State Social Science Standards

IL-14.A Understand and explain basic principles of the United States government.

IL-14.A.2 Explain the importance of fundamental concepts expressed and implied in major documents including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Illinois Constitution.

IL-14.C.2 Describe and evaluate why rights and responsibilities are important to the individual, family, community, workplace, state and nation (e.g., voting, protection under the law).

State Language Arts Standards

IL-1.A.2b Clarify word meaning using context clues and a variety of resources including glossaries, dictionaries and thesauruses.

IL-4.A.2c Restate and carry out a variety of oral instructions

IL-4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.

IL-5.A Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.

IL-5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.

Lesson Topic: Introduction to The U.S. Constitution

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts

Materials:

• Four different 24-piece puzzles — 12 pieces from two different puzzles in a bag
  
• Various resources in the classroom (internet, books, etc. — See Resources Page)

Procedures:

• Divide students into four groups and give each group a bag of puzzle pieces.

• Ask students to put the puzzles together without talking.

• As students realize that their puzzles do not fit together, tell each group to take out one sheet of paper. Each group has to complete one puzzle, but they may only communicate through writing.

• After the four puzzles are completed, explain to the students that they will be studying the U.S. Constitution and all the pieces that were used to create it.

• After completing the introduction activity, the teacher will allow the students to explore the classroom resources to learn a little about the U.S. Constitution for the remainder of the class period.

Assessment:

• The teacher will monitor how students participate in the puzzle activity and how they follow directions.

Lesson Topic: Guided Imagery & Constitutional Convention

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts

Materials:

• Guided Imagery of the Constitutional Convention
  
• 
  A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution
  
  By Betsy and Giulio Maestro

Procedures:

• The teacher will ask the students to participate in an activity that will allow them to pretend they were there when the Constitution was written.

• The students will close their eyes while the teacher reads the Guided Imagery activity about the Constitutional Convention.

• After the teacher finishes reading, he/she will ask the students what they thought about the atmosphere of the convention, what the people looked like, how they came to decisions, etc.

• The teacher will then begin reading
  
  A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution
  
  to the students, stopping to point out important names, dates and places. The teacher will read the first 21 pages and have the students finish reading the book in small groups.

• After reading, the teacher will ask the students various questions to check for understanding.

Assessment:

• The students will participate in the Guided Imagery activity and offer comments about the experience.
  
• The students will be asked to finish reading
  
  A More Perfect Union
  
  in small groups.
  
• The students will also be required to answer various questions about the reading.

Sit comfortably and relax. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and exhale
slowly. Allow yourself to travel back in time to Philadelphia in 1787.

See yourself as one of the 55 delegates who have just arrived at
Independence Hall. Your task over the next few months is to develop and
adopt a new plan of government for the United States of America.

As you enter the stately chamber, hear the wooden floors creak with each
step that you take. Notice the tall ceilings and the high windows on either
side of the room and the low railing across the back. Smell the musty odor
caused by the hot, humid weather.

As you take your place at one of the round tables covered with a rich green
cloth, observe the glass ink well with the quill pen sitting on the table.
See the candles in the brass holders on the wall. Look around at the other
delegates dressed in knee britches with silver buckles, silk stockings, and
long waistcoats. Notice that several are wearing carefully powdered wigs.

Feel the excitement in the air as the chairman of the convention, General
George Washington, calls for order. What a great leader! Everyone respects
him so.

In the weeks and months that follow, you and your colleagues set about the
business of writing a new constitution. What an awesome task you face.

Listen to the other delegates argue and shout and defend their positions.
Everyone feels so strongly about their beliefs.

See yourself standing up and speaking for the people of your state. You owe
it to them to represent them well.

Hear the applause from the other delegates as you make some favorable
suggestions. They like your ideas, and you feel proud.

Return to the hall day after day as the debaters eventually turn to
compromise to settle their differences. What a long and tedious process, but
you will not give up. There’s too much at stake.

Notice how weary and tired the delegates are getting. You are, too. It’s
growing harder to keep concentrating on the matters at hand and to keep the
overall good of the country in mind.

It’s September 17, 1787; after months of work, the delegates are showing
their approval for the new constitution by signing their names to the
document. One by one…

Now it’s your turn as you read again the first few words, “We the People of
the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…” See yourself signing your name… boldly! Feel your body swell with pride.

You are smiling, standing up tall and straight! See the relief and joy and
pride on the faces around you.

You take a deep breath as you walk out. You are shaking hands,
congratulating delegates as you are leaving Constitution Hall. What a great
day!

See yourself returning to this classroom, full of energy, and ready to work
with the concepts surrounding this great document.

You may now open your eyes.

Source:

www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/02_4_Constitution.pdf

Lesson Topic: Preamble

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Art

Materials:

• 
  We the People: The Constitution of the United States of America
  
  By Peter Spier
  
• Copy of the Preamble
  
• 10 pieces of poster board
  
• Preamble cut into phrases and placed in a bag “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”; “provide for 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”

Procedures:

• Explain to the students that the Preamble of the Constitution is the introduction that states the main purpose of the Constitution.

