Viewing the video and following the suggested activities meet the State of Maine Learning Results performance indicators for Social Studies in the middle grades in the following ways:
Civics and Government
Students will learn the constitutional principles and the democratic foundations of national, state, and local systems and institutions. Further, students will learn how to exercise the rights and responsibilities of participation in civic life and to analyze and evaluate public policies. This understanding entails insight into political power, how it is distributed and expressed, the types and purposes of governments, and their relationships with the governed. Political relationships among the United States and others nations are also included in this content area.
A. Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation
Students will understand the rights and responsibilities of civic life and will employ the skills of effective civic participation. Students will be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of an effective citizen.
- Evaluate and defend positions on current issues regarding individual rights and judicial protection.
- Describe and analyze the process by which a proposed law is adopted, including the role of governmental and non-governmental influences.
- Identify ways in which citizens in a pluralistic society manage differences of opinion on public policy issues.
B. Purpose and Types of Government
Students will understand the types and purposes of governments, their evolution, and their relationship with the governed. Students will be able to:
- Identify key representatives in legislative branches and the heads of executive and judicial branches in Maine and in the United States government.
- Assess the competing ideas about the competing purposes government should serve (e.g. individual rights versus collective rights).
- Explain the history and functions of Maine state government including the Constitution of Maine.
C. Fundamental Principles of Government and Constitutions
Students will understand the constitutional principles and the democratic foundations of the political institutions of the United States . Students will be able to:
- Explain the meaning and importance of fundamental principles of American constitutional democracy.