Classroom Resource

Do I Have a Right?

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

7, 10, 12

Overview

In this interactive game from iCivics, students run their own firm of lawyers specializing in constitutional law. They decide if potential clients have a right, match them with the best lawyer, and win their case. The more clients you serve and the more cases you win, and the faster your law firm grows! This game can be played during a lesson on the constitution for reinforcement or after a lesson as an assessment. It can be played in a whole group or individually.  

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Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 7 - 7th Grade: Civics

SS10.7C.10

Describe individual and civic responsibilities of citizens of the United States.

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.7C.10

Vocabulary

  • responsibilities
  • duties
  • rights
  • privileges
  • citizen
  • alien
  • immigrants
  • naturalization
  • character

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The distinction between right, duties and responsibilities. There is a way for immigrants to become a citizen.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Cite primary source documents to provide evidence that an idea is a right guaranteed to citizens.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are rights, duties, responsibilities, and privileges of U.S. citizenship.
Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 10 - United States History I

SS10.US1.4

Describe the political system of the United States based on the Constitution of the United States. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A.1.d., A.1.g., A.1.i.]

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.US1.4

Vocabulary

  • political system
  • elements
  • distinguishing
  • ideologies
  • conflicting

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The inadequacies of Articles of Confederation and how these lead to the writing of the Constitution.
  • Personalities, issues, ideologies, and compromises related to the Constitutional Convention and the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
  • The purpose and effects of the Federalist Papers.
  • Details of the political system of the United States based on the Constitution of the United States.
  • How to interpret the Preamble to the Constitution.
  • The purpose of the separation of powers and how this works in the U.S. federal system.
  • The meaning and purpose of the elastic clause.
  • The purpose of the Bill of Rights and the effects of these amendments.
  • Factors leading to the development and establishment of political parties, including Alexander Hamilton's economic policies, conflicting views of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, George Washington's Farewell Address, and the election of 1800.
  • The reasons for and effects of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Analyze and describe the political system of the United States based on the Constitution of the United States by giving a verbal or written account with characteristics of the political system.
  • Interpret the Preamble of the Constitution, separation of powers, federal system; elastic clause, the Bill of Rights; and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments by examining these parts.
  • Describe the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation by giving a verbal or written account of the weaknesses.
  • Distinguish personalities, ideas, issues, ideologies and compromises related to the Constitutional by highlighting these differences.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The Constitution replaced a weak Articles of Confederation and provides the basis for governing the United States.
Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 12 - United States Government

SS10.USG.3

Analyze major features of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights for purposes, organization, functions, and principles, including rule of law, federalism, limited government, popular sovereignty, judicial review, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.USG.3

Vocabulary

  • rule of law
  • federalism
  • limited government
  • popular sovereignty
  • judicial review
  • separation of powers
  • checks and balances
  • ratification
  • Anti-Federalist
  • confederation
  • amending
  • Federalist
  • article of the Constitution

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Key principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights as well as their meaning.
  • Key arguments given by the Federalists and Anti-Federalists regarding the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
  • The Constitution is an evolving document through both formal and informal means.
  • The process by which an amendment can be added to the U.S. Constitution.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Outline the possible paths taken to ratify an amendment to the Constitution.
  • Interpret how constitutional principles are embedded in current and past issues in US history and politics.
  • Interpret primary documents from both Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
  • Analyze a given passage of the U.S. Constitution to identify how it relates to a key principle of American government.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Many key principles of the Constitution, including judicial review, federalism, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, rule of law, and popular sovereignty, are embedded in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and that their meaning has been debated throughout U.S. history.
Link to Resource
https://www.icivics.org/node/42/resource?referer=curriculum/play/all&page_title…

CR Resource Type

Interactive/Game

Resource Provider

iCivics
Accessibility

Accessibility

Audio resources: includes a transcript or subtitles
Graphics: includes alt tags or long descriptions
Video resources: includes closed captioning or subtitles
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://www.icivics.org/terms-use

Comments or Notes

iCivics is a free resource for teachers. Teachers can register for a free account to access additional resources. They can create a class to assign resources to students. Students can play in English or Spanish. The game is aligned to WIDA standards for English Language Learners.

Approved Date

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