Justin M. Boucher
These objectives seek to present the content in a measurable way, while building from the more basic, to the more complex levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. Each objective relates loosely to a day or so of teaching, though I expect that some will run into more than one day, while others might come up short. Furthermore, the objectives are grouped into phases, each focusing on a guiding question, which leads up to our essential question for the unit.
Phase 1- What is democracy? What is Government?
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1. Discuss and define the various types of government outlined by Aristotle
Politics
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2. Evaluate the views of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke with regards to their impact on American government
Phase 2- How does our government work? Why is that the case?
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1. Analyze the American governmental system as outlined in the Constitution and compare our democratic tendencies with our republican tendencies.
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2. Analyze the perspectives of James Madison in Federalist 10 and 51 with regards to his perspectives on faction and separation of powers asking, “is this democracy?”
Phase 3- Is our system a Democracy? Is our system good?
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1. Evaluate Alexis De Tocqueville’s view of American democracy asking “does a culture of democracy make a culture a democracy?”
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2. Evaluate George Caleb Bingham’s view of American democracy asking “is this system good?”
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3. Evaluate Walt Whitman’s view of American democracy asking “is this a fair depiction of American democracy?” “Does his view add to the culture of democracy? Detract from it?”
Final Assignment- Is America a democracy?
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1. Evaluate our culture and system, redefining democracy and answering the question “Is America a democracy?”