American Creed DBI: What is a Creed?

Key question: In what ways does a citizen’s creed demonstrate a balance of power and care in their community?

Unit Overview: What is a creed?

Overview: Learners will review documents associated with defining the word “creed”, and expanding to the American Creed, as well as their thoughts on their own creeds.

Objectives:

• Learners will be able to define the word “creed”.
• Learners will be able to explain America’s creed and its history.
• Learners will be able to analyze other students’ creeds through submissions to the National Writing Project and the documentary “American Creed: Citizen Power” to compare to the American Creed and their own creeds.

Formative Assessment: After completing the American Creed DBI, learners will write their own creeds based on at least one of their own beliefs.

Connections: Citizenship connected to power and care. This can be modified to be used in any discipline, but high school Social Studies was the focus.

Materials:

• Student Notetaker (American Creed DBI_ Notecatcher.docsx | American Creed DBI_ Notecatcher PDF)
• Phase 1 – Define Creed (American Creed DBI_ Phase 1 Documents.docx | American Creed DBI_ Phase 1 Documents PDF)
• Phase 2 – Understanding American Creed (American Creed DBI_ Phase 2 Documents.docx | American Creed DBI_ Phase 2 Documents.PDF)
• Phase 3 – Students writing about their American Creed (American Creed DBI_ Phase 3 Documents.docx| American Creed DBI_ Phase 3 Documents PDF)
• Phase 4 – Meet Young Leaders of PBS’ American Creed (American Creed DBI_ Phase 4 Documents.docx | American Creed DBI_ Phase 4 Documents PDF)

Resources: Documents and the note catcher can be accessed through individual computers. If this is not possible, copies can be made. A TV or projector is needed to show videos. Writing utensils are needed if copies are made.

Texts: Please see the Materials section.

Lesson: American Creed Document-Based Inquiry

Quick-write/Bell-ringer: Learners will write an answer to the following questions: What is an example of a belief? Do beliefs change over time? What are factors that make beliefs change or stay the same?

Activities:

Before – After the quick-write/bell ringer, the instructor will ask for volunteers to share their responses to the questions. This can be done as a think-pair-share or as a full class discussion. The instructor will then introduce the word “creed” to see if the word is known by any learners.

During – The instructor will lead students through the steps of the American Creed DBI, first by introducing the essential question learners should think about as they work through the DBI. Students can either work individually or in groups/partnerships to complete Phases 1-4. Phase 5 should be completed individually. After a given amount of time set by the instructor, the class will come together to discuss their findings of each phase. Learners are able to add/change what they wrote as these discussions take place.

After – Learners will write a creed about one of their own beliefs. The length of this assignment is based on the time/criteria set by the instructor. It is encouraged to allow learners to get feedback on drafts before turning in a final draft.

Debrief: The instructor will lead a discussion about the answer to the essential question, as well as to thoughts about creeds (i.e. are they needed).

Extensions: Learners can be encouraged to explore the PBS Learning Media American Creed Collection and participate in the American Creed Youth Media Challenge via KQED public media. Learners could also interview someone else about creeds and share their findings.