Unit Title Civics and Government Course(s) Social Studies (7th Grade)

Designed by Meghan Thomas & Amber Myers Time Frame 4 weeks

Phase 1- Desired Results

Establish Goal(s)/Content Standard(s)

Essential Standard: 7.C&G.1 Understand the development of government in modern societies and regions.
- 7.C&G.1.1 Summarize the ideas that have shaped political thought in various societies and regions (e.g. Enlightenment and Scientific
Revolution, democracy, communism and socialism).
- 7.C&G.1.2 Evaluate how the Western concept of democracy has influenced the political ideas of modern societies.
- 7.C&G.1.3 Compare the requirements for (e.g. age. gender, legal and economic status) and responsibilities of citizenship under various
governments in modern societies (e.g. voting, taxes and military service).
- 7.C&G.1.4 Compare the sources of power and governmental authority in various societies (e.g. monarchs, dictators, elected officials,
anti-governmental groups and religious, political factions).

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to...

● Identify how previous thoughts have shaped current government

● Identify how ideals change over time and how those changes impact society

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS Essential Questions
Students will understand that… Students will keep considering...
 ● The ideas found in intellectual, scientific and cultural 1. How do politics and government interact to shape our lives?
movements may direct the development of future political 2. What is the relationship between culture and politics in
thought and characteristics of government. forming society?
● Philosophical, historical, cultural and economic factors may 3. Should the needs of the common good be held above the
shape various ideas and political thought needs of the individual?
● Democratic societies may differ as a result of history, region, 4. What constitutes the need for change in government power?
or culture.
● Governmental systems in one society may transform
governmental systems in another society as a result of
cultural, political, or economic interaction.
● The application of democratic ideals may vary greatly
throughout history.
● The requirements for and responsibilities of citizenship may
differ based on type of government.
● Governments are often shaped by a society’s ideology on
religion, equality, individual liberties, and the common good.
● The source of political power in a society results from a
shared set of values and beliefs among citizens.
● Governmental power in a society may change because of
political, economic, or social crisis or the needs of the society.

Acquisition

Students will know… Students will be skilled at...

● Various ideas that shaped modern political thought (e.g.,
equality, liberalism, republicanism, one-man-one vote, rule of
law, socialism, reason as the primary source of legitimacy and
authority, natural rights of man).
● Examples of how cultural and economic factors impact
political thought.
● The Western concept of democracy can be found in
civilizations such as Ancient Rome and Greece.
1. Determining cause and effect
2. Analyzing relationships between different ideals and how they
combine to create what is known as modern political thought.
3. Comparing and contrasting
4. Apply prior historical knowledge to new concepts.
5. Identify changes in political ideals over time
6. Recall previous knowledge to compare and contrast.
7. Connecting historical knowledge to current or hypothetical
 ● How the principles and ideals of Western democracy have events.
influenced modern democracies.
● Examples of societies, such as the modern United States,
Great Britain, Japan, and India, which were influenced by
Western democracy.
● Criteria to judge the extent to which the Western concept of
democracy influenced a society.
● Ways in which the application of democratic ideals have
varied over time in different nations (e.g., Ancient Greece and
Rome, Great Britain, France, Japan, the United States,
Ghana, India, and Australia)
● The requirements for citizenship in various nations.
● The responsibilities of citizenship in various nations.
● How a citizen’s role is impacted by the different types of
government (e.g., the expectations for a citizen living under
an authoritarian government may be different than a citizen in
a democratic republic).
● Various sources of political power in a society (e.g., wealthy
landowners, religious groups, heads of state, voters).
● Ways individuals and groups have used crises or national
emergencies to alter access to governmental power in a
society.

Resources / Materials:
● http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/curriculum/socialstudies/scos/unpacking/7th.pdf

Adapted f​ rom Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay. ​Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units​. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. 2011.