In this module, students investigate the ideals outlined in the United States Constitution and how they have influenced American culture. Students also learn about the structure of informative/explanatory texts and how they can use active and passive voice to place emphasis in a sentence.
Constitution, Culture, Diversity, Structure, Active, Passive, Voice, Research.
In this module, you will be researching the US Constitution and diversity in modern American society. You'll also be learning about how to write informative/explanatory texts, about their structure and how you can use active and passive voice to place emphasis in a sentence.
Focus Questions
In this learning module, we will focus on the following questions:
How is diversity evident in modern American society?
How are the ideals and aspirations of the US Constitution reflected in modern American society?
How can I write an informative/explanatory text about what makes America?
View the Class Pictures. With a partner, discuss anything you notice and how these teenagers are the same or different to you. What do you have in common, do you think? What makes everyone in the slides different and unique?
Comment: Post a comment from your discussion. Comment on other students' comments, stating if you agree with them or adding more to their observations. Start your response to another student's comment with @Name.
In this module, students research aspects of diversity in American culture.They also investigate the ideals outlined in the United States Constitution, its Preamble and Bill of Rights, and research examples of how they are reflected in modern American society.
As this module is about writing an informative/explanatory text rather than an argumentative text, encourage students to be apolitical so their discussion and writing meets the purpose of this task.
This initial activity aims to think about the topic and develop students’ confidence to post to the Scholar learning community, interact with others, and express their thoughts in full sentences in blog-like interactions.
Other resources that include images of teenagers that could be used in Community Updates:
Reynolds, J., Neetleton, T., Weems, C. & Bey, D. (2007) Class Pictures.New York: Aperture.
Bey, D. (2007). Class Pictures.
Time Photos. (2007). Teens in America: Class Pictures.
Brokaw, T. (2009). American Character: A Photographic Journey. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Main CCSS Focus
W.8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Learning Intention: To discuss and understand the ideals of the United States Constitution.
America’s constitution includes many ideals that relate to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Ideals are goals or principles that are excellent, perfect, honorable and aspirational. Aspirational means we are always working to some higher goal, trying to achieve it.
With a partner, discuss some of the ideals that you know of in the United States Constitution.
Read the Preamble of the United States Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Then learn more about the Constitution at the National Constitution Center. Look around the website to see what the Founders meant in the Preamble. Look at the Bill of Rights and the other 17 amendments to the constitution. There is lots of information to explore and discuss with your partner. Discuss any ideals such as the ideal of freedom of the press in Amendment I. Can you identify examples of this in modern times? Think about freedom of the press on the internet as well as printed media. Draw on your general knowledge and information on the website to discuss examples of other ideals in the United States Constitution that are evident in modern society.
Comment: Comment on one ideal of the United States Constitution and an example of it in modern day society. Comment on 2-3 other students’ comments. Add more examples and/or comment on how these ideals help to make America a great country to live in.
This activity aims to:
As well as this website, students may be able to access the ‘Pocket Constitution’ on their phones. While students work collaboratively and independently on completing this Community Update, the teacher can support students who require help to think about the Constitution and post a comment. Posting comments is a form of accountability, promotes reflection, and develops students’ writing skills and confidence to work in Scholar.
CCSS Focus
SL.8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Learning Intention: To use your internet search skills to find out more about the Preamble to the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Complete the survey on The Constitution, Preamble and Bill of Rights.
Refer to different websites about the US Constitution as you complete the survey.
Some possible sites are:
The US Constitution Online: This site includes The Constitution For Kids which explains the Constitution for different age groups. There is also lots of other information.
This survey will provide data on students’ reading of the United States Constitution on the web and their ability to cite evidence to support their responses. Students should be able to access a range of websites as they complete the survey. Having read about the Constitution and Bill of Rights for the survey, they will also be able to refer to it as they complete the activities in this module.
Encourage students to search a range of websites. If finding evidence for each statement is challenging, direct students mainly to the Constitution Facts website.
To provide extra support to students, post the following Overt Instruction Update from The Writer’s Toolkit: Reading Strategies for Writing in the New Media to Community if they need to focus on this aspect of writing at this time. Alternatively, individualized or small group support may be provided through structured mini-lessons.
Survey Results: Go to the Survey Tool in Publisher. Then go to Find a Survey => Already Distributed Surveys => Results
CCSS Focus
W.8.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research.
Learning Intention: To cite examples of the ideals of the United States Constitution in modern society based on facts and inferences in a range of texts.
