8.2: The Development of United States Government

This section focuses on the historical development of United States Government - an essential area of investigation and exploration in government, civics, and history classes in elementary, middle, and high schools.

The critical media literacy activities in this section connect to the seminal documents and events of the American Revolutionary Era, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, the debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Each of the media literacy activities connects the past to issues people face today - the meaning of independence in an era of social media; the role of government in regulating self-driving automobile technology; the persistence of racism toward Black Americans from the Constitutional Convention to today; the nature of political debates and discourse in American politics; and the current relevance of the Bill of Rights to our lives as members of a democracy.

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