"When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself."

John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Activist (2020)

The Philosophical Foundations of the United States Political System

The Government of Ancient Athens

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Athenian Democracy and 21st Century Digital Government--Before and after the Pandemic
   2. UNCOVER: The Legend of Pheidippides, the Heraean Games, and First American Runners in the Boston Marathon and the Olympics
   3. ENGAGE: How Can School Classrooms Become More Democratic Spaces?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Democracy in Social Media Platforms and Community Standards

The Government of the Roman Republic

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Roman Government and Roman Engineering and Public Works Projects
   2. UNCOVER: Spartacus and Slavery in the Roman World, Toussaint L’Ouverture, and Black American Slave Revolts
   3. ENGAGE: What Latin Words and Phrases Should Every Student Know?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: The Internet as a Public Utility

Enlightenment Thinkers and Democratic Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and their Influence on Government
   2. UNCOVER: Mary Wollstonecraft, Olympe De Gouges, and the Rights of Women
   3. ENGAGE: Who Were History’s Most Important Women Change-Makers in Math, Science, and Politics?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: 21st Century Women STEM Innovators

British Influences on American Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Mayflower Compact, Colonial Governments, and Who Voted in Early America
   2. UNCOVER: Lucy Terry Prince, Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer: Women's Roles in Colonial America
   3. ENGAGE: Should 16 or 17 Year-Olds Be Allowed to Vote?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Media Coverage of the Royals

Native American Influences on American Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Iroquois Confederacy and the Great Law of Peace
   2. UNCOVER: The Peskeompskut-Wissatinnewag Massacre OR the Battle of Great Falls
   3. ENGAGE: How to Evaluate a Person’s Place in History: Jeffrey Amherst and the Case of the Smallpox Blankets

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Representations of Native Americans in Film, Local History Publications and School Mascots

TOPIC 2: The Development of United States Government [Standards 8.T2.1-5]

The Revolutionary Era and the Declaration of Independence

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments (1848)
   2. UNCOVER: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
   3. ENGAGE: What Do Other Declarations of Independence Declare?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Declarations of Independence on Social Media

The Articles of Confederation

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Government Under the Articles of Confederation
   2. UNCOVER: Shays’ Rebellion and the Coming of the Constitution
   3. ENGAGE: How Much Power Should the Federal Government Have in the 21st Century?  The Case of Self-Driving Cars and Trucks

• • •    MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Marketing and Regulating Self-Driving Cars and Trucks

The Constitutional Convention

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Great Compromise: The Virginia and New Jersey Plans
   2. UNCOVER: Thomas Jefferson’s Draft Constitution (1776) and Thurgood Marshall’s Bicentennial Speech (1987)
   3. ENGAGE: Did the Three-Fifths Compromise Make the Constitution a Pro-Slavery Document?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Analyzing Media Stereotypes Toward African Americans

Debates Between Federalists and Anti-Federalists

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Federalist-Anti-Federalist Debates
   2. UNCOVER: Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, and the Political Roles of Women
   3. ENGAGE: Who Should Have Primary Responsibility for Environmental Policies?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Investigating Political Debates Through Songs from the musical Hamilton

Articles of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

1. 1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Articles of the Constitution and the Many Bills of Rights in United States History
      2. UNCOVER: W.E.B. DuBois, the Niagara Movement, and the History of the NAACP
      3. ENGAGE: What Are the Most Influential Documents in America’s Multicultural History

• • • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: The Bill of Rights on Twitter

TOPIC 3: The Institutions of the United States Government [Standards 8.T3.1-5]

The Branches of the Government and the Separation of Powers

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Federalism and the Three Branches of the Government
   2. UNCOVER: Shirley Chisholm, African American Politician and Presidential Candidate
   3. ENGAGE: Should Puerto Rico or Washington, D.C. Be a 51st State?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Analyzing Political Films About the Branches of Government

Checks and Balances Between the Branches

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Checks and Balances, Presidential and Parliamentary Systems, Powers of the U.S. Presidency
   2. UNCOVER: The War Powers of the President
   3. ENGAGE: When and For What Should a President Be Impeached?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Writing an Impeachment Press Release

The Roles of Congress, the President, and the Courts

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Executive Branch and the President
      1.1 UNCOVER: The FBI in American Politics
      1.2 ENGAGE: Can a Woman Be Elected President of the United States?
   2. INVESTIGATE: The Legislative Branch
      2.1 UNCOVER: Electing LGBTQIA Legislators
   3. INVESTIGATE: The Federal Judicial Branch and State Courts
      3.1 ENGAGE: What Supreme Court Cases Should All Teenagers Know?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Exploring How Members of Congress Use Social Media

