Am Govt.

Sorgea AP Govt Syllabus 24-25

Foundations of Am Government Unit Plan

• Daily objectives aligned to the 9–12.G.1.CC standards

• The gradual release model (“I do / We do / You do”) from your template

• A blend of primary/secondary sources, literacy skills, and inquiry activities

• SPED/ELL supports embedded

• A logical flow from Foundations of Government → Origins of American Government

Two-Week Lesson Plan (10 Days)

Unit Focus:

Foundations and Origins of American Government
Unit EQ: What is power?
Content EQs:

• Should the government reflect the will of the people?

• How does the Declaration of Independence reflect the philosophy of natural rights?

• How do competing interests influence how power is distributed and exercised?

Week 1: Foundations of Government

Day 1 – Introduction to Government & Power

• Objective: Define "power" and explain different types of government (9–12.G.1.CC.A).

• I Do: Lecture with visual slides on monarchy, democracy, authoritarianism, etc.

• We Do: Class discussion: “Where do governments get their power?”

• You Do: QuickWrite: “Which type of government best ensures citizen well-being?”

• Primary Source: Excerpts from John Locke’s Two Treatises.

• Formative Assessment: Exit ticket — define two types of government and give examples.

Day 2 – Purposes of Government

• Objective: Identify key functions of government and their impact on society.

• I Do: Present the 6 purposes of government (from the Preamble).

• We Do: SOAPStone analysis of the Preamble.

• You Do: Think-Pair-Share — examples of each purpose in modern life.

• SPED/ELL Support: Visual aids + word bank for key vocabulary.

Day 3 – Role of Citizens in a Democratic Republic

• Objective: Explain rights and responsibilities of citizens.

• I Do: Mini-lecture on civic duties vs. civic responsibilities.

• We Do: Small group scenario analysis — what should a responsible citizen do?

• You Do: Create a T-chart of rights vs. responsibilities.

• Primary Source: Bill of Rights excerpts.

Day 4 – Philosophical Foundations of Government

• Objective: Explain Enlightenment ideas that influenced American government (9–12.G.1.CC.B).

• I Do: Explain natural rights, separation of powers, consent of the governed.

• We Do: Partner work — match Enlightenment thinkers to their ideas.

• You Do: Create a concept map linking philosophers to U.S. founding documents.

Day 5 – Review & Formative Assessment

• Objective: Summarize key concepts from Foundations of Government.

• Activity: Kahoot quiz + group creation of “Top 5 Most Important Ideas in Government” poster.

• Formative Assessment: Short written reflection — “What is power, and how should it be used?”

Week 2: Origins of American Government

Day 6 – Early Colonial Government

• Objective: Describe colonial government structures and influences.

• I Do: Lecture on Mayflower Compact, colonial assemblies.

• We Do: Analyze the Mayflower Compact (SOAPStone).

• You Do: Write a short paragraph — how did colonial self-government influence U.S. democracy?

Day 7 – British Influences on American Government

• Objective: Explain how British documents shaped U.S. governance (Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights).

• I Do: Explain context + key rights from each document.

• We Do: Source comparison chart — British docs vs. U.S. founding documents.

• You Do: Exit ticket — name one principle borrowed from British history.

Day 8 – Road to Independence

• Objective: Explain causes of the American Revolution (9–12.G.1.CC.E).

• I Do: Timeline presentation — taxes, protests, key events.

• We Do: Group analysis of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.

• You Do: Write a persuasive paragraph — should colonies declare independence?

Day 9 – Declaration of Independence

• Objective: Analyze how the Declaration reflects natural rights philosophy.

• I Do: Read excerpts aloud, modeling annotation strategies.

• We Do: Socratic Seminar — Is the Declaration still relevant today?

• You Do: Write 3–2–1 response (3 ideas, 2 questions, 1 connection).

Day 10 – Articles of Confederation & Constitutional Beginnings

• Objective: Identify weaknesses of the Articles and the need for the Constitution.

• I Do: Explain key weaknesses (no tax power, no army).

• We Do: Small group — rewrite 3 Articles weaknesses into stronger policies.

• You Do: Exit ticket — Which weakness had the biggest impact, and why?

If you want, I can now put this into your original two-week lesson plan template so it’s ready for direct classroom use, complete with the SPED/ELL checkboxes and literacy connections filled in.
That would make it fully compliance-ready for submission.

Video Questions