Governing: The Constitution of the United States

The Constitution of the United States tries to protect the voice of the people and creates a system of checks and balances to limit the power of the federal government. The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention shifted their goal from revising the Articles of Confederation to creating something new. They drafted a document that combined the ideas of republics, the voices of democracy and the limits to try to prevent future tyranny.

The Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments added to the Constitution and ratified in 1791—emphasized and protected the rights of Americans and that specifically stated that powers not given in the Constitution would remain with the states. Later amendments continued the pursuit of liberty for all of “We The People.”

This Lesson Plan can be used as a prepared resource by following this curriculum plan which aligns to NCSS and Common Core Standards.

This Lesson Plan's assets can also be used on their own as supplemental resources. The display format is prepared for easy access, exploring, and learning.

Curriculum Modules

Module | 5 Lesson Plans

1783-1812 Module

This set of lesson plans focuses on historic events between the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 and the beginning of the War of 1812, with a...

Upon completion of this lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Knowledge

Name and explain some of the key articles of the Constitution of the United States.
Name and explain some of the freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights.
Name and explain some of the key amendments to the Constitution of the United States.

2. Comprehension/Application/Analysis

Read and examine the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.

3. Evaluation

Consider how the Constitution has been amended to continue the pursuit of liberty.

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Governing-The Constitution Lesson Plan Teaching Guide.pdf

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Governing-The Constitution PowerPoint.pptx

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Governing-The Constitution Worksheet.pdf

Check out the Lesson Plan Teaching Guide for more instructions on using the prepared Lesson Plan.

Lesson Plan Primary Source Activity

Use the Lesson’s PowerPoint to explore the context and history; the PowerPoint introduce an Essential Question and lays foundational knowledge about the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights and Amendments to the Constitution.
Provide links or printed copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. (Digital copies are available in the Primary Source section of the Lesson Plan Page.) Students will choose one of these documents to read.
Working individually or in groups, students will read their selected document and answer the worksheet questions.
Discuss answers to Questions 4 and 9 as a class.

OPTIONAL HOMEWORK/ASSESSMENT/ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Option 1: Reconstruction Amendments

As a group, read the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th Amendments:

Then, lead a discussion using these questions:

What do you already know about the Reconstruction Amendments?
Why were these amendments needed after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction Era?
What do these amendments change and/or protect?

Individually or in groups, have the students choose an amendment and make an art poster celebrating the achievement of the amendment and showing how it is essential for liberty, justice and equality.

Option 2: Writing an Amendment

Review Article V of the Constitution of the United States which outlines the amendment process.

In groups, students can draft a new amendment proposal. If students need ideas for their amendment, some concepts might include term limits for Congress, voting rights reforms, privacy protection in the digital age or environmental protections.

After the students draft their amendment, each group will present their proposed amendment and share 3 short reasons this amendment would be beneficial, trying to convince their fellow students to vote for their amendment.

At the end of the presentations, vote for the amendments. Any that gain a ¾ majority of the class votes would be “passed.”

Common Core State Standards- ELA & History/Social Studies

Grades 6-8

Key Ideas and Details:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
  - Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
  - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

Grades 9-10

Key Ideas and Details:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1
  - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
- 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.
Craft and Structure:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.5
  - Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.

Grades 11-12

Key Ideas and Details:
- CSS.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.
- CSS.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.
Craft and Structure:
- 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.

Social Studies - National Council for the Social Studies