Government
Instructional Objectives

Students will be able to do the following upon the completion of each of the units.

Unit 1

State what a law is.
Explain why people need laws.
State what government is.
Explain why people have governments.
Explain the differences between systems of government.
Name important documents from England which influenced the U.S. system of government.
Name important ideas that become a part of U.S. government, and tell where these ideas originated.
List important ideas about government which the English settlers brought with the to the New World.

Unit 2

Explain what a social contract is and identify the Mayflower Compact.
Explain what a constitution and identify the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.
Identify the Declaration of Independence.
Identify the Articles of Confederation and its weaknesses.
Explain why the U.S. Constitution was written.
Explain what a federal system is.
Explain the Bill of Rights in the state and U.S. Constitution.
Explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution.
Describe the process for amending the U.S. Constitution.
Tell which amendments gave rights to more people in the United States.
Tell what groups of people are guaranteed the right to vote by the U.S. Constitution.

Unit 3

Tell what group makes laws for the United States, for each state, and for local areas.
Name some issues which city lawmakers handle.
Tell what form of government U.S. cities have.
Tell how state lawmakers are chosen.
Tell how a bill becomes a law in state legislatures.
Tell how a person might become a member of either house of the U.S. Congress.
Tell what jobs each house of Congress may do and what jobs the two houses share.
Tell what things the U.S. Constitution says the Congress may not do.
Tell how a bill becomes a law in the United States.
Tell how the system of checks and balances applies to Congress.

Unit 4

Name the chief executive officer at each level of government.
Name important departments which carry on the day-to-day business of most cities.
Name important county government officials and their duties.
Tell how the President of the United States is chosen.
Explain the major problems of the electoral college.
List the main powers and duties of the President.
Tell what the President's Cabinet is.
Name the main officials in the judicial system.
Explain the functions of trial and appellate courts.
Explain the functions of petit and grand juries.
Explain the difference between the plaintiff and defendant in a criminal case.
Tell what cases the U.S. Supreme Court may hear and must hear.
Explain how Supreme Court decisions affect the U.S. government.
Explain due process of law and the rights of plaintiff's and defendants.
Explain how the system of checks and balances works in both the executive and judicial branches.