Introduction
I am a computer teacher at Overbrook Elementary School, a K-5 school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As part of my teaching assignment, I partner with individual classes on school wide initiatives. Each year our fifth grade class works on projects in preparation for their participation in Law Day on May 1. Past projects have included essay contests, careers-in-law presentations, and posters depicting rules, rights and responsibilities.
This year I intend to use this curriculum unit to heighten their awareness of civil liberties. Since 9/11 students are very aware of the threat of terrorists' attacks. This unit will challenge them to think about past times when individual rights were sacrificed in order to foster a sense of safety and security. Students will then take a closer look at our present situation to understand better the dilemma of trying to balance our government's role in preserving liberty while maintaining security. As students investigate examples from our history, they will develop opinions about rights and responsibilities, safety and security, and privacy and public information.
The Dilemma of a Democracy: Liberty and Security is presented in a framework that engages fifth graders in a learning process, inviting them to reflect on past practice while encouraging them to take an active stance in learning history. Each week part of the lesson will be conducted in the fifth grade classroom with follow-up lessons and activities in the computer lab. Each student will have access to internet-connected computers and the fifth grade teacher and I will assist them in their computer activities.
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