We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution. Teacher's Guide [and Student's Guide].

Focusing on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the high school text and teacher's guide are intended to be the basis of study for the competitive component of the "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" civic education program. The 40 lessons in the text are divided into 6 study units examining the philosophical and historical foundations of the U.S. political system; the creation of the U.S. Constitution; the impact of the values and principles embodied in the Constitution on U.S. institutions and practices; the development and expansion of the protections of the Bill of Rights; the meaning of the various rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights; and the role of citizens in U.S. democracy. The text is based on a conceptually oriented approach that blends expository and inquiry methods, calling for active participation by students throughout. It stresses the development of analytic and evaluative skills, enabling students to apply basic substantive knowledge to a wide variety of political questions and controversies. The text includes a reference section containing: the Virginia Declaration of Rights; the Declaration of Independence; the Articles of Confederation; the Constitution of the United States of America; the Emancipation Proclamation; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham City Jail; and Biographical Notes. Focusing on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, this teacher's guide provides information and suggestions to help the teacher make the most effective use of the student text. The high school text is intended to be the basis of study for the competitive component of the "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" civic education program. The teachers' guide, like the student book, is organized into 40 lessons divided into 6 study units. The six units examine: the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system; the creation of the constitution; the impact of the values and principles embodied in the Constitution on American institutions and practices; the development and expansion of the protections of the Bill of Rights; the meaning of the various rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights; and the role of citizens in American democracy. The teacher's guide provides unit and lesson overviews and suggests instructional strategies. In addition to providing ideas for introducing lessons, additional information about lesson topics, and discussion questions, the guide presents a variety of individual, small, and whole group activities designed to reinforce or extend what students have learned in the lesson. These include suggested research projects, writing assignments, and reports, as well as student debates and simulation. (LH)