Foundations of American Government
Session 1: Unit Introduction

Materials

• Textbook
• “Pretest” (Attachment A)
• “Foundations of Government Graphic Organizer” (Attachment B)

Instructional Activities

1. Distribute copies of the pretest (Attachment A). Ask students to answer the questions based on their background knowledge. (Tell them to mark their answers T or F in the Before column.)
   
   
2. Go over the results of the pretest. Do most students agree?  Ask them to keep their answers. They will answer the questions again by filling in the After column at the conclusion of the unit.
   
   
3. Display the transparency titled “Foundations of Government Graphic Organizer” (Attachment B), which presents an overview of the unit. Briefly discuss the relationship of the principles and the documents.
   
   
4. Have students create a personal dictionary, using a spiral notebook. They should use one or two pages for each letter of the alphabet. Have them write important or difficult terms and definitions for quick reference.
   
   
5. For homework, assign the section in the textbook describing the fundamental principles of government.