

This unit combines the exploration of the fundamental documents of American government (the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights) with their application to the human rights of immigrants. We will consider the ideals of American government and their reality as we compare theory to practice and immigration law to student experiences.

Students will explore what it means to live in modern America, and I will provide a variety of opportunities for students to interact with the material, practicing their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Speeches, debates, and in-class discussions will complement reading and writing as students have the opportunity to become better communicators in general.

The primary goal of this unit is to empower students through exploration and knowledge of the fundamentals of American government, immigration history and law, citizenship requirements and organizations that support U.S. immigrants.To Top

Realizing Our Inalienable Rights Through Literacy and Citizenship
Linda Ortega

The final goal of this unit is to assist our students and ourselves to distinguish ideal from reality in U.S. governing policies at the community level and in society at large.

This unit will be designed for use in ninth grade English classes. Two of the classes are developmental, which means that the students have a Gates Maginite Reading score of 14% or lower. With the hope of making self-discovery possible, the objectives of this unit will be presented in the following scope and sequence;

The United States of America’s Long Journey: The Concept of Equality in America from 1619-1863
Roxanne V. Pacheco

What did the Founding Fathers mean by equality? How did their narrow interpretation of this term find a broader meaning over time? Why were blacks specifically excluded from consideration as equals? How did the institution of slavery come to be protected under the Constitution, and why was it hard to abolish? What role did Abraham Lincoln play in the prohibition of slavery as a legally sanctioned way of life in America? These are the main questions that this unit attempts to briefly address. In addition, some references are given for important Supreme Court cases pertaining to the legal treatment of blacks, and some names of important historical figures whose lives were dedicated to establishing a new nation based on freedom are listed. Four possible writing assignments are also included.

This unit was developed for an eighth grade English class. It could be adapted for grades 7-10, especially if teaching a U.S. government class or studying the economy of the southern states from the late 1600’s through the early 1900’s.

American Justice and Student Rights
Glenda J. Thompson

American Justice and Student Rights is a six week interdisciplinary unit plan. The main goal of this unit is to get students interested in government and the law by making it relevant to them, and consequently to encourage their participation in "the system." A great deal of emphasis is placed on reading and understanding primary documents such as the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Supreme Court rulings. Students will understand Constitutional rights and how they compare to the concept of human rights. They will also understand the four basic kinds of law in the United States: Constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, and judge-made law. The most interesting of these is judge-made law. How do the Supreme Court’s decisions affect us? What rulings have they made which directly affect public education, teachers, and students? We will examine the history of public education in the United States and laws which have shaped it. Students will particularly be interested in understanding the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution and how they impact their lives. Students will do a great deal of writing in various formats and styles, and will be required to write an action plan outlining the ways in which they will contribute to their own community. To Top