• Show the students the pictures from
  
  We the People
  
  and explain what each phrase of the Preamble represents.

• Have the students read the Preamble together as a class.

• Separate the students into groups and assign each group a phrase of the Preamble. Each group should use resources in the classroom as well as We the People to create a poster board (phrases, illustrations, etc.) of what they think the phrase means. Each group will present their phrase and explain what they believe it means.

• Keep students in the same group and pass out a bag filled with the phrases of the Preamble to each group. Each group should be able to put the strips in the proper order. After each group has completed their Preamble, they will read it aloud as a group to the class.

Assessment:

• The teacher will evaluate the student’s participation in the Preamble activity by monitoring their group work while creating an illustration of their Preamble phrase.

• The students will complete an illustration of a Preamble phrase.

• The students will also be required to put the phrases of the Preamble in the correct order and read aloud to the class.

Lesson Topic: Branches of Government — Legislative Branch & How a Bill Becomes a Law

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Art

Materials:

• Brown construction paper cut into the shape of a tree trunk, labeled U.S. Constitution and three main branches labeled Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
  
• How a Bill Becomes a Law steps written on notecards

Procedures:

• Explain to the students that the Constitution organized the government into three main branches, each responsible for various tasks within the government.

• The teacher will post the trunk of the tree on the board as well as the first branch — Legislative Branch.

• The teacher will explain the Legislative Branch to the students.

• Explain that the House of Representatives and the Senate, together called Congress, make up the Legislative Branch.

• The teacher will discuss the roles of the House and the Senate as well as who is involved in each, how many members there are, how they are elected.

• The teacher will then explain to the students that the Legislative Branch makes the laws of our country.

• The teacher will explain the process of How a Bill Becomes a Law. The teacher will give each student a copy of “How a Bill Becomes a Law” handout so that students can follow along.

• The teacher will put the students into groups and give each group a set of “How a Bill Becomes a Law Steps” written on cards.

• Each group will put the steps in order and present to the class.

Assessment:

• The students will put the steps for How a Bill Becomes a Law in the correct order while working in groups.

• The teacher will monitor how students work together in groups.

Lesson Topic: Executive Branch

Subjects: Social Studies

Materials:

• Brown construction paper cut into the shape of a tree trunk, labeled U.S. Constitution and three main branches labeled Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

• President Responsibilities Chart

Procedures:

• The teacher will review the Legislative Branch of the government with the students.

• Then the teacher will introduce the Executive Branch of the government and put up the branch on the classroom government tree.

• Explain that the President, Vice-President and his cabinet make up the Executive Branch.

• The teacher will discuss how the president is elected, who the first president was, and that the Executive Branch executes the laws.

• The teacher will also discuss the roles of the President.

• The teacher will have students review the roles of the President.

Assessment:

• The students will be required to follow along during the discussion of the Executive Branch.

What a President Can Do And Cannot Do

A PRESIDENT CAN…

• make treaties with the approval of the Senate.
• veto bills and sign bills.
• represent our nation in talks with foreign countries.
• enforce the laws that Congress passes.
• act as Commander-in-Chief during a war.
• call out troops to protect our nation against an attack.
• make suggestions about things that should be new laws.
• lead his political party.
• entertain foreign guests.
• recognize foreign countries.
• grant pardons.
• nominate Cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices and other high officials.
• appoint ambassadors.
• talk directly to the people about problems.
• represent the best interest of all the people.

A PRESIDENT CANNOT…

• make laws.
• declare war.
• decide how federal money will be spent.
• interpret laws.
• choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval.

Source:

Lesson Topic: Judicial Branch

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts

Materials:

• Brown construction paper cut into the shape of a tree trunk, labeled U.S. Constitution and three main branches labeled Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

• Green Construction Paper cut into the shapes of leaves with various facts about each branch written on them

Procedures:

• The teacher will review the Legislative Branch and Executive Branch with the students.

• The teacher will introduce the Judicial Branch and put the third government branch on the classroom government tree.

• The teacher will discuss how the courts make up the Judicial Branch, that the Judicial Branch judges the laws that are brought before it, who is in this branch, etc.

• After each branch has been discussed, the teacher will ask the students what the government tree is missing — LEAVES!!

• The students will get into groups of four and will be given a set of various leaves that have facts about the branches of government written on them. Characteristics of each branch (who belongs to the branch, what the branch is responsible for, etc.) will be written on a leaf cut out of green construction paper.

• The groups will be asked to work together to determine which leaves belong to each of the branches.

• The groups will put one leaf on the government tree at a time. The group will say what is on the leaf and which branch it is a characteristic of while putting it on the classroom government tree.

Assessment:

• The students will work together to decide on the characteristics of each branch of government and complete the classroom government tree.

