{"id":6301,"date":"2025-07-12T18:11:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T22:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/?page_id=6301"},"modified":"2025-07-13T16:09:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T20:09:52","slug":"american-government-half-credit-lesson-plans-by-book","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/high-school-level-5-6\/high-school-government-economics-and-civics\/high-school-government-american-government\/american-government-half-credit-lesson-plans-by-book\/","title":{"rendered":"American Government (Half-Credit) Lesson Plans by Book"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990;\">High School Government: <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990;\">American Government <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990;\">Lesson Plans by Book<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>These lists provide a recommended reading schedule for the American Government (half credit) resources to make it easier to assign them in other ways.<\/p>\n<h6>Mater Amabilis participates in affiliate programs with Amazon and Living Book Press.<\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">government<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89<\/em>, Morgan, third edition [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/46DCUrS\">Amaz<\/a>] (The fourth edition would work as well, but it&#8217;s usually more expensive.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lexington Green and Ch 1. The Americans and the Empire<\/li>\n<li>Ch 2. Sugar and Stamps, 1764-66<\/li>\n<li>Ch 3. Peace without Honor, 1766-68<\/li>\n<li>Ch 4. Troops and Tea, 1768-74<\/li>\n<li>Ch 5. Equal Rights, 1774-76<\/li>\n<li>Ch 6. War and Peace, 1776-83<\/li>\n<li>Ch 7. The Independent States<\/li>\n<li>The Declaration of Independence, pp. 159-162<\/li>\n<li>The Articles of Confederation, pp. 163-170<\/li>\n<li>Ch 8. The Independent Nation, 1776-81<\/li>\n<li>Ch 9. &#8220;The Critical Period&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>US Constitution: Preamble and Article I pp. 171-176<\/li>\n<li>Ch 10. The Constitutional Convention<\/li>\n<li>Constitution Article III, pp. 176-179<\/li>\n<li>Constitution Article III, pp. 179-180<\/li>\n<li>Constitution Articles IV-VII, pp. 180-181, the Bill of Rights, pp. 183-184<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers<\/em>, Hoffmann, Great Courses audio lectures [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3IFHT1b\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lecture 1. A Blueprint for American Government<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 2. A Democracy or a Republic?<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 3. A Federation or a Nation?<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 4. American Federalism<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 5. Dual Sovereignty<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 6. Popular Sovereignty and States&#8217; Rights<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 7. The Separation of Powers<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 8. The Federal Legislature<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 9. The President of the United States<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 10. The Federal Judiciary<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 11. The Evolution of American Federalism<\/li>\n<li>Lecture 12. The Future of the United States Constitution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">primary Sources and Essays<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Selections of essays by American Founders and others from online sources &#8211; If you do not want your student online for the course, you may choose to print these and put them in a binder. A purchased copy of <em>The Federalist Papers<\/em> will contain many of the readings.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/education\/resources\/magna-carta\/british-library-magna-carta-1215-runnymede\/\">Magna Carta<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theimaginativeconservative.org\/2022\/09\/reading-american-founding-documents-bradley-birzer.html\">&#8220;Reading the Founding&#8221;<\/a> by Bradley J. Birzer (from The Imaginative Conservative)<\/li>\n<li>Primary sources, <a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/thompson-revolutionary-writings#lfAdams_label_023\">&#8220;A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law&#8221;<\/a> by John Adams first half, stop at &#8220;&#8230;in a manner that I believe has been unknown to any other people ancient or modern.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Primary sources, <a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/thompson-revolutionary-writings#lfAdams_label_023\">&#8220;A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law&#8221;<\/a> by John Adams second half, start at &#8220;The consequences of these establishments we see and feel every day&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/firstamendment.mtsu.edu\/article\/catos-letters\/\">Cato&#8217;s Letters<\/a> at the Free Speech Center AND <a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/gordon-a-discourse-of-standing-armies-1722\">\u201cA Discourse of Standing Armies\u201d<\/a> by Thomas Gordon first half, stop at &#8220;&#8230;rescue a Turtle Dove from the Persecution of two Crows, and then eat him up for himself.