Should safety outweigh freedom?

Transcription

1 9th Grade Civics Inquiry Should safety outweigh freedom? Supporting Questions Spencer Platt/Getty Images 1. Was the limitation of personal rights during World Wars I and II justified? 2. Was the limitation of personal rights during the Cold War justified? 3. Should our personal rights be limited in the War on Terror?

2 9th Grade Civic Inquiry Should safety outweigh freedom? Arkansas Standards for Social Studies Staging the Question CPI.2.C.4 Examine ways the powers, responsibilities, and limits of the federal government have changed over time and are still contested PD.3.C.1 Evaluate rights and responsibilities of citizens in the United States Discuss the how and why are students restricted under school policy today? Supporting Question 1 Supporting Question 2 Supporting Question 3 Were the limitations of personal rights justified during World Wars I and II? Formative Create an informational graphic listing personal liberties or rights that were restricted during both World Wars I and II noting any changes after the war. Was the limitation of personal rights justified during the Cold War? Formative Create an informational graphic listing personal liberties or rights that were restricted during the Cold War and compare this information to the formative performance task for supporting question 1. Should our personal rights be limited in the War on Terror? Formative Write a journal entry describing pros and cons of increased government intervention in our safety while protecting personal liberties or rights. Featured Sources Featured Sources Featured Sources Source A: Civil Liberties in Wartime Source B Meatless Monday Source C: Japanese Americans and the US Constitution Source A: Civil Liberties Point/Counter Point Source B: US Code 843 Communism Source C : Red Scare Source A: Civil Liberties Implications Source B: Ways we have Changed Source C: National Security Policy Changes since 9/11 Summative Taking Informed Action ARGUMENT Construct a written argument that addresses the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom using specific claims and relevant evidence from historical sources while acknowledging competing views. EXTENSION Create a video or digital presentation which addresses the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom using specific claims and relevant evidence from historical sources acknowledging competing views. UNDERSTAND Research changes in public school law and policies. (Invite principal/resource officer to share changes since 9/11) ASSESS Complete a visual graphic listing benefits and disadvantages of these changes. ACT Create an informational poster to argue for or against one new policy created to protect students.

3 Overview Inquiry Description This inquiry leads students through an investigation of personal liberties vs. public safety. By investigating the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom? students evaluate the constitutionality of government actions that originate from a desire to protect the American public. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students evaluate the fine balance between protection and oppression. Students create an evidence-based argument about government actions in the past and current actions that are intended to protect but may be challenged constitutionally. In addition to the Arkansas Curriculum Framework for Civics listed on the one-page blueprint, this inquiry highlights the following student learning expectations from the Civics course: CPI.1.C.1 Analyze the establishment and purposes of government CPI.1.C.4 Analyze the purpose, organization, authority, and function of each of the three branches of government at the federal and state levels In addition to the Key Idea listed previously, this inquiry highlights the following Conceptual Understanding: D Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of view represented in the sources, the types of sources available, and the potential uses of the sources. D Explain how a question reflects an enduring issue in the field. D2.Civ Explain how the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of government that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed over time and that are still contested. It is important to note that this inquiry requires prerequisite knowledge of historical events and ideas. Thus, students should have already studied the purpose of government, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence as well as how the federal and state governments are limited. Note: This inquiry is expected to take five (5) 40-minute class periods. The inquiry time frame could expand if teachers think their students need additional instructional experiences (i.e., supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources). Teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiries to meet the needs and interests of their particular students. Resources can also be modified as necessary to meet individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 Plans for students with disabilities. Structure of the Inquiry In addressing the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom? students work through a series of supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources in order to construct an argument

