Classroom Based AssessmentConstitutional Issues

Your NameYour Teacher & Period

Date

Constitutional Issue

• Your Issue Related to the Constitution is Free Speech during times of War

Research Question

• “How can you balance the right to free speech and the ability of the government to effectively wage war?”

State Your Position

• Take a position on the subject (I am in favor of stricter speech controls during wartime because… or I am against stricter speech controls during wartime because…-- obviously you need to be more eloquent than that but it gets the point across). Your Project will argue your point, like a persuasive essay, using solid facts, established court cases/government policies, and the Constitution to strengthen your argument.

Advocate for Your Position

• Explain how you would advocate (to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly) and promote your position at the local, state, or national level:

Source:

Opposite View Point

• Present a logical position that goes against your position. Meaning, if you are in support of stricter speech control you need to present a logical, realistic argument in support of less strict speech control. By doing this you are acknowledging that there are at least 2 sides to every issue.

• Logical argument against your position:

Source:

Refute the Argument

• Why this argument doesn’t work:

Source:

Connect Your Issue to the Constitution

• Look through the First Amendment. How does this address your issue? Is there more than one component of the First Amendment that applies? If not in the amendment, what about the articles? The Preamble?

• Part(s) of Constitution Connected to your issue:

Source:

Four Court Cases and a Government Policy related to your position

• Court Case(1) Schenck v. United States• Date:• Names:

• What Happened:

• How this upheld the Constitution:

Source:

Four Court Cases and a Government Policy related to your position

• Court Case(2)• Date:• Names:

• What Happened:

• How this upheld the Constitution:Source:

Four Court Cases and a Government Policy related to your position

• Court Case(3)• Date:• Names:

• What Happened:

• How this upheld the Constitution:Source:

• Court Case(4)• Date:• Names:

• What Happened:

• How this upheld the Constitution:

Four Court Cases and a Government Policy related to your position

Source:

Four Court Cases and a Government Policy related to your position

• Government Policy:• Date:• Names:

• What Happened:

• How this upheld the Constitution:Source:

Individual Right(s) Connected to Your Issue

• Fundamental rights and basic liberties of individuals such as those mentioned in the Declaration of Independence (equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) and the Bill of Rights (freedom of expression, religion, rights of the accused, and property rights).

Source:

How the Common Good is Connected to Your Issue: This should be your own opinion backed up by a source

• Promote the General Welfare/Common Good: Ex. "The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all, or cannot so well do for themselves in their separate capacities." Abraham Lincoln, "Fragment on Government,“ 1854

Source:

Thesis Statement

• THESIS: State your position on the Constitutional Issue balancing the individual right with the common good.Thesis Builder and Online Outlinerhttp://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.php

Bibliographic Citation A: (primary or secondary)

• (Citation)

• Is it credible? How do you know?

Bibliographic Citation B: (primary or secondary)

• (Citation)

• Is it credible? How do you know?

Bibliographic Citation C: (primary or secondary)

• (Citation)

• Is it credible? How do you know?

Bibliographic Citation D: (primary or secondary)

• (Citation)

• Is it credible? How do you know?

Bibliographic Citation E: (primary or secondary)

• (Citation)

• Is it credible? How do you know?