Elections and Nominations

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Presidential Elections, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College
   2. UNCOVER: 2000 and Other Disputed Elections in United States History
   3. ENGAGE: Is It Time to Adopt Instant Runoff/Ranked Choice Voting?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Understanding Public Opinion Polls

The Role of Political Parties

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Party System, Political Parties Today, and the 2020 Census
   2. UNCOVER: Radical Political Parties in United States Politics: Populists, Socialists, and Black Panthers
   3. ENGAGE: Should Voters Join a Political Party?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Website Design for New Political Parties

TOPIC 4: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens [Standards 8.T4.1-13]

Becoming a Citizen

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Becoming a Citizen Through Immigration Gateways and Ports of Entry
   2. UNCOVER: Citizenship for Puerto Ricans 
   3. ENGAGE: When Should Someone Be Granted Asylum in the United States?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Immigration in the News

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens and Non-Citizens

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Rights of Citizens and Non-Citizens
   2. UNCOVER: The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II
   3. ENGAGE: Should Fred Korematsu and Other Individuals Who Fought for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Have a National Day of Recognition?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Portrayals of Immigrants in Television and Film

Civic, Political, and Private Life

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: People's Lives and Government Responses to COVID-19
   2. UNCOVER: Women's Political Participation Around the World
   3. ENGAGE: Should the U.S. Adopt Universal Basic Income (UBI) or Guaranteed Employment as National Policies?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: COVID-19 Information EvaluationUNCOVER: Women's Political Participation Around the World

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Women Political Leaders in the Media

Fundamental Principles and Values of American Political and Civic Life

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Fundamental Principles and Values of American Life
   2. UNCOVER: The Importance of the 14th Amendment
   3. ENGAGE: What Are Students’ Rights at School?

• • •   MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Online Messaging by Special Interest Groups

Voting and Citizen Participation in the Political Process

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Who Votes and Who Does Not in the United States
   2. UNCOVER: Voter Suppression and Barriers to Voting
   3. ENGAGE: How Would You Get More People, Especially Young People, to Vote?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Digital Games for Civic Engagement

Election Information

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Persuasion, Propaganda, and Political Language in Elections
   2. UNCOVER: Presidential Debates in U.S. Politics
   3. ENGAGE: Should There Be Public Financing of Elections?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Social Media and Elections

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Media Spin in the Coverage of Political Debates

Leadership and the Qualities of Political Leaders

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Frances Perkins, Margaret Sanger, and Harvey Milk: Three Examples of Political Leadership
   2. UNCOVER: Benjamin Banneker, George Washington Carver, and Black Inventors' Contributions to Math, Science and Politics
   3. ENGAGE: Who Do You Think Are the Most Famous Americans?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Celebrities' Influence on Politics 

Cooperation Between Individuals and Leaders

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Contacting Congress
   2. UNCOVER: Youth Activists and Change Makers
   3. ENGAGE: Would You Join a Consumer Boycott or Buycott to Promote Change?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Political Activism Through Social Media

Public Service as a Career

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Working for Local, State and Federal Government 
   2. UNCOVER: A Short History of American Public Education
   3. ENGAGE: Is Teaching a Career for You?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Media Recruitment of Public Sector Workers

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Images of Teachers and Teaching

Liberty in Conflict with Equality or Authority

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Movements for Civil Rights in United States History
      • The Long Civil Rights Movement for African Americans
      • The Women’s Rights Movement
      • The LGBTQIA Rights Movement
      • The Labor Movement
   2. UNCOVER: Queen Liliuokalani and the American Annexation of Hawaii
   3. ENGAGE: What are Transgender Students’ Rights at School?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Representing Trans Identities in the Media 

Political Courage and Those Who Affirmed or Denied Democratic Ideals

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: When American Ideals Were Affirmed
      • Joseph Cinque, John Quincy Adams, and the Amistad Case
      • The Scopes Trial and the Debate Over Darwin’s Origin of the Species
      • Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong and the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott
   2. UNCOVER: Claudette Colvin and the Browder v. Gayle case
   3. ENGAGE: When and How Were American Ideals Denied?
      
