What is Citizenship?
Overview
In this first session you will understand what citizenship is. This unit will also explain the personal, political, and economic rights of U.S. Citizens.
In this session, you will...
- Take a self-evaluation to determine if you are considered a good citizen
- Analyze the 5th amendment via a case study from a citizen's perspective
- Analyze the Patriot Act and its impact on our privacy
Citizenship Vocabulary
These are words you need to know that are relevant to the content of this session. Think about what they mean as you go through this session.
Words to know:
- Civics
- Immigrants
- Refugees
- Native born
- Aliens
- Naturalization
You should be able to clearly define them by the time you complete this session.
If necessary, search the web dictionary to find the definitions.
Are You a Good Citizen?
Are YOU a good citizen???
Take this self-evaluation and find out:
Are You a Good Citizen? self-evaluation
Submit your work via your Brady Gmail account.
Houses or Walaloos?
Read:
Mary owns a portion of land that has been in Mary's family for many years. Mary wishes to develop their land into a large housing development. It has recently come to the attention of the U.S. government, however, that a rare and endangered species of animal, the walaloo, lives on Mary's property. The U.S. government has asked Mary not to develop her land so that it can be preserved as a safe haven for the walaloo. Since Mary is unable to develop her land for housing, she believes they government should pay her for her land. Mary has hired you to be her lawyer against the U.S. government.
Research:
- Study the legal history and application of the 5th Amendment, and specifically the clause that reads, "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
- Think about what is meant by "just compensation" and "public use"?
- You may use references from the following sources for your research: reference books, magazines, newspapers, personal interviews, and the Internet.
Respond:
Write a 350-500 word essay describing your argument on Mary's behalf. Based on what you have learned about the fundamental economic rights ensured in the Constitution, provide evidence of your position in your essay.
Submit your work as a Word Document via your Brady Gmail account.
Freedom or Security
Students will:
Understand the provisions of the USA Patriot Act and the controversies that led the ACLU to take legal action against the legislation. Note: The ACLU stands for the "American Civil Liberties Union". It is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
Research:
Examine other times in history when the government has implemented policies that some would consider an invasion of privacy or threat to individual civil liberties. Some examples might include:
- the Citizen's Committee to Investigate the FBI that was formed during the 1970s (documents showed the FBI had investigated leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and others)
- the COINTELPRO of the 1950s (designed to investigate and provide counterintelligence against groups such as the American Communist Party, civil rights groups/leaders, and anti-war groups)
- the censoring of personal mail during the WWII Era
Respond:
Use the Venn Diagram graphic organizer to compare and contrast the historical event you selected and what is currently happening with the USA Patriot Act.
Submit your work via your Brady Gmail account.
Did I Submit It?
Now that you have a better understanding about citizenship in our society, let's make sure that you completed all the assignments in this session before moving on to the next one.
√ I submitted it!
- U3S1 -"Are you a good citizen?" self-evaluation
- U3S1 -Position essay
- U3S1 -Venn Diagram