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/gordon-a-discourse-of-standing-armies-1722\">\u201cA Discourse of Standing Armies\u201d<\/a> by Thomas Gordon second half, start at &#8220;Almost all Men desire Power, and few lose&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lodge-the-works-of-alexander-hamilton-federal-edition-vol-1#lf0249-01_head_009\">\u201cRemarks on the Quebec Bill\u201d<\/a> by Alexander Hamilton<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lee-empire-and-nation-letters-from-a-farmer#lf0010_head_004\">Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer:1<\/a> by John Dickinson<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lee-empire-and-nation-letters-from-a-farmer#lf0010_head_006\">Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 3<\/a> by John Dickinson<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lee-empire-and-nation-letters-from-a-farmer#lf0010_head_011\">Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 8<\/a>\u00a0by John Dickinson<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lee-empire-and-nation-letters-from-a-farmer#lf0010_head_012\">Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 9<\/a>\u00a0by John Dickinson<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lee-empire-and-nation-letters-from-a-farmer#lf0010_head_013\">Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 10<\/a>\u00a0by John Dickinson<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/lee-empire-and-nation-letters-from-a-farmer#lf0010_head_015\">Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 12<\/a>\u00a0by John Dickinson<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/cache\/epub\/15198\/pg15198-images.html\">\u201cSpeech on American Taxation\u201d<\/a> by Edmund Burke pp. 1-21, stop at &#8220;&#8230;contrary to the true principles of commerce.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/cache\/epub\/15198\/pg15198-images.html\">\u201cSpeech on American Taxation\u201d<\/a> by Edmund Burke pp. 21-39, start at &#8220;These have always been, and still are, the sentiments&#8230;&#8221;, stop at &#8220;&#8230;frequently even defeat its own purpose.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/cache\/epub\/15198\/pg15198-images.html\">\u201cSpeech on American Taxation\u201d<\/a> by Edmund Burke pp. 39-61, start at &#8220;After the war, and in the last years of it, the trade of America&#8230;&#8221;, stop at &#8220;&#8230;received a fair and full answer to his question.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/cache\/epub\/15198\/pg15198-images.html\">\u201cSpeech on American Taxation\u201d<\/a> by Edmund Burke pp. 61-end, start at &#8220;I have done with the third period of your policy&#8230;&#8221; AND <a href=\"https:\/\/theimaginativeconservative.org\/2023\/01\/edmund-burke-dignity-human-person-bradley-birzer.html\">\u201cEdmund Burke and the Dignity of the Human Person\u201d<\/a> by Bradley J. Birzer (The Imaginative Conservative)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/sandoz-political-sermons-of-the-american-founding-era-vol-1-1730-1788--5#lf0018-01_head_045\">\u201cThe Church\u2019s Flight into the Wilderness\u201d<\/a> by Samuel Sherwood first part (of four), stop at &#8220;&#8230;exhibited, as ever England beheld.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/sandoz-political-sermons-of-the-american-founding-era-vol-1-1730-1788--5#lf0018-01_head_045\">\u201cThe Church\u2019s Flight into the Wilderness\u201d<\/a> by Samuel Sherwood second part (of four), start at &#8220;If we pass from this dark and bloody period&#8230;&#8221;, stop at &#8220;&#8230;and efforts for this base, malignant purpose.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/sandoz-political-sermons-of-the-american-founding-era-vol-1-1730-1788--5#lf0018-01_head_045\">\u201cThe Church\u2019s Flight into the Wilderness\u201d<\/a> by Samuel Sherwood third part (of four), start at &#8220;One objection of weight&#8230;&#8221;, stop at &#8220;might be established to all the ends of the earth.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/sandoz-political-sermons-of-the-american-founding-era-vol-1-1730-1788--5#lf0018-01_head_045\">\u201cThe Church\u2019s Flight into the Wilderness\u201d<\/a> by Samuel Sherwood fourth part (of four), start at &#8220;1. We learned from what has been said, the true cause&#8230;&#8221;, stop at the end (including the Appendix)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_172\">Federalist #1: &#8220;Introduction&#8221;<\/a> by Alexander Hamilton<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_243\">Federalist #47: \u201cThe meaning of the maxim, which requires a separation of the departments of power, examined and ascertained\u201d<\/a> by James Madison<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theimaginativeconservative.org\/2024\/07\/read-declaration-independence-m-e-bradford.html\">&#8220;How to Read the Declaration of Independence&#8221;<\/a> by M. E. Bradford (The Imaginative Conservative)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_189\">Federalist #9: \u201cThe Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Faction and Insurrection\u201d<\/a> by Alexander Hamilton<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_191\">Federalist #10 &#8220;The Same Subject Continued&#8221;<\/a> by James Madison<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_250\">Federalist #51 &#8220;The same subject continued, with the same view, and concluded&#8221;<\/a> by James Madison<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_233\">Federalist #39: &#8220;The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles&#8221;<\/a> by James Madison<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_266\">Federalist #64: &#8220;A further view of the constitution of the senate, in regard to the power of making treaties&#8221;<\/a> by John Jay<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_252\">Federalist #53: &#8220;<span id=\"1826--29--972773__1826--106--972850\">The same subject continued, with a view of the term of service of the members<\/span>&#8220;<\/a> (the House of Representatives) by James Madison<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_279\">Federalist #70: \u201cThe same view continued, in relation to the unity of the executive, and with an examination of the project of an executive council\u201d<\/a> by Alexander Hamilton<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_293\">Federalist #78 \u201cA view of the constitution of the judicial department in relation to the tenure of good behaviour\u201d<\/a> by Alexander Hamilton<\/li>\n<li>begin reading your state constitution<\/li>\n<li>finish reading your state constitution (Use make-up or Ad lib reading time to finish it if your state constitution is long.)<\/li>\n<li>Explore the website of the executive branch of your state government.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/jay-the-federalist-gideon-ed#lf1631_label_312\">Federalist #84: \u201cConcerning several miscellaneous objections\u201d<\/a> by Alexander Hamilton<\/li>\n<li>Explore the website of the legislative branch of your state government.<\/li>\n<li>Explore the website of the judicial branch of your state government.<\/li>\n<li>Church Life Journal, <a href=\"https:\/\/churchlifejournal.nd.edu\/articles\/holding-your-nose-how-to-vote-like-a-catholic\/\">&#8220;Holding Your Nose: How to Vote Like a Catholic&#8221;<\/a> by Brett Salkeld<\/li>\n<li>Explore the website of your county or city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Cato: A Tragedy<\/em>, Addison [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/40ikGsa\">Amaz<\/a>][<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/ebooks\/31592\">Project Gutenberg<\/a>][<a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/titles\/henderson-cato-a-tragedy-and-selected-essays\">Liberty Fund<\/a>]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prologue, Act I<\/li>\n<li>Act II<\/li>\n<li>Acts III and IV<\/li>\n<li>Act V and Epilogue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">Biographies<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>A Man for All Seasons: A Play in Two Acts<\/em>, Bolt [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3TDzHB1\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preface and cast, pp. vii-xxv<\/li>\n<li>pp. 3-33<\/li>\n<li>pp. 34-77<\/li>\n<li>pp. 81-120<\/li>\n<li>pp. 120-163 (end)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass<\/em>, Douglass [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3IiTymK\">Amaz<\/a>][<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/narrativeoflifeo1846doug\">Internet Archive<\/a>][<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/files\/23\/23-h\/23-h.htm\">Project Gutenberg<\/a>][<a href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/resource\/lhbcb.25385\/?c=150&amp;st=pdf\">PDF download<\/a>]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preface<\/li>\n<li>Letter from Wendell Phillips, Esq.<\/li>\n<li>Chapter I<\/li>\n<li>Chapter II<\/li>\n<li>Chapter III<\/li>\n<li>Chapter IV<\/li>\n<li>Chapter V<\/li>\n<li>Chapter VI<\/li>\n<li>Chapter VII<\/li>\n<li>Chapter VIII<\/li>\n<li>Chapter IX<\/li>\n<li>Chapter X<\/li>\n<li>Chapter XI<\/li>\n<li>Appendix<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">ad lib reading<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>These books aren&#8217;t scheduled in the plans but can be read as a student has time and interest.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>any of the <a href=\"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/high-school-level-5-6\/high-school-government-economics-and-civics\/high-school-civics-lesson-plans-by-book\/\">Plutarch readings from American Government and Economics I-IV.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>Paul Revere&#8217;s<\/em>\u00a0<em>Ride,<\/em> Fischer [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/46BlX1i\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<li><em>1776<\/em>, McCullough [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3GIESwv\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<li><em>John Adams<\/em>, McCullough [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/457wejF\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2025 Mater Amabilis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High School Government: American Government Lesson Plans by Book These lists provide a recommended reading schedule for the American Government (half credit) resources to make it easier to assign them in other ways. Mater Amabilis participates in affiliate programs with Amazon and Living Book Press. Copyright \u00a9 2025 Mater Amabilis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":6294,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-6301","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6301"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6309,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6301\/revisions\/6309"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}