      1. The January 6, 2021 Insurrection at the Capitol and the 1898 Wilmington Massacre
      2. The Reconstruction Era
      3. The Indian Wars of the American West
      4. McCarthyism and the Anti-Communist Red Scare
      5. The Anti-Gay Lavender Scare of the 1950s

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Media Framing of the Events of January 6, 2021

The Role of Political Protest

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Doctrine of Nonviolence Protest and Civil Disobedience
   2. UNCOVER: Three Historical Examples of Political Protest
      2.1 The Stonewall Uprising (1969)
      2.2 Mother Jones and the March of the Mill Children (1903)
      2.3 The Standing Rock Pipeline Protest (2016-2017)
   3. ENGAGE: Can Books and Music Express Political Protest?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Music as Protest Art  

Public and Private Interest Groups 

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Special Interest Groups, Political Action Committees (PACs and SuperPACs), and Labor Unions
   2. UNCOVER: The Pullman Strike of 1894 and the History of Labor Day 
   3. ENGAGE: What Role Does Money Play in our Elections?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: PACs, Super PACs, and Unions in the Media

TOPIC 5: The Constitution, Amendments, and Supreme Court [Standards 8.T5.1-6]

The Necessary and Proper Clause

Amendments to the Constitution

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Prohibition and the 18th and 21st Amendments
   2. UNCOVER: Alice Paul and the History of the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment)
   3. ENGAGE: What New Amendments to the Constitution are Needed Today?

• • •   MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: The Equal Rights Amendment on Twitter and other Social Media

Constitutional Issues Related to the Civil War, Federal Power, and Individual Civil Rights

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Missouri Compromise, the Dred Scott Case, the 54th Volunteer Regiment During the Civil War, and Juneteenth National Independence Act
   2. UNCOVER: Harriet Tubman, William Still, and the Underground Railroad
   3. ENGAGE: Whose Faces Should Appear on U.S. Currency?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Civil War News Stories and Recruitment Advertisements

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Representations of Gender and Race on Currency

Civil Rights and Equal Protection for Race, Gender and Disability

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Race -The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
   2. INVESTIGATE: Gender - Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1970
      2.1 ENGAGE: When can girls and boys compete together in athletic events?
   3. INVESTIGATE: Disability - The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
      3.1 UNCOVER: Helen Keller, author and political activist

• • •     MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: The Equality Act on Twitter

Marbury v. Madison and the Principle of Judicial Review

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: John Marshall and Marbury v. Madison
   2. UNCOVER: The Trail of Tears, Chief John Ross, and Supreme Court Cases involving Native Americans
   3. ENGAGE: Do Supreme Court Dissents Make a Difference to the Law?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Reading Supreme Court Dissents Aloud

Significant Supreme Court Decisions

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: First Amendment Rights: Landmark Cases
      1.1 UNCOVER: Tinker v. Des Moines and the Boundaries of Student Speech in Schools
   2. INVESTIGATE: Due Process and Equal Rights: Mendez v. Westminster (1947)
   3. INVESTIGATE: Rights in Conflict: The U.S. Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance
      3.1  ENGAGE: Is Kneeling during the National Anthem an Effective Form of Political Protest?
   4. INVESTIGATE: Rights in Conflict: School Prayer
   5. INVESTIGATE: Rights in Conflict: National Security
   6. INVESTIGATE: Rights in Conflict: Gun Control
      6.1 ENGAGE: What Steps Should Communities and Governments Take to Reduce Gun Violence?

• • •    MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Television Cameras in Courtrooms

TOPIC 6: The Structure of Massachusetts State and Local Government [Standards 8.T6.1-10]

Functions of State and National Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Powers of State and National Government and the Tensions Between Them
   2. UNCOVER: Native American Tribal Governments
   3. ENGAGE: Should More States Adopt Part-Time Citizen Legislatures?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Native American Mascots and Logos

United States and Massachusetts Constitutions

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Powers and Restrictions on Powers of the Government
   2. UNCOVER: Elizabeth Freeman (Mum Bett) and the Abolition of Slavery in Massachusetts
   3. ENGAGE: Should the Government Pay Slavery Reparations for African Americans?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: A Constitution for the Internet

Enumerated and Implied Powers

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Enumerated and Implied Powers of the U.S. Constitution
   2. UNCOVER: Federal Minimum Wage Laws, Young Workers, and the Implied Powers of Congress
   3. ENGAGE: Should the Nation Adopt a Living Wage Rather Than a Minimum Wage?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Military Recruitment and the Media

