NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies – Grade 12 Participation in Government Unit 3 Guide
This Passport to Social Studies teacher’s guide is the third unit of the Participation in Government course, titled: Civic Participation and Public Policy. This curriculum was developed by a team of NYCDOE staff and teachers, in collaboration with scholars of history and social studies education. Students immerse themselves in the topic by discussing historical questions, reading and analyzing a rich collection of diverse primary and secondary sources, examining artifacts, and interpreting images, such as paintings, photographs, and maps.
In this unit, Civic Participation and Public Policy, student explore how collectives can organize to effect changes to issues that impact them. Students seek to answer the Essential Question: How do citizens influence government policy? Beginning with a deep study of local government structures and how they impact communities, students select an issue to focus on during this unit and develop research skills that will help them to identify root causes of an issue, the government structures that have the most leverage over those root causes and social issues, and how to connect with and organize in a community. At the conclusion of this unit students assemble their work into a portfolio that informs the creation of an action plan to guide action through the civic and political landscape on a particular issue.
Throughout the unit, students continue to strengthen social scientific and historical thinking skills from grades prior to cultivate and strengthen their ability to think critically and apply concepts to novel situations, and interpret, select, and cite accurate evidence, and use disciplinary vocabulary to develop their analysis.
This guide includes multiple components:
- Overview
- Day-by-Day Planner
- Model Lesson
- Unit Assessment (and rubric)
- Historical Thinking Tools and Analysis Strategies
- Key Standards
- Connections to the 9-12 Civics for All Curriculum, Part One and Part Two
To evaluate student mastery of content knowledge, cognitive processes, and critical thinking skills, this unit includes opportunities for formative assessments and a performance-based unit assessment. Please note that the NYCDOE 9-12: Passport to Social Studies materials also include a separate student Text Set for each unit.
