PATERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Practical Law in Society Pre-Assessment

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Direction: Choose the correct response for each question. Make sure that your answer is clearly marked. Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 1. “New Congress to Have Two Houses” “Slaves to Count as Three-Fifths of a Person” “President to be Chosen by Electoral Vote” 1. Which conclusion about the Constitutional Convention is best supported by these headlines? A. The framers of the Constitution were able to compromise on important issues. B. States that were small in area would lose power in the new Constitution. C. States with large populations controlled the outcome of the convention. D. The president and Congress would have equal power under the new constitution. Use the map below and your knowledge to answer questions number 2 and 3

2. According to the map, in which region of the United States did women receive the most support for equal suffrage before passage of the 19th amendment? A. East B. South C. North D. West 3. Which state was the first to grant full suffrage to women? A. Wyoming B. New York C. California D. Arizona Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 4 and 5 . . . . Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? . . . — Henry David Thoreau, 1849 . . . But the great glory of American democracy is the right to protest for right. My friends, don’t let anybody make us feel that we [are] to be compared in our actions with the Ku Klux Klan or with the White Citizens Council. There will be no crosses burned at any bus stops in Montgomery. There will be no white persons pulled out of their homes and taken out on some distant road and lynched for not cooperating. There will be nobody amid, among us who will stand up and defy the Constitution of this nation. We only assemble here because of our desire to see right exist. . . . — Martin Luther King, Jr., December 1955 4. Which statement most accurately summarizes the main idea of these quotations? A. Revolution is inevitable in a democratic society. B. Government consistently protects the freedom and dignity of all its citizens. C. Violence is the most effective form of protest. D. Civil disobedience is sometimes necessary to bring about change. 5. According to MLK Jr., what is the “great glory of American democracy”? A. The right to protest B. The right to a trial C. Social Mobility D. The right to a lawyer

Read the pamphlet below carefully and answer questions number 6 and 7.

6. What is the sum of the argument made in this poster? A. It is for the common good for all B. It is the right thing to do C. Women’s experience would be helpful for legislation D. Laws affecting the home are voted in every session of the legislature 7. Who are the target audience for this poster? A. All citizens B. Women C. Children D. Men who can vote

Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 8 and 9

8. The March on Washington was for: A. Freedom and Jobs B. Voting Rights C. Women’s rights D. Protest against war 9. This march was a cornerstone of which movement: A. Against the Vietnam War B. Civil Rights Movement C. Suffrage Movement D. Abolitionist Movement

Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 10 and 11. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it. . . . — Article I, Section 9, Clause 2, United States Constitution 10. This clause of the Constitution expresses the idea that A. civil liberties are not absolute B. revolution is essential to democracy C. national defense is less important than individual rights D. freedom of the press is guaranteed 11. During which war was the writ of habeas corpus suspended by the president? A. Revolutionary War B. Mexican War C. War of 1812 D. Civil War Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 12. 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. — Preamble to the United States Constitution 12. In this passage, the authors are stating that A. both men and women should have equal voting rights B. state governments created the United States government C. sovereignty belongs to the people of the nation D. people obtain their rights from their monarch Analyze the timeline below carefully and answer questions number 13 and 14

13. The events shown on the time line occurred as a result of

A. the bombing of Pearl Harbor B. a need for collective security C. the launching of Sputnik D. a fear of communism 14. Which civil liberty was most seriously threatened during the period shown on the time line? A. freedom of speech B. the right to bear arms C. freedom of religion D. the right to petition the government Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 15 and 16. No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation- 5th Amendment to the Constitution 15. The 5th Amendment deals with all of the following except: A. Eminent Domain B. Double Jeopardy C. Due Process D. Search and Seizure 16. Private property can be taken for public use when: A. Just compensation is provided B. The government can so deems, with no compensation C. Bankruptcy is declared D. Another private party sees fit Read the excerpt below carefully and answer questions number 17 and 18. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted- 8th Amendment to the Constitution 17. Which of the following would likely violate the 8th Amendment? A. Capital punishment for murder B. Probation for petty theft C. 50 years in prison for stealing a sandwich D. Fine of $500 for first time misdemeanor

18. Which of the following would likely violate the 8th Amendment? A. 10 year prison sentence for assault B. Torture C. Plea Bargain D. Probation for petty theft

