January 12, 2016

THE BASICSTopic: Presidential Medal of Freedom

Articles “Medal of Freedom Awarded to ‘a Class Act’ Group of 17” (The NY Times) “IU faculty member Lee Hamilton to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom” (IU Newsroom) “Indigenous Hell-Raiser as National Hero: Billy Frank, Jr. Wins Presidential Medal of Freedom”

(Indian Country Today Media Network)

Questions to Consider What is the Presidential Medal of Freedom? What is the equivalent of the Nation’s highest civilian honor in the military? http://www.cmohs.org/ What is the significance of “Presidential” being attached to the Medal of Freedom? What is the

definition of Freedom? What are “especially meritorious” contributions? What is the Congressional Medal of Honor? How is it different from the Presidential Medal of

Freedom? How does the list of past recipients show the qualities that are important in being awarded the

Medal of Freedom? Who are the 2015 Medal of Freedom recipients? Is there a common thread among the honorees?

How are they alike and how are they different? How do they represent the diversity of our country?

What does the example of Oregonian Minoru Yasui teach us about fighting for rights under the Constitution?

How does Indiana’s Lee Hamilton exemplify “civic virtue”? What is the Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal and how are the criteria different from the Medal

of Freedom? Is it important to formally recognize extraordinary accomplishments? Why or why not? Who would you nominate for the Medal of Freedom if you were the President? Which

characteristics would you consider most important in selecting recipients?

THE EXTRASPre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading

“The Presidential Medal of Freedom” (Time) “One of the last Washington mysteries: How to get the Medal of Freedom” (The Washington Post) “The Presidential Medal of Freedom” (whitehouse.gov) “What is the Liberty Medal?” (National Constitution Center)

Lesson Plans

“The Presidential Medal of Freedom: An Arizona Connection” (Easily changed to any state!) (Citizenship Counts)

“White House Honors Medal of Freedom Recipients” (PBS Newshour)

What’s the Connection? Constitutional

“Executive Order 11085: The Presidential Medal of Freedom” (about.com) Oregon

“Minoru Yasui’s civil rights battle in WW II is ‘call to our national conscience,’ Obama says” (oregonlive.com)

Students “School Award Medal Program for youth” (The American Legion)

Oregon State Social Science Standards8.21. Analyze important political and ethical values such as freedom, democracy, equality, and justice embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events.HS.35. Examine the pluralistic realities of society (e.g., race, poverty, gender, and age), recognizing issues of equity, and evaluating need for change. HS.59. Demonstrate the skills and dispositions needed to be a critical consumer of information.

CCSS Anchor Standards2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

We the People Lesson ConnectionsMiddle School, Level 2

Unit 6, Lesson 30: How might citizens participate in civic affairs? High School, Level 3

Unit 4, Lesson 23: What is the role of the President in the American Constitutional System?