The US Constitution has been important for people throughout America's history. Have a look at the online exhibition at the National Archives website, called Records of Rights and explore one of the Rights. You could also look at an explanation of the Bill of Rights in modern English. Complete the chart with at least three other examples of how the ideals of the US Constitution changed society. One example is provided as a model.
| Historical Event | Bill of Rights | Impact on Modern Society |
| Deano Grape Strike and Boycott in 1965 | Amendment I: Congress shall make no law ... prohibiting ...or abridging the freedom of speech, ... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. | Fair working conditions |
Many people refer to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, particularly in reference to freedom and equality. Look at some famous quotes about the Constitution. With a partner, discuss any quotes that you found interesting. Which amendment did the quote relate to? Did it link to any events you read about at the Record of Rights online exhibition? Find other quotes and discuss them - just search for "US Constitution quotes" or "Famous US speeches".
Comment: Post a quote about the US Constitution that you found interesting and explain why. Then comment on the post of at least one other student explaining why you agree or disagree with their comment.
In this activity, students read widely to find out about how the United States Constitution is important in the lives of the American people. Encourage them to work collaboratively so they build up their knowledge as much as possible by sharing specific examples from their reading.
Most of the records in "Records of Rights" online exhibition were created before 1980 because the National Archives generally receives permanent records when they are 30 years old or older. Prior to that, they are maintained by the federal agency that created them.
Students may refer to their completed charts in the activities that follow. However, for accountability, students may also be required to submit them to the teacher through Submissions in Community.
Encourage students to be respectful in how they comment on other students’ comments, especially if they disagree with them. This is also important in learning how to give feedback.
CCSS Focus
RI.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Learning Intention: To read and discuss an informative/explanatory text about American culture and identify how it is influenced by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Read What is American Culture? which is an example of an informative/explanatory text. Then discuss the text with a partner.
What is American Culture?
American culture is a diverse culture as it has been influenced by nearly every region of the world, including the cultures of Native Americans, Latin Americans, Europeans, Africans and Asians. Culture is defined as the traditions and customs of a country. As the population of the USA is over 315 million, there is not one single American culture, and states and regions have many distinct traditions and customs. American culture is evident in language, religious freedom, cuisine, the arts, sport and national holidays.
Firstly, one aspect of culture is language. English is the most widely used language and 31 of 50 states have made it the official language, with over 95% of the US population speaking and understanding some English. Further, most official business, including government, is in English. The other most commonly used languages are Spanish, Chinese, French and German, Native American languages and Hawaiian. Also there are many different uses of slang and pronunciations of English depending on location. For example, pop/coke/soda or gym shoes/sandshoes/sneakers/tennis shoes. Language is a clear indication of the many different origins of Americans.
Religion is another aspect of culture and there are many religions practiced across the USA. The first amendment of the Bill of Rights states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This amendment enshrines the right to religious freedom in law. While 75% of Americans are Christians, including Protestants, Catholics and Mormons, there are also Jews, Muslims, and about 20% who have no religious affiliation. Religious freedom contributes to the richness of American culture.
The many different types of food Americans eat also reflect the diversity of American culture. Foods that are commonly described as American include hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni and cheese, meat loaf, and apple pie. There are also styles of cooking and types of foods that are specific to a region such as southern-style cooking of chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and corn bread, or Tex-Mex cuisine of chili, burritos, cheese, and beans. Midwestern cuisine is influenced by its European settlers and includes meat, potatoes, pancakes, cheese, and other dairy products. New England cuisine is characterized by seafood and dairy products. All of these varied cuisines link to the many different cultural heritages of American people.
The arts, sport and national holidays bring American people together, regardless of differences in their backgrounds, language, wealth, education, location and religious beliefs. Music, films, theatre, musical performances, television, artworks, and crafts are popular everywhere, while sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and hockey bring people together at live games or through the media. National celebrations have become important to Americans regardless of their cultural heritage and so unites them. National holidays such as Memorial Day, President’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day reflect important values in American culture such as respect for people who have served the country and contributed to freedom, equality, and the democratic principles outlined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Diversity is important in American culture with its range of different languages, religions, cuisines, arts, sports and national holidays. Many Americans view this diverse culture as one of the country’s greatest strengths, encouraging innovation and enabling people to live in harmony. Acceptance of diversity is also one of our greatest challenges.
Some questions to consider in your discussion:
Comment: Post a comment from your discussion. Comment on other students' comments, pointing out similarities and differences to your discussion.