Open-ended Short Answer Question 19: Read the excerpt below carefully and answer number 19. Your answer should be 3-5 sentences. … The idea so long cherished by Southern whites—and by many Northerners too—that the Southern Negro (whether through ignorance or intimidation or a shrewd recognition of reality) was content with the way things were, that only a handful of agitators opposed the system of segregation, was swept aside by the mass marches, demonstrations, meetings. Montgomery had been the first sign of this, and now it was made clear beyond argument that Negroes all across the South had only been waiting for an opportunity to end their long silence.… The sit-ins were an important learning experience for white Southerners, and also for those Northerners who were convinced of some mystical, irremovable germ of prejudice in the Southern mind: when the first lunch-counters were desegregated, the world did not come to an end. Whites and Negroes could use public facilities together, it was shown, without violent repercussions, without white withdrawal. Southern whites, once a new pattern became accepted and established in the community, would conform to it as they conformed to the old. Men and women seeking a sandwich at a lunch counter, as young Negroes could see readily in many of the sit-ins, were more interested in satisfying their hunger or their thirst than in who sat next to them. After two months of desegregation in Winston Salem, North Carolina, the manager of a large store said: “You would think it had been going on for fifty years. I am tickled to death over the situation.”… Source: Howard Zinn, SNCC: The New Abolitionists, Beacon Press

19. Based on these documents, what was the effect of the Montgomery bus boycott on American society?

Essay Question 20: Read the excerpt below carefully and answer question number 20. Your answer should be 3 paragraphs. THE RIGHT TO VOTE Our fathers believed that if this noble view of the rights of man was to flourish, it must be rooted in democracy. The most basic right of all was the right to choose your own leaders. The history of this country, in large measure, is the history of the expansion of that right to all of our people. Many of the issues of civil rights are very complex and most difficult. But about this there can and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote. There is no reason which can excuse the denial of that right. There is no duty which weighs more heavily on us than the duty we have to ensure that right. Yet the harsh fact is that in many places in this country men and women are kept from voting simply because they are Negroes [African Americans].… This bill will strike down restrictions to voting in all elections—Federal, State, and local—which have been used to deny Negroes the right to vote.… To those who seek to avoid action by their National Government in their own communities; who want to and who seek to maintain purely local control over elections, the answer is simple: Open your polling places to all your people. Allow men and women to register and vote whatever the color of their skin. Extend the rights of citizenship to every citizen of this land.… Source: President Lyndon B. Johnson, Special Message to the Congress: The American Promise, March 15, 1965 Tonight Ohio’s Legislature ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution. This Amendment guarantees the right of 18-year-old persons to vote in State and local, as well as Federal, elections. It appears that 38 States have now ratified the Amendment that will now become a part of the law of the land. Some 11 million young men and women who have participated in the life of our Nation through their work, their studies, and their sacrifices for its defense, are now to be fully included in the electoral process of our country. For more than 20 years, I have advocated the 18-year-old vote. I heartily congratulate our young citizens on having gained this right. The ratification of this Amendment has been accomplished in the shortest time of any amendment in American history. This fact affirms our Nation’s confidence in its youth and its trust in their responsibility. It also reinforces our young people’s dedication to a system of government whose Constitution permits ordered change. I urge them to honor this right by exercising it—by registering and voting in each election. - Richard Nixon 20. According to President Lyndon B. Johnson, why was the Voting Rights Act necessary in the United States? According to President Richard Nixon, what is one way that ratification of the 26th amendment expanded democracy in the United States?

Scoring  

 

Multiple  Choice   #1-­‐18   2pts  each  Short  Answer   #19   4pts  Essay   #20   6pts   Answer Key Pre 1.a Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3 Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

2.d Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

3.a Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

4.d Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

5.a Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

6.a Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

7.d

Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

8.a Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

9.b Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

10.a Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.5 Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.

11.d Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.5 Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.

12.c Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

13.d Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

14.a Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

15.d Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

16.a Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

17.c Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

18.b Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

19. Helped bridge racial divide - key moment in the civil rights movement - exemplified the power of boycotts - showed the power of African-Americans purse and their ability to organize around it - MLK Jr. becomes a prominent leader in the movement Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

20.JLBJ- So US could hold true to it democratic nature - Nixon- If person can go to war, then they can vote - more people can participate Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3 Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.