Basic Principles Held by American Citizens

Standards of Learning

Content

Explain the importance of the following basic principles:
•    Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are privileges that people are born with and that cannot be taken away.                                                                                                             
•    Equality under the law means that all people are treated fairly.                                        

Know that some basic principles held by American citizens include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law.                                                                                 

Recognize that citizens have worked to defend American principles.                                      

Recognize that American people come from diverse ethnic and national origins and are united as Americans by basic American principles.                                                                             

Recognize that being an American is defined by the shared basic principles of the republican form of government.                                                                                                                       

Know the term Republican form of government: A representative democracy.
                     
Understand that the American people come from different ethnic origins and different countries, but are united as Americans by the basic principles of a republican form of government, including individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law.

Recognize the following benefits of diversity:
•    Food                                                                                                                            
•    Clothing                                                                                                                       
•    Music                                                                                                                           

Sample Resources

Below is an annotated list of Internet resources for this organizing topic. Copyright restrictions may exist for the material on some Web sites. Please note and abide by any such restrictions.

American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library. Library of Congress. <http://memory.loc.gov/>. The Web site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: K–2. <http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/index.html>. This is a Web site on U.S. Government for kids with resources.

Civnet: A website of Civitas International. <http://www.civnet.org/>. This Web site is an online resource and service for civic education practitioners (teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum designers). For Citizen’s Rights and Responsibilities: click on the resources section to find lesson plans and ideas.

 “Graphic Organizers.” Education Place. Houghton Mifflin. <http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/>. This Web page has a collection of graphic organizers. 

“Graphic Organizers.” SCORE. Schools of California Online Resources for Education. <http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm>. This Web page offers a variety of formats for graphic organizers.

Matusevich, Melissa. Social Studies Curriculum Resources Poster Sets.  <http://chumby.dlib.vt.edu/melissa/posters/posterset.html>. This Web site is a resource of social studies poster sets for grades K–3.

Proteacher. <http://www.proteacher.com/090035.shtml>. This Web site offers lessons on citizenship.
 
“Teaching Citizenship’s Five Themes.” Education World. Education World, Inc.
<http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml>. This Web page features activities from the editors of Weekly Reader that can help develop K–6 students' understanding of the five citizenship themes—honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility, and courage.  

Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments for the 2001 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. Grade Three History and Social Science Test Blueprint. Virginia Department of Education, 2003/04.
<http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/HistoryBlueprints03/2002BlueprintGrade3.pdf>. This site provides assessment information for Grade Three Introduction to History and Social Science.