To What Extent Has the United States Lived Up to Its Founding Ideals as Established by the Declarati

Times When the USA HAS Lived Up to Its Founding Principles

To what extent has the United States of America lived up to its founding ideals as established by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?

Students will complete a presentation / project that addresses the central question and provides examples to support both their argument and the “other perspective(s).”  Options for presentation types:

 1. Google Slides

2. Podcast / recorded video “talkshow”

3. Poster

4. Infograph

5. Other? 

The following items must be included in or part of your presentation.

 1. Introduction

a. What were the founding principles established by both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?

i. List and describe at least 5 major principles established by these documents upon which our nation is built.

b. When were these documents enacted?  Why does the time period for each matter? Provide historical background for why we ended up with these docs.

2. 5 times when the USA DID live up to its founding principles (25 pts/5 pts per event)

a. 5 distinct events or developments that you can argue to show that the USA has, in many ways, lived up to its founding principles

b. Each event or development in this section MUST have the following:

i. Brief description of the event/development (2-3 sentences)

ii. Explanation as to how this event/development shows that the USA has, in fact, lived up to its founding principles in many ways (you should align this part with some of the principles you outlined in the introduction)

iii. Photograph or image representing or depicting the event/development

3. 5 times when the USA did NOT live up to its founding principles (25 pts/5 pts per event)

a.5 distinct events or developments that you can argue show that the USA has not, in many ways, lived up to its founding principles quite yet.

b. Each event or development in this section MUST have the following:

i. Brief description of the event/development (2-3 sentences)

ii. Explanation as to how each event/development shows that the USA has not, historically, fully lived up to its founding principles in many ways you should align this part with some of the principles you outlined in the introduction

iii. Photograph or image representing or depicting the event/development

4. Your “final story:” determine whether or not, overall, the US has mostly lived up to its founding principles, or mostly not lived up to its founding principles.  (10 pts)

a. If you believe it has mostly lived up to or improved upon its living up to the founding principles:

i. What are your “top 3” reasons? Explain why you believe the US has met or continues to get closer towards meeting its mark by living up to the founding principles.

ii. What are 2 ways in which the USA could, in your opinion, get even closer to “meeting the mark?”

b. If you believe it has mostly not lived up to or improved upon measuring up to the founding principles: 

i. What are your top 3 reasons? Explain why you believe the US has not met or continued to get closer towards meeting its mark by living up to the founding principles.

ii. What are 2 ways in which the USA could, in your opinion, get closer to “meeting the mark?”