• The teacher will monitor how students work together in groups.

Lesson Topic: Checks and Balances

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts

Materials:

• Scale
  
• Checks and Balances Chart & Worksheet

Procedures:

• The teacher will review the responsibilities of the three branches of government with the students.

• The teacher will show the students a scale and ask them what is needed to balance the scale. The students will respond by saying that it must have equal weight on each side.

• The teacher will explain that each branch of the government has different powers, but weighs the same. The teacher will also explain to the students that the Constitution set up a system of Checks and Balances that was created to ensure that that no one branch of our government could become too powerful.

• The teacher will explain various checks that the branches perform on the other branches while supplying the students with an outline of the checks and balances.

• The students will be asked to balance various ‘scales’ on a worksheet while working in pairs.

Assessment:

• The students will complete a worksheet outlining how the branches of government perform checks on each other.

Lesson Topic: The Bill of Rights

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Art

Materials:

• A copy of the Bill of Rights

• Note cards with the Bill of Rights written on them

• Construction Paper/Markers

Procedures:

• The teacher will explain to the students that when the government creates new laws, changes are made to the Constitution — this is also known as an amendment.

• The teacher will explain that the first ten changes/amendments made to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. For example, the Bill of Rights state that people have the right to say what they want, go where they want, pray where they want without fear that the government will stop them.

• The teacher will organize the students into small groups and give each group note cards with each of the Ten Amendments written on them.

• The teacher will read each amendment and briefly explain what each means.

• The students will then be given a few minutes to pick which 5 of the 10 amendments they would keep if there were told they could only keep 5. Each group should be prepared to defend their choices.

• After each group has decided on their five amendments, have each group present their decisions to the class as a whole. The teacher will put numbers 1-10 on the board and have each group tape their card to the amendment they chose.

• The class will look at how they decided on which amendments were chosen and why.

• The teacher will explain to the students that the fathers of our country who had to decide on amendments to the Constitution struggled to determine which were the most important for the future of the United States of America.

• The teacher will put the students into pairs (or groups of three if necessary) and assign each group one of the Bill of Rights.

• Each student in each group is responsible for creating an illustration that can describe the amendment to others. The reason for having two students do this is so that the students can see how each can be interpreted, but that the interpretations can still have similarities. The illustrations will be presented to the class the following day.

Assessment:

• The students will participate in group discussions deciding which amendments they should keep.

• The students will complete an illustration that explains the idea of a specific amendment.

Lesson Topic: Class Constitution

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts

Materials:

• Parchment Paper

• Construction Paper

• Copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights for each student

Procedures:

• The teacher will review with the students the main points of the U.S. Constitution — how it was created, why it was created, what it means for the American people, how it can be changed.

• The teacher will ask students to create a classroom constitution that will be used for the remainder of the school year.

• The teacher will organize the students into small groups. Each group should brainstorm ideas that could make their classroom better. If students need help coming up with ideas the teacher can mention ideas such as turning homework in on time, not talking out of turn, ask for help, be truthful, be respectful, try your best, etc.

• The students will then get together as a group and report their ideas. All ideas will be written on the board and the students will vote on which ideas should be included in the classroom constitution.

• After the students have decided on the main ideas they want to add to the constitution, the teacher will begin writing the classroom constitution on the board beginning with “We the students of _____________’s class, in order to form a better classroom will…” The students will write the rest of the constitution together as a class. If the students need help, provide an example of another classroom constitution that has been written.

• After the class has completed writing the constitution, each student will rewrite it on their own piece of parchment paper. This constitution should remain in each student’s desk and a classroom copy will be posted on a classroom bulletin board so that it can be referred to often.

Assessment:

• The students will participate in a group activity to determine ideas and rules that should be included in the classroom constitution.

• The students will complete an individual classroom constitution to keep in their desks.

Lesson Topic: Constitution Review Game

Subjects: Social Studies

Materials:

• The United States Constitution Game Board

• Various Constitution Review Questions

Procedures:

• Students will be put into groups of four and will play the United States Constitution Review game.

• Each player picks a game piece and places it on the START space.

• Each player rolls the die, whoever rolls the highest number gets to go first. If there is a tie, roll again until someone rolls the highest number. After someone has rolled the highest number, the game will proceed in a clockwise direction.

• To move off of the first space, you must answer one question correctly. After answering one question correctly, you may roll the die and move the number of spaces shown on the die. Then it is the next player’s turn.

• If you answer a question incorrectly, you must wait until your next turn. Then you must answer a question correctly before you can roll the die.

• The first player to reach the END space must be able to recite the Preamble to the Constitution without mistakes to win the game. If the first person that reaches the END space does not get it correct on the first try, the other players get to continue the game. When it’s that players’ turn again, he/she can try to recite it again.

• The game should continue until all students reach the END space and recite the Preamble correctly.

Assessment:

• The teacher will monitor the progress of the students during the game.

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Carolyn Currins

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