Service-Learning Title: Affirmative Action Standard(s): SSUSH25 The student will describe changes in national politics since 1968.

a. Describe President Richard M. Nixons opening of China, his resignation due to the Watergate scandal, changing attitudes towards government, and the Presidency of Gerald Ford. b. Explain the impact of Supreme Court decisions on ideas about civil liberties and civil rights; include such decisions as Roe v Wade (1973) and the Bakke decision on affirmative action. c. Explain the Carter administrations efforts in the Middle East; include Camp David Accords, his response to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the Iranian hostage crisis. d. Describe domestic and international events of Ronald Reagans presidency; include Reaganomics, the Iran-contra scandal, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. e. Explain the relationship between Congress and President Bill Clinton; include North American Free Trade Agreement and his impeachment and acquittal. f. Analyze the 2000 presidential election and its outcome, emphasizing the role of the Electoral College. g. Analyze the response of President George W. Bush to the attacks of September 11, 2001, on the United States, the war against terrorism, and the subsequent American interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq? Essential Question(s): How has affirmative action played a role in American politics? Unit Purpose: In this unit, students explore the history of Affirmative Action in the United States from Plessy v. Ferguson 1869 to the present. The class uses the Internet to read primary source documents from Plessy, Brown v. Board of Education 1954 and United Steelworkers v. Weber 1979. The class views documentary footage from the PBS series Eyes on the Prize and answers questions from that video on the Little Rock Central High School desegregation in 1957. Students explore recent Affirmative Action cases, then participate in a "mock" Affirmative Action Supreme Court case. Throughout the unit, students relate Core Democratic Values to the different aspects of Affirmative Action. Students finish the unit by writing a column on Affirmative Action for the school or local newspaper. Unit Objectives: The Learners will: Use the Internet to study Supreme Court briefs, decisions, and dissents involving Affirmative Action, and the remedies ordered by the Court in these cases. Learners will fill in sheets putting these documents into easily understood language. Explore the "human side" of Affirmative Action by watching documentary footage of the Little Rock Central High School desegregation case, and answer questions from that

video (Attachment One: Lesson Two: Little Rock, 1957 ). Describe how Core Democratic Values are perceived by citizens on either side of Affirmative Action issues. Conduct a "mock Supreme Court Trial" based on fictional case studies the teacher presents throughout the unit. Using MEAP writing standards, write a column for the local or school newspaper "Opinions" page, stating how they feel about affirmative Action and backing their opinions with evidence and CDVs. Service Experience: Although lessons in this unit contain service project examples, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate. Learners write a column for the school or local newspaper "Opinion" page, discussing one of the following questions: "Can government policies promote diversity and equality in society?" or "Do we need Affirmative Action programs in the twenty first century?" Unit Assessment: Students answer daily questions on attached reading guides, participate in daily class discussions, and prepare for and participate in mock Supreme Court trials. The class turns in a comprehensive written assignment at the conclusion of the unit. School/Home Connection: This week, American History students are studying the evolution of affirmative action programs in the United States. The learners will: Use the Internet to study Supreme Court briefs, decisions, and dissents involving Affirmative Action and the remedies ordered by the Court in these cases. Learners will fill in sheets, putting these documents into easily understood language. Explore the "human side" of Affirmative Action by watching documentary footage of the Little Rock Central High School desegregation case, and answer questions from that video. Describe how Core Democratic Values are perceived by citizens on either side of Affirmative Action issues. Conduct a "mock Supreme Court Trial" based on fictional case studies the teacher presents throughout the unit. Using MEAP writing standards, write a column for the local or school newspaper "Opinions" page stating how they feel about affirmative Action, backing their opinions with evidence and CDVs.

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