In this activity, students read and discuss a text that elaborates on how the American Constitution and Bill of Rights influence American culture. It presents aspects of American culture that students can research in more depth for their own writing projects. It also introduces a model of an informative/explanatory text that students analyze in a later activity. It is important that students comprehend the text before analyzing its structure and language features.
CCSS Focus
RI.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Learning Intention: To start my writing project and to use the Rubric to identify what is important to include.
Project Name: What Makes America?
Description: Write an informative/explanatory text about one aspect of America's culture. Consider topics such as people's ethnic backgrounds, languages, religions, dress, cuisine, sports, the arts, and celebrations, as well as any other aspects you come up with. Research your topic in depth, recording notes in the Structure tool, and elaborating these in your final version.
Check the Work Request in your Notifications. Click on this link to open the “Untitled Work” in Creator. Then, change the title, and begin a first draft. Go to About This Work => Project => Description for further project information.
For what you need to do in order to write a good informative/explanatory text, go to Feedback => Reviews => Rubric. Keep the Rubric open and refer to it as you write.
When you are ready to submit, click “Submit Draft” below the work. This is the version of your work that will be sent to others for review.
Comment: Do you have any questions about how Scholar works? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.
Assigning the project to the students at this stage is important to set clear expectations, and also so students understand how the activities that follow will support them.
As students begin to draft their work, encourage them to use the Structure Tool to organize some of the key ideas they gathered from their research. The Structure Tool supports students to develop an initial structure for their text, including notes based on their background knowledge. As they continue to research and discuss ideas in the Community Updates, they add more notes, refine the elements of their text, and draft new versions, transforming their notes into well written text. This helps them to avoid plagiarism as well. Students should also refer to the rubric as a guide when they write in Creator. If necessary, look through the rubric with students.
For first time users of Scholar, the following Overt Instruction Updates from The Writer's Toolkit: Strategies for Writing in the New Media may be useful to add to Community:
To provide extra support to students as they research their topics, post the Reading and Summarizing Overt Instruction Update from The Writer’s Toolkit: Reading Strategies for Writing in the New Media to Community. Alternatively, individualized or small group support may be provided through structured mini-lessons.
Project Rubric
CCSS Focus
W.8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
W.8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Learning Intention: To analyze the structure of What is American Culture in order to find out if it is an effective informative/explanatory text.
Look back at What is American Culture. Also refer to the review criteria for this Scholar project – Go to Feedback=>Reviews=>Rubric. Then complete the table by finding examples for each feature.
| Feature | Examples | Definition |
| Introductory Point Sentence | Introduces the topic with a short overarching statement, stating the main idea about the topic and engaging the reader | |
| Definition | Clarifies what the topic is about and defines the main concept | |
| Preview | Outlines the main ideas that will be covered in the work, without giving all the details. These ideas are organized into broad categories and the paragraphs that follow should focus on these categories – perhaps one paragraph per category | |
| Concepts | Includes the main ideas that will be elaborated and supported with evidence | |
| Paragraph Point Sentence | Starts each paragraph by stating the topic of the paragraph; it is followed by supporting evidence | |
| Evidence: Facts and Details | Is information that is claimed to be true or something that is real or actually happened | |
| Evidence: Statistic | Are number facts that help to describe more than one thing | |
| Evidence Quotation | Are words that someone has said or written, taken from a book, speech, interview, poem, play, the internet, etc | |
| Evidence: Examples | Is one of a number of things, or a part of something, that helps to illustrate an idea or concept | |
| Opinion | Is a person's perspective | |
| Conclusion | Summarizes the main points | |
| Concluding Statement | Comments about the importance of the topic, or poses a question, looks to the future, or includes a call to action or a personal or widely-held opinion about the topic |
You can also refer to Transition Words. Transition words help you to create cohesion in your writing. Cohesion means that the text is unified, has a logical sequence and there are links between and within paragraphs. Try inserting some of the examples in What Makes America. With a peer, read the paragraphs again with your insertions, and discuss if they are effective. Are they subtle or obvious transitions? Try using some subtle transitions to create cohesion in your writing.
Comment: Do you think that the author of the online biography of What Makes America has written an effective informative/explanatory text? Why or why not? Post one idea you have and comment on the posts of other students.
In this activity, students deepen their understanding of the structure of an informative/explanatory text by finding examples in a model text. They also refer to the Rubric in Creator and information on transition words, in order to learn about choices they can make when they write their own texts.
Students can insert transition words in the What Makes America text, writing in their suggestions, or with a partner, rereading paragraphs with their suggested transition words.
The structure of an informative/explanatory text helps to achieve its purpose by:
To provide extra support to students, post the following Overt Instruction Updates from the Writer’s Toolkit to Community if they need to focus on this aspect of writing at this time. Alternatively, individualized or small group support may be provided through structured mini-lessons.
CCSS Focus
W.8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.8.2a: Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.8.2b:Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions,concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
W.8.2c: Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
W.8.2f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
Learning Intention: To understand how to use verbs in the active and passive voice to place emphasis in a sentence on the actor or the action.
Complete the survey. Refer to the Preamble to the United States Constitution.
This survey is designed as a teaching tool to teach students about active and passive voice by doing a close analysis of the Preamble to the Constitution. Students can gain extra practice of turning active voice into passive voice and vice versa by annotating any text that they are working with. It is important is to emphasize the effects of making this change - emphasizing the actor or the action, and that it is a choice that they can make in their writing.
Survey Results: Go to the Survey Tool in Publisher. Then go to Find a Survey => Already Distributed Surveys => Results
CCSS Focus
L.8.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading or listening.
L.8.3a: Use verbs in the active and passive voice to achieve particular effects (e.g. emphasizing the actor or the action).
Learning Intention: To give feedback on other students’ works and then revise my own.
Check your Notifications for Feedback Requests: You have received a Feedback Request. Click on this link to take you to the work you have been assigned to review. Go to Feedback => Reviews => Review Work. Rate the work on each criterion and explain why you gave the work that rating. Make in-text comments at Feedback => Annotations. Make an overall recommendation at Feedback => Recommendation.
Submit your feedback once it is finished at About This Work => Project => Status. You will not be able to submit your review until all requirements set by you teacher have been met. These may include a Review, Annotations, and/or a Publication Recommendation.
For more information, see Reviewing a Work and Submitting a Review and Annotations.
The next stage of the writing process is to revise your own work.
Check your Notifications for a Revision Request: You have received a Revision Request. Click on this link to take you to the most recent version of your work. Then go to Feedback => Reviews => Results to see the reviews and Feedback => Annotations to see in-text comments. Once you have incorporated all of the feedback (Reviews/Annotations) from your peers, click “Submit Revision” below the work.
You can also write a self-review, explaining how you have taken on board the feedback you received.
For more information, see The Revision Phase.
Comment: Do you have any more questions about Scholar at this stage? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.
This update covers two stages of the writing process in Scholar: Review and Revision.
The following Overt Instruction Updates from The Writer's Toolkit: Strategies for Writing in the New Media may be useful to add to Community. They may be used with first time users or it may be appropriate to introduce them in a second writing project so students learn about the features of Scholar over time.
Before the students submit their final work, run the Analytics. Check the percentage of text revised between one draft and the next, the number of words currently written and the grade level of the writing. You may wish to ask some students to do more work before they submit.
CCSS Focus
W.8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
W.8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
L.8.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing.
L.8.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing.
Learning Intention: To identify what is successful writing.
Check Notifications to see if your work has been published and whether works that you provided feedback on have been selected for publication. Published works may be viewed on your and any collaborators' individual profiles in Community.
Comment: Read two - three other people’s published informative/explanatory texts. Write a comment about the most interesting thing you learned from reading them. This might be ideas you hadn’t thought of or interesting evidence such as facts that you didn’t know. Also comment about one thing you have learned about writing informative/explanatory texts. Mention the creator and title of the work, and make a link to that page so the person reading your comment can jump to the page quickly.
Notifications of publication are provided to the creator and all reviewers.
This reflection activity promotes student metacognition about what makes quality writing by reading and reflecting on other students’ writing. Ask students to look over other people’s published works - have them read at least two or three works. Ask them to comment on something interesting they learned from reading other students’ work.
Refer to Analytics to see how students have performed.
CCSS Focus
W.8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Fig. 1: American teenagers from different backgrounds (Source); Fig. 2: American Constitution (Source); Fig. 3: Creating the Constitution (Source); Fig. 4: George Washington (Source); Fig. 5: Symbols of Freedom and Independence (Source); Fig. 6: Trash can in Seattle, Washington, in four languages (Source); Fig. 7: "View of Crowd at 1963 March on Washington" by U.S. Information Agency, Press and Publications Service. - US National Archives at College Park: NWDNS-306-SSM-4D(80)10 View of Crowd at 1963 March on Washington by USIA (NARA). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig. 8: The Founders signing the Constitution; (Source); Fig. 9: "Bald Eagle Portrait" by Saffron Blaze - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons(Source); Fig 10: Symbols of American culture (Source).