Principles of the Constitution
Overview
In this first session of our second unit, you will first determine how much you know about the constitution. You will then look at what is in the constitution and determine the basic principles behind it.
Just think about it!
One of the definitions for the word "principle" in dictionary.com is as follows: guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct.
Think for a few moments how this applies to your personal life. What are some of the requirements and obligations for right conduct in your household? Friendship? Classroom?
Introduction
In this session, you will...
- Take notes on the Constitution
- Take a Constitution Facts Quiz to demonstrate your knowledge about the Constitution
- Look at how our government functions and is organized by completing a worksheet
- Defend the ratification of the Constitution via an advertisement
Vocabulary
These are words you need to know that are relevant to the content of this session. Think about what they mean as you go through this session.
Words to know:
- Constitution
- Popular Sovereignty
- Rule of Law
- Federalism
- Judicial Review
- Individual Rights
You should be able to clearly define them by the time you complete this session.
If necessary, search the web dictionary to find the definitions.
Constitution Notes
Carefully read the Constitution Powerpoint and think about the significance of this document to our nation. Take notes using this template.
My suggestion? Print the blank document and WRITE your notes by hand.(Studies have shown that a students' understanding of the readings increase significantly when doing it this way). My inbox is located in room 317.
Before viewing, you may want to watch this tutorial on completing a notetaking assignment.
Click on "Cornell Notes" for an example of how to take them.
Cornell Notes Grading Rubric :
-
Does not the standard = At least one section appears incomplete
Constitution IQ
"The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it.
You have to catch up with it yourself."
- Benjamin Franklin
Summary: The United States Constitution is the most important document in our government's history. It is also the most important document in our government today. Before we look at our government in detail, let's first look at some basic facts about our US Constitution.
Fast Facts…
- It took one hundred days to actually "frame" the Constitution.
- The US Constitution consists of only 4,400 words.
- The word "democracy" does not appear once in the Constitution.
- It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world.
- Of the typographical errors in the Constitution, the misspelling of the word "Pensylvania" above the signers' names is probably the most glaring.
- The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin (81). The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey (26).
- When the Constitution was signed, the United States' population was 4 million. It is now more than 300 million.
- Philadelphia was the nation's largest city, with 40,000 inhabitants.
- Our country is over 200 years old and yet our constitution has remained much the same, with the exception of only 27 amendments.
Respond:
Take the Constitution Facts quiz and submit it as a screen shot. On a Word document, respond to the following questions:
What is your Constitutional IQ, what is Colorado's average score and what is the nation's average score?
Here is a tutorial on taking screen shots of your quiz results to submit to your teacher:
Normally, you press the button 'print screen' (next to F12) and you go to Microsoft Word, create a new document and click paste (or Ctrl+v). You can cut out the parts you don't want. Pressing ALT + Print Scrn takes only the active window
Submit your work as a Word Document via your Brady Gmail account.
Organization and Function Worksheet
You will...
- Go to Constitution Center website and look at the Interactive Constitution at the top of the page.
- You will find as you click on each box a brief summary of that section of the US Constitution is provided.
Respond:
Looking at each box, answer the following questions on the Organization and Functions of Government worksheet.
Submit your work as a Word Document via your Brady Gmail account.
Constitution Project
You will:
Assume the role of an advertiser for promoting the ratification (approval) of the Constitution, in the same spirit (if not the same style) as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay did in their Federalist Papers.
Create either an Ad for the Constitution illustrating its virtues and "selling" it to a somewhat skeptical public (remember- people were suspicious about the intentions of this document). If you wish, you may choose to create a PowerPoint presentation instead.
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN CONVINCE THE CRITICS TO APPROVE THIS DOCUMENT???
Respond:
Using the resources below, you Ad must include the following:
- A description of the powers and responsibilities of the different branches of government
- An explanation of the system of checks and balances and the benefits and protections of such a system
- A guarantee that the document can be changed as necessary— possibly including a Bill of Right
- A demonstration of why the document is an improvement on the existing Articles of Confederation
- General arguments for why the people should ratify it
Submit your work as a Word Document via your Brady Gmail account.
Research:
- The Federalist Papers
- An Outline of American History - Click on the hyperlinks for the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, The Federalist Papers, Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay.
- Explaining the Constitution: The Federalist Papers
Did I Submit It?
Now that you have a better understanding about the impact of the Constitution in structuring our nation, let's make sure that you completed all the assignments in this session before moving on to the next one.
√ I submitted it!
- U2S1 - Constitution Notes
- U2S1 -Constitution Facts Quiz
- U2S1 -Organization and Functions of Government worksheet
- U2S1 -Advertising the Constitution
Are you done? Let's move on to the next session!
