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UNIT 3: CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND SKILLS

ESSENTIAL QUESTION 3.1: What roles do people play in the political process?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION 3.2: What shapes public opinion and how does it influence political action?
Unit Theme: How the American people govern themselves at national, state and local levels of government is the basis
for this course. Students can impact issues addressed by local governments through service learning and senior projects.
Unit Topic: Civic Involvement - Students can engage societal problems and participate in opportunities to contribute to
the common good through governmental and nongovernmental channels.
AG 01: Opportunities for civic engagement with the structures of government are made possible through political and
public policy processes.
- AG 01.01 What are the ways people can participate in the political process?
- AG 01.02 How does the electoral college encourage or discourage citizen participation in presidential elections?
- AG 01.03 Why do citizens choose to participate in or avoid the public policy process?
McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 9-Lesson 1: Who Can Vote pp. 268-275
McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 9-Lesson 2: Elections and Campaigns pp. 277-283
McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 10-Lesson 1: Forming Public Opinion pp. 290-296

AG 02: Political parties, interest groups and the media provide opportunities for civic involvement through various
means.
- AG 02.01 What are the ways political parties play a role in politics?
- AG 02.02 How does the political party system in the US compare with systems in other countries?
- AG 02.03 How do the major parties compare to the minor parties in the US?
- AG 02.04 What are the ways interest groups play a role in politics?
- AG 02.05 Compare and contrast political parties and interest groups.
- AG 02.06 What are the different ways people can affect government actions?
- AG 02.07 What role does the media play in shaping the publics opinion?
- AG 02.08 How does media encourage or discourage civic participation?
McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 8-Lesson 1: History of Political Parties pp. 248-253
McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 8-Lesson 2: Political Parties Today pp. 254-261
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McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 10-Lesson 2: The Mass Media pp. 297-301
McGraw-Hill: Networks; Chapter 10-Lesson 3: Interest Groups and Lobbying pp. 303-308

AG 03: Issues can be analyzed through the critical use of information from public records, surveys, research data and
policy positions of advocacy groups.
- AG 03.01 How and what information can be obtained from public records?
- AG 03.02 What are the factors in shaping and measuring public opinion?
- AG 03.03 What role does public opinion play in the governmental decision making process?

AG 04: The processes of persuasion, compromise, consensus building and negotiation contribute to the resolution of
conflicts and differences.
- AG 04.01 Show how arguments supported by evidence and data are stronger than those supported by only a belief
system.
- AG 04.02 Explain how compromise and consensus building is used to create public policy.
- AG 04.03 Prepare and support arguments that could be used to persuade an audience on a specific topic or issue.
- Ag 04.04 Show an understanding of how to defend one side of an issue.