Core Documents: The Protection of Individual Rights

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Bill of Rights, the 14th Amendment, and Article I of the Massachusetts Constitution 
   2. UNCOVER: Marriage Equality Court Cases
   3. ENGAGE:  When Should You Go to Small Claims Court?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Your Privacy on Social Media

10th Amendment to the Constitution

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Regulation of Sports Betting

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Pandemic Policy Information in the Media

Additional Provisions of the Massachusetts Constitution

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Comparing the Federal and Massachusetts Constitutions
   2. UNCOVER: Gender-Inclusive and Anti-Racist Language and Images in State Constitutions, Laws, and Materials
   3. ENGAGE: How Can Teachers and Students Develop an LGBTQIA-Inclusive Curriculum in Schools?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Gendered Language in Media Coverage of Women in Politics

Responsibilities of Federal, State and Local Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Functions of State and Local Government
   2. UNCOVER: COVID-19, Vaccinations, Face Masks, and Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905)
   3. ENGAGE: What Single-Use Plastic Items Should Local Governments Ban to Help Save the Environment?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Trusted Messengers, the Media and the Pandemic

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Environmental Campaigns Using Social Media

Leadership Structure of the Massachusetts Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: The Structure of Massachusetts Government
   2. UNCOVER: Milestones in Massachusetts Politics
   3. ENGAGE: How Can Society Eliminate Gender Gaps in Wages and Jobs?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Online Campaigning for Political Office

Tax-Supported Facilities and Services

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: People’s Taxes and How They Are Spent
   2. UNCOVER: A Brief History of Taxation in the U.S.
   3. ENGAGE: Should States Expand Lotteries to Raise Money for Communities?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Advertising the Lottery Online and in Print

Components of Local Government

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Town Meetings as a Form of Local Government
   2. UNCOVER: Democratic Decision Making in Cooperative Organizations and Worker/Employee-Owned Companies
   3. ENGAGE: Should Communities Declare Themselves Safe or Sanctuary Cities?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Local Governments, Social Media and Digital Democracy

TOPIC 7: Freedom of the Press and News/Media Literacy [Standards 8.T7.1-6]

Freedom of the Press

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Notable Freedom of the Press Court Cases
   2. UNCOVER: Censorship and the Campaign Against Comic Books in the 1950s, Banned Books in the U.S. Today, and the Great Chinese Firewall
   3. ENGAGE: What are the Speech Rights of Student Journalists?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Press Freedom in the United States and the World

Competing Information in a Free Press

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: History of Newspapers, Then and Now
   2. UNCOVER: Investigative Journalists: Nellie Bly, Ida Tarbell, Ida B. Wells, Upton Sinclair, and Rachel Carson
   3. ENGAGE: How Can Every Citizen Become Their Own Investigative Journalist?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Objectivity and the News from All Sides

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Investigative Journalism and Social Change

Writing the News: Different Formats and Their Functions

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: News Articles, Editorials, Editorial Cartoons, Op-Ed Commentaries, Photographs, Press Conference, and Sports Writing
   2. UNCOVER: Pioneering Women Cartoonists and Animators: Jackie Ormes, Dale Messick and More
   3. ENGAGE: What is the Role of a War Correspondent?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: News Photographs & Newspaper Design

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: How Reporters' Report Events

Digital News and Social Media

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Social Media, News, and the Spread of Misinformation
   2. UNCOVER: Russian Hackers, Facebook, the Mueller Report, and the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections
   3. ENGAGE: Is the Internet a Human Right?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Recommendation Algorithms on Social Media Platforms

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Fake News Investigation and Evaluation

Evaluating Print and Online Media

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Defining “Fake News" and Finding Reliable Information
   2. UNCOVER: Yellow Journalism and the Spanish-American War
   3. ENGAGE: How Can Students Use Fact Checking to Evaluate the Credibility of News?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Critical Visual Analysis of Online and Print Media

Analyzing Editorials, Editorial Cartoons, or Op-Ed Commentaries

1. 1. INVESTIGATE: Evaluating Editorials, Editorial Cartoons, and Op-Ed Commentaries
   2. UNCOVER: Deepfakes, Fake Profiles, and Political Messaging
   3. ENGAGE: Should Facebook and Other Technology Companies Regulate Political Content on Their Social Media Platforms?

• • • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Memes and TikToks as Political Cartoons