Unit 1: Foundations of Democracy — Lesson 3 Teacher Key Page 1 of 4

TEACHER GUIDE & KEY

Assignment: CW 1.3 Key

Uncommon Schools | NORTH★STAR

Date: Exemplar Key

Foundations of Democracy

Guided Reading & Text Annotations

Instructional Strategy (15 Minutes): Have students read aloud (Control the Game reading) or partner read. Direct them to specifically underline definition clues for Natural Rights, Social Contract, Popular Sovereignty, and Limited Government.

The Ultimate Breakup Letter

The Declaration of Independence was America’s official breakup letter with the British government. King George III of Great Britain had grown to be a tyrant... He dissolved colonial legislatures, forced colonists to house British soldiers, and taxed colonial goods without their consent. [Teacher note: Connect these grievances directly to the violation of Lockean ideals.]

Justifying the Split: The Four Ideals

• 1. Natural Rights: Jefferson wrote that all individuals are born with fundamental rights that no ruler or government can strip away. These are "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." [IDEAL 1]
• 2. Social Contract: Inspired by John Locke, this is the idea that citizens agree to submit to government authority only in exchange for the protection of their rights. If the government fails, the people have a right to alter or abolish it. [IDEAL 2]
• 3. Popular Sovereignty: The belief that ultimate political power belongs entirely to the people. A government’s power is only legitimate if it is built on the "consent of the governed." [IDEAL 3]
• 4. Limited Government: To prevent another King George, the national government’s power must be strictly bound by rules, laws, and structure. Under the Articles, the national government was kept extremely weak. [IDEAL 4]

Teacher Key Notes

• Grievance Link: Taxes without consent directly violates Popular Sovereignty (no input from the governed).
• Natural Rights: Inherent rights given by the Creator, not by a King.
• Articles Link: A weak central government was designed explicitly because of fear of tyranny.

Stop & Jot Exemplar Answer

When King George III taxed colonists without their consent, which of the four democratic ideals was he directly violating?

Exemplar Answer: King George III was violating the ideal of Popular Sovereignty. Since popular sovereignty states that the power of a government comes only from the "consent of the governed," taxing the colonists without giving them representation in Parliament meant the government was exercising power without their consent. Additionally, this violated the Social Contract, as the government failed to protect their rights.

Unit 1: Foundations of Democracy — Lesson 3 Teacher Key Page 2 of 4

TEACHER GUIDE & KEY

Assignment: CW 1.3 Review

Uncommon Schools | NORTH★STAR

Date: Exemplar Key

Foundations of Democracy

UNDER REVIEW

Key Concept Blueprint: Exemplar Completed Notes

Ideal 1: Natural Rights [Key]

Core Concept: Rights given by nature/Creator that government is bound to respect. Focus standard check: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are fundamental elements of human dignity.

Ideal 2: Popular Sovereignty [Key]

Core Concept: Power to rule belongs to the citizens. Focus standard check: "Consent of the governed" means elections, public voting, and legislative representation.

Ideal 3: Social Contract [Key]

Core Concept: Citizens surrender absolute freedom for safety and security. Focus standard check: If a government acts destructively toward citizen rights, the contract is broken, justifying rebellion.

Ideal 4: Limited Government [Key]

Core Concept: Government authority is strictly bound by a written charter (Constitution) to avoid centralization of power. Focus standard check: Promotes local state power and structural checks & balances.

Analytical Connection: Roommates & Ideals (Exemplar)

Explain which democratic ideal one roommate situation represents a failure of:

Exemplar Answer: Situation 4 (ignored chore rules) represents a failure of the Social Contract. Under a social contract, roomies agree to surrender their complete freedom to make a mess in exchange for a clean and cooperative living space. When they ignore the chore sign, they break the agreement because there is no governing authority to enforce the rules, showing why a functional government requires enforcement powers.

Unit 1: Foundations of Democracy — Lesson 3 Teacher Key Page 3 of 4

TEACHER GUIDE & KEY

Assignment: ET 1.3 Key

Uncommon Schools | NORTH★STAR

Date: Exemplar Key

Foundations of Democracy

EXIT TICKET KEY

Mastery Grading Standard & Exemplars

Part A: Matching Key (Goal 2)

1. Natural Rights C

2. Popular Sov. D

3. Social Contract B

4. Limited Govt A

Part B: Excerpt Analysis Grading Standards (Goal 1)

Grading Criteria:

• Score 4 (Mastery): Identifies 2 correct ideals, quotes specific text evidence for both, and explains matches thoroughly in complete sentences.
• Score 3 (Proficient): Identifies 2 correct ideals, quotes text evidence but explanation lacks deep conceptual connection.
• Score 2/1 (Developing): Mismatches definitions, misses text citations, or writes incomplete fragments.

Ideal Identifications:

1. Social Contract

2. Popular Sovereignty

Exemplar Response (Perfect Score 4):

The first ideal in this excerpt is the Social Contract. The text states, "to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men," which explicitly mirrors Locke's theory that government is a contract created solely to protect the natural rights of individuals.

The second ideal is Popular Sovereignty. The text states that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed." This matches the definition of popular sovereignty because it emphasizes that political authority originates with the citizens rather than a monarch.

Additionally, the excerpt references the right of the people to "alter or to abolish it" if it becomes destructive, reinforcing the breach of contract clause in the Social Contract theory.

Unit 1: Foundations of Democracy — Lesson 3 Teacher Key Page 4 of 4