The 11th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 11th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Students move from learning the class rituals and routines and genre features of argument writing in Unit 11.1 to learning about narrative and informational genres in Unit 11.2: The American Short Story. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

In this unit, students will take a look at the historical vision of the American Dream as put together by our Founding Fathers. They will be asked: How, if at all, has this dream changed? Is this dream your dream? First students will participate in an American Dream Convention, acting as a particular historical figure arguing for his or her vision of the American Dream, and then they will write an argument laying out and defending their personal view of what the American Dream should be.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students read and annotate closely one of the documents that they feel expresses the American Dream.
Students participate in an American Dream Convention, acting as a particular historical figure arguing his or her vision of the American Dream.
Students write a paper, taking into consideration the different points of view in the documents read, answering the question “What is the American Dream now?”
Students write their own argument describing and defending their vision of what the American Dream should be.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

What has been the historical vision of the American Dream?
What should the American Dream be? (What should we as individuals and as a nation aspire to?)
How would women, former slaves, and other disenfranchised groups living during the time these documents were written respond to them?

BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT: Cold Read

During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.

In this lesson, students will learn about audience appeal and analyze how Jefferson chose his arguments and his language to appeal to his particular audience.

Test your knowledge of the Bill of Rights by playing the Bill of Rights golf game. As you correctly answer questions, you may fall into a trap, bogey, par, or get a hole in one! A scorecard and answers are provided. Also, included is a link to the history of the Bill of Rights.

Chief Justice Burger's majority opinion in the case of MARSH vs. CHAMBERS, 463 U.S. 783 (1983). The case dealt with whether an opening prayer in the Nebraska Legislature violated the First Amendment.

This resource explains the phrase "double jeopardy," including a look at its development through history.

This particular page of annotations on the Eighth Amendment discusses the background and intended meaning of the phrase "cruel and unsual punishment".

This resource provides both the text of the amendment and annotations as explanation of various words and phrases.

Information about the Free Exercise Clause and general purpose laws which protect individuals from government interference in their religious affairs.

Information about the boundaries of seditious speech and the permissibility of governmental measures which are directly concerned with the content of expression.

This resource contains the text of the 6th amendment. It has several pages of annotations covering the major concepts in the rights of the accused.

After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to summarize the contents of the First Amendment and give examples of speech that is protected by the Constitution and speech that is not protected by the Constitution.

Explore how civil liberties are protected under the Bill of Rights. Through a study of foundational documents like the Constitution and key Supreme Court cases like Barron v. Baltimore, New York Times v. The United States, and Roe v. Wade, learn about the ongoing debate about the scope and reach of the Bill of Rights. The episode covers issues like state's rights, the complexity of freedom of speech, due process of law, clear and probable danger, and libel. [14:04]

[Free Registration/Login Required] After a brief description of Thomas Jefferson's and James Madison's contributions to the early ideology and government of the new United States in their authorship of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, this essay discusses the dangers of factionalism that threatened the success of the new country. Jefferson's and Madison's handling of these problems when they were president was instrumental in giving the United States a good chance of enduring.

Text of James Madison's "Proposed Amendments to the Constitution," June 8, 1789. Madison states his reasons for the amendments in view of the anti-federalist feelings in many of the colonies. The proposal explains in Madison's own words the reasons for the widespread disapproval, especially the idea of a strong system of federalism. Madison does not propose to change the Constitution, but to amend it with the Bill of Rights.

This 3-page article provides a general overview of George Washington recognizing the equal status of Jewish Americans in 1790.

Informative site recounting the events of December 15, 1791, when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Learn about the Bill of Rights and the freedoms it was designed to protect!

Information packed game that takes you on a journey through the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, the Revolutionary War itself, and beyond to the Bill of Rights. Hyperlinks to other articles in this great site.