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Chapter Planner and Suggested Pacing Guide

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN®

Enduring Understanding

  • The United States has a two-party system in which the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have different platforms and political bases and promote different policies.
  • Political parties organize to help people with broad common interests win elections and influence public policy.

Essential Questions

  • How does the two-party system influence American democracy?

Students will know:

  • the function of political parties.
  • the different types of party systems.
  • the evolution of political parties in the United States.
  • the impact of and difficulties faced by third parties in the United States.
  • the political ideology of the major political parties in the United States.
  • the differences between the political platforms of the Republican and Democratic parties.
  • the demographic makeup of the Republican and Democratic parties.
  • the impact of polarization on political parties.
  • the role of political party organization and membership in government.
  • how political candidates are selected.
  • the role of national party conventions in presidential nominations.

Students will be able to:

  • identify the functions of political parties.
  • describe the different party systems.
  • analyze the evolution of American political parties.
  • explain the obstacles faced by third parties.
  • differentiate between liberal and conservative ideologies.
  • identify differences in viewpoints between the Republican and Democratic parties.
  • identify differences between voters who identify as Republican and voters who identify as Democratic.
  • define plurality vote.
  • explain the role of party organization and membership in government.
  • describe how political candidates are nominated for office.
  • identify the role of convention delegates in nominating the president.

Predictable Misunderstandings

  • That a two-party system is the most common type of political party system across the world. Students may be surprised to learn how many nations have multiparty systems and how differently those systems can function.
  • That the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have always been the two major political parties in the United States and have always stood for the same basic ideals. Have students research the political parties of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the United States to learn how they evolved into our current major parties.
  • That there is only one way for a political party to nominate its candidate for president. Encourage students to learn about the procedure for nominating presidential candidates in their state and how this leads to the final announcement of the party ticket during the party’s national convention.

Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks:

  • Hands-On Chapter Project

Other Evidence:

  • Guided Reading Activities
  • Vocabulary Activity
  • Lesson Quizzes
  • Chapter Tests, Forms A and B

SUGGESTED PACING

½ Day — Introducing the Chapter
 1 Day — Lesson 1
½ Day — Lesson 2
 1 Day — Lesson 3
½ Day — Chapter Wrap-Up and Assessment

3½ Days — Total

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

The activities presented are suitable for all levels. Modifications for student ability levels are available for many of the activities. The type of modifications available are indicated by the icons below.

DI for AL Approaching Level

DI for BL Beyond Level

DI for ELL English Language Learner

All students benefit from activities that utilize different learning styles. Activities are designated with the labels below to help you differentiate teaching by the types of learners.

Intrapersonal
Logical/Mathematical
Visual/Spatial
Verbal/Linguistic
Interpersonal
Auditory/Musical
Kinesthetic
Naturalist

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

Expand All

  • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

    Below are the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills covered in this chapter.

    (1) History. The student understands how constitutional government, as developed in America and expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution, has been influenced by ideas, people, and historical documents. The student is expected to:

    (D) identify the contributions of the political philosophies of the Founders, including John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, George Mason, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson, on the development of the U.S. government

    (F) identify significant individuals in the field of government and politics, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan

     

    (2) History. The student understands the roles played by individuals, political parties, interest groups, and the media in the U.S. political system, past and present. The student is expected to:

    (A) give examples of the processes used by individuals, political parties, interest groups, or the media to affect public policy

    (B) analyze the impact of political changes brought about by individuals, political parties, interest groups, or the media, past and present

     

    (3) Geography. The student understands how geography can influence U.S. political divisions and policies. The student is expected to:

    (B) examine political boundaries to make inferences regarding the distribution of political power

     

    (7) Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the U.S. Constitution and why these are significant. The student is expected to:

    (C) analyze how the Federalist Papers such as Number 10, Number 39, and Number 51 explain the principles of the American constitutional system of government

     

    (10) Government. The student understands the processes for filling public offices in the U.S. system of government. The student is expected to:

    (A) compare different methods of filling public offices, including elected and appointed offices at the local, state, and national levels

     

    (11) Government. The student understands the role of political parties in the U.S. system of government. The student is expected to:

    (A) analyze the functions of political parties and their role in the electoral process at local, state, and national levels

    (B) explain the two-party system and evaluate the role of third parties in the United States

    (C) identify opportunities for citizens to participate in political party activities at local, state, and national levels

     

    (12) Government. The student understands the similarities and differences that exist among the U.S. system of government and other political systems. The student is expected to:

    (A) compare the U.S. constitutional republic to historical and contemporary forms of government such as monarchy, a classical republic, authoritarian, socialist, direct democracy, theocracy, tribal, and other republics

     

    (13) Citizenship. The student understands rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The student is expected to:

    (C) identify the freedoms and rights guaranteed by each amendment in the Bill of Rights

     

    (14) Citizenship. The student understands the difference between personal and civic responsibilities. The student is expected to:

    (C) understand the responsibilities, duties, and obligations of citizenship such as being well informed about civic affairs, serving in the military, voting, serving on a jury, observing the laws, paying taxes, and serving the public good

     

    (15) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of voluntary individual participation in the U.S. constitutional republic. The student is expected to:

    (A) analyze the effectiveness of various methods of participation in the political process at local, state, and national levels

    (C) understand the factors that influence an individual’s political attitudes and actions

     

    (16) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of the expression of different points of view in a constitutional republic. The student is expected to:

    (A) examine different points of view of political parties and interest groups such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on important contemporary issues

    (B) analyze the importance of the First Amendment rights of petition, assembly, speech, and press and the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms

     

    (19) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of advances in science and technology on government and society. The student is expected to:

    (B) evaluate the impact of the Internet and other electronic information on the political process

     

    (20) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:

    (A) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions

    (C) analyze and defend a point of view on a current political issue

    (D) analyze and evaluate the validity of information, arguments, and counterarguments from primary and secondary sources for bias, propaganda, point of view, and frame of reference

    (E) evaluate government data using charts, tables, graphs, and maps

     

    (21) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:

    (A) use social studies terminology correctly

    (C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate

    (D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information

     

    (22) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:

    (B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision