Teachers Guide to the Measure of America: American Human Development Report, 2008-2009

Jean West

This study guide is designed to be used in conjunction with The Measure of America: American Human Development Report 2008-2009 by Sarah Burd-Sharps, Kristen Lewis, and Eduardo Borges Martins.

The Guide can be downloaded for free at http://www.cup.columbia.edu/media/4550/measure-of-america-teacher's-guide.pdf

Special features include:

* A focus on the preamble of the United States Constitution, studied in every class in the nation.

* Lessons that compliment social studies curricula, particularly courses on U.S. government, civics, and history.

* An examination of current statistical data culled from U.S. congressional districts, states, and regions, which enhance students' mastery of key content and skills.

* Statistical data and action plans that allow students to engage more intimately with their home congressional districts.

Lesson plans are based on the following topics investigated in The Measure of America:

* Who are we, the people of the United States?

* Preamble to an American dream

* The census, apportionment, and congressional districts

* The U.S. government and human development

* A personal action plan to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

For easy teacher use, these lessons plans also include:

* Synopses of each lesson

* A description of the national standards met by each lesson (based on the themes and high school performance expectations outlined in the National Council for the Social Studies' Expectations of Excellence)

* Lists of necessary materials

* Time required to complete each lesson

* Lesson starters, procedures, and related worksheets

* Resource notes

* Assessment strategies

About the Author

Jean West is an educational consultant living in Port Orange, Florida. Before becoming educational specialist at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C, West taught social studies at the secondary level in the Fairfax County, Virginia, public school system for ten years. She is the author of the prize-winning Consider the Source: Historical Records in the Classroom and has written several other books and articles on social studies education.

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