Lesson Plan Format Using Understanding by Design Framework

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Title: Second Amendment Deliberation

Grade: High School
Author: Heather Levi
Number of Class Periods: 1 30-min Class Period
Essential Questions:
What are roles and responsibilities of government?
How do governments balance the rights of individuals with the common good?
Is the Second Amendment still relevant in todays world?
What should be the individuals right to bear arms?
To what extent, if at all, should government be able to regulate guns?

State of Michigan Content Standards (GLCEs/HSCEs):

P3.2 Discuss public policy issues, clarifying position, considering opposing views and
applying core democratic values or constitutional principles to develop and refine
claims.
P3.3 Construct claims and refine counter-claims expressing and justifying decisions on
public policy issues.
P3.4 Critique the use, reasoning, sequence, and supporting details used in creating a
claim and the subsequent evidence used to support a claim for credibility.
6.1.2 Locate, analyze, and use various forms of evidence, information, and sources about
a significant public policy issue, including primary and secondary sources, legal
documents (e.g., Constitutions, court decisions, state law), non-text based information
(e.g., maps, charts, tables, graphs, and cartoons), and other forms of political
communication (e.g., oral political cartoons, campaign advertisements, political
speeches, and blogs).
6.1.4 Make a persuasive, reasoned argument on a public issue and support using evidence
(e.g., historical and contemporary examples), constitutional principles, and fundamental
values of American constitutional democracy; explain the stance or position.

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to construct a point of view.
Students will be able to use various forms of evidence to support their point of view.
Students will be able to consider opposing views.

Content Rationale: (up to a half page)

Learning about the Second Amendment is important for students to learn the history and
how it applies to modern day. The Second Amendment is the most controversial amendment in
the Bill of Rights, especially in recent politics. Showing students how the past is still relevant
today is a great way to get students engaged with learning about our government and the
constitution.

Instructional Strategy Rationale: (up to a half page)

 Using a deliberation for this topic is important for teaching students how to be a
democratic citizen. A deliberation is a like a debate without the intent to win your side. With such
a controversial topic as the Second Amendment, using a debate as an activity puts students in the
mindset of I have to win at all costs and doesnt encourage the student to see all sides of the
deliberation. Using a deliberation requires the student to see all sides of the debate and to use
evidence to support an argument.

Background and Context: (What will students have already covered in your unit that may
apply here? Where are you headed next? How does this lesson connect with the next?)

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence (Assessment)

Diagnostic/Formative Assessments: To assess the students understanding of using texts to

support points of view I would make a tally of how many times that student used the text when
providing a new point of view or adding on to a previous comment. I would also use the lessons
closing activity as a formative assessment.

Summative Unit Assessments: This lesson would fit into a bigger unit of the Bill of Rights and
would end with a unit test and a persuasive essay arguing one side of this debate.

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences (Procedure)

Instructional Strategy (please include estimated time for each step):

Opening/Activator (5 min):
o Students will read a small intro to the topic and independent/y write their own
answer to the question can government prohibit citizens from owning
handguns?
o Students will read over yes and no reasonings to the argument and then write
their name and answers on a sticky note and place it on the corresponding side of
the board.
Activities: Deliberation
o (1 min) Deliberation Norms
o (2 min) Read over excerpt of the Constitution
o (3 min) Read over the points of view provided
o (30 sec) Reminder of Norms
o (15 min) Deliberation
What values are evident in each Point of View?
In your opinion, what is the most serious potential consequence of each
Point of View?
What values do the Points of View have in common?
What tensions or conflicts exist between the Points of View?
What, if any, compromises are supporters of each of the points of view
willing to make?
Can government prohibit citizens from owning handguns? Explain.
 Anticipated Students Interactions/Questions: I expect the students to be engaged with the
deliberation but struggle to keep referring back to the texts provided.
Closing/Summarizer: (4 min 30 sec)

Anticipated Total Time Required: 30 min

Other Important Information

Materials: The Constitution & Point of View Pages (provided in the Appendix)
Modifications and Accommodations: A typical modification I would make to this lesson,
would be to provide the student with the reading material in advance
Extension Ideas: The lesson could be extended to talk about the Bill of Rights or recent
Supreme Court cases.
Appendix