4 supported by evidence while acknowledging competing perspectives. Staging the Compelling Question In staging the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom?, teachers may begin by asking Why and in what ways are students restricted under school policy? Prompt students with questions regarding how laws and policies have changed through time, why these laws have changed, have the new laws increased safety, and why some of these laws have been controversial. Supporting Question 1 The first supporting question Were the limitations of personal rights during World Wars I and II justified? has students create an informational graphic listing personal liberties or rights that were restricted during both World Wars I and II noting any changes after the war. The informational graphic may take a variety of forms (chart, poster, Venn diagram, or type of graphic organizer). Students could also research how long these changes lasted. Source A: Civil Liberties in Wartime Begin reading with the sentence The story of civil liberties during World War I is, in many ways, even more disturbing. End reading with the short explanation of Korematsu. The reading section can be assigned for individual reading or small group. Students should share the main ideas and information that they learned from the reading selection. This could be done as a jigsaw. Source B: Meatless Monday image. If students are not familiar with reading photographs this is a good opportunity to teach this skill. Library of Congress and the National Archives both have great templates to assist students in reading images, artifacts, and maps. Source C: Japanese Americans and the US Constitution. This Khan Academy link delves into Korematsu and the Executive Order Supporting Question 2 For the second supporting question Was the limitation of personal rights during the Cold War justified? Students will create an informational graphic listing personal liberties or rights that were restricted during the Cold War and compare this information to the formative performance task for supporting question 1. The informational graphic may take a variety of forms (chart, poster, Venn diagram, or type of graphic organizer). In addition to the resources from the previous supporting question, the featured sources provide students with additional materials that allow them to compare the justification of the actions to their actual effect on American citizens. Source A: Civil Liberties Point/Counter Point Reading from two different perspectives that can allow for

5 students to choose one side or the other and would serve for a good class discussion or debate as well as a basis for the list they are compiling. Source B: US Code 843 US Law Code regarding Communism. It may be helpful to pre-read this for vocabulary which may be difficult for students to comprehend. Have students annotate the law in their own words. Source C: Red Scare. This source has both text and videos and these could be assigned to small groups to read/view and share notes on main points of the reading and viewing. It may be interesting to note the differences in student notes on the viewing. Supporting Question 3 The third supporting question Should our personal rights be limited in the War on Terror? asks students to write a journal entry describing pros and cons of increased government intervention in our safety while protecting personal liberties or rights post 9/11. Ask them to address whether the government interventions prevented further terrorist attacks. In addition to the previous featured sources, the sources for this task feature an array of writings on the subject: Source A: Civil Liberties Implications. This site has a detailed description of many of the changes since 9/11, and this should be done in small groups to allow deeper discussion of each topic. Source B: Ways we have changed. Synopsis of changes in brief Source C: National Security Policy Changes since 9/11. These are the specific policy changes that are most recent. These are useful as both individual reading or shared/jigsaws. Be attentive to the source for each article as they explain their knowledge to students, as these may be from polar opposite viewpoints. Summative At this point in the inquiry, students have examined the controversial issues surrounding the restricting of personal/civil liberties, and government policies resulting from wartime and terrorist activity. Students should be expected to demonstrate the breadth of their understandings and their abilities to use evidence from multiple sources to support their claims. In this task, students construct an evidence-based argument using multiple sources to answer the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom? It is important to note that students arguments could take a variety of forms, including a detailed outline, poster, or essay. Students arguments will likely vary, but could include any of the following: Safety is most important. I am willing to surrender personal liberties in order to guarantee safety. How can we enjoy our freedoms if we are constantly vulnerable? My freedom is more important than my safety. To preserve my liberty should be our ultimate goal. If we surrender our liberties out of fear, the enemy wins. The government should seek a balance guaranteeing our liberties while making safety a priority. We should

6 preserve our most precious liberties and be willing to sacrifice some privacy to stay safe. Extension To extend their arguments, teachers may begin by having students think about how students and schools have been affected by the fight against terrorist activity. Create a video or digital presentation which addresses the compelling question Should safety outweigh freedom using specific claims, relevant evidence, and acknowledging competing views. Students have the opportunity to Take Informed Action by drawing on their understandings of safety vs. freedom. Understand: public school law and policies change over time as well as other laws for safety. Assess: identify and discuss benefits and disadvantages of some of these changes. Act: create an informational poster or Public Service Announcement (PSA) to argue for or against one new policy created to protect students.