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Jessica Jones
Constitution Day Lesson
High School - World History (This is the class I am in for practicum so I wrote the
lesson for this day only – not part of a whole although it could be a brief overview into
the topic as well)
Essential Questions:
How did the Constitution come about?
What does the Preamble to the Constitution mean?
Does the Preamble mean the same today?
General Outcomes:
NCSS: VI: Power, Authority and Governance
6a. examine persistent issues involving the rights, roles, and status of the
individual in relation to the general welfare;
6b. explain the purpose of government and analyze how its powers are aquired,
used, and justified;
6c. analyze and explain ideas and mechanisms to meet needs and wants of
citizens, regulate territory, manage conflict, establish order and security, and
balance competing conceptions of a just society
GOVT.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Constitution of the United States
by
b) identifying the purposes for government stated in the Preamble;
c) examining the fundamental principles upon which the Constitution of the
United States is based, including the rule of law, consent of the governed,
limited government, separation of powers, and federalism; (this will be
briefly talked about)
Assessment Methods
There will be a pre-assessment which will be the hook at the beginning of the class
period. This will show me what the class already knows about the topic. Other
assessment tools will be the materials the students will turn in at the end of the class
period. Students will turn in the Preamble written in their own words and the Preamble
worksheet which should both show the students’ understanding on the topic.
Resources:
O’Connor, K., Haag, D., Sabato, L., and Keith, G. (2008). American Government:
Continuity and Change. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.
The Constitution Center in Philadelphia
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/education/ForEducators/LessonPlans/Preamble/5494.s
html
Content Outline:
I. The Need for a Constitution
A. Articles of Confederation
1. The US’s first attempt at Government
2. Weaknesses were prevalent including
a. lack of central government
b. no judicial system
c. no uniform currency
d. difficult to amend the Articles
B. Shay’s Rebellion
1. Massachusetts passed law requiring payments of all debts in cash
2. Daniel Shay and 1,500 disgruntled farmers forcibly retrain state courts
3. Once again shows need for central government
C. Constitution
1. Convention held in Philadelphia
2. Virginia Plan (written by James Madison) and New Jersey Plan were
read and the Great Compromise is formed
a. Great Compromise dealt with how to treat small and big states
3. Preamble to the Constitution (discussed in detail below)
4. Basic Principles of Constitution
a. Federalism – power divided between national, state, and local
governments
b. Separation of Powers
i. Legislative Branch – makes laws (Congress)
ii. Executive Branch – enforces laws (President)
iii. Judicial Branch – interprets laws (Supreme Court)
c. Checks and Balances – the branches check each other – none
have too much power
Student and Teacher Activities with Estimated Time Blocks:
Est. Time What Teacher will be doing
What Students will be doing
5 mins.
Hook: “Constitutional Conversation”
* students will write down things
As the students sit in their seats they
they know about the Constitution
will answer the question on the board:
“By yourself, create a list of things you
already know about the Constitution.”
After the students write a few things
down they will be instructed to get into
small groups of 3-4 students and talk
* students will be discussing their
about their lists/combine them. Then
list with their group
they should delegate one group member
to write their list on the board. After all
the groups have written on the board we
will have a short class discussion about
* students will be writing list on
the items written on the board.
10 mins.
25 - 30
mins.
Review: Next, we will discuss a few
issues leading up to the Constitution
including the Articles of Confederation
and Shay’s Rebellion. I will be
conducting sort of a lecture by asking
students questions prompted by their
graphic organizers.
Lesson: I will hand out a copy of the
Preamble to each student. Then I will
have the students read it to themselves
quietly. Then, I will ask someone read
it aloud. I will ask them to raise their
hands if they know what has just been
read. Then I will ask students if they
know what the Preamble is saying in
their own words. A small discussion
will ensue..
I will then explain to students that I am
going to hand out a worksheet that
breaks the Preamble down. The
students should then either use
dictionaries or their own minds to define
what the italicized words mean today
and what it meant when the Constitution
was written (Prompt this with the fact
that it was before the Civil War and that
we just finished fighting with Britain,
etc). After they work alone for a few
minutes they will get into groups of 3-4
students and discuss with each other.
We will then discuss as a class what
kinds of definitions we have come up
with.
5 mins
the board
* students will engage in
conversation about events leading
up to the Constitution
* students will be filling in their
graphic organizers
*students will be reading the
Preamble
* students will listen to the
Preamble and then discuss
* students will define/explain the
italicized words
* students will get into groups to
discuss their definitions
* students will engage in class
discussion about definitions
Then I will have the groups rewrite the
Preamble in today’s words on a separate
sheet of paper. These will be collected
at the end of the period.
* students will rejoin their groups
and rewrite the Preamble in their
own words
Exit Pass: Students will do two things:
they will (1) write down on a sheet of
paper one thing they learned today as a
result of deciphering the Preamble and
* students will write down one
thing they learned and how the
Preamble/Constitution affects
them
(2) write down how the Preamble or
Constitution affects them and their
rights
***Collect from students:
Preamble worksheet;
Re-written Preamble;
Exit Pass
Materials Needed for the Lesson:
Preamble to the Constitution
Dictionaries
Preamble Worksheet
Graphic Organizer
Differentiation:
To accommodate for different learning styles we will vary visual, oral and auditory
methods. Students will read on their own and read things off of the board, we will read
the Preamble aloud, and students can listen while others read aloud if they chose. There
are activities that will be completed alone and in groups, thus varying methods. This will
also benefit ELL students as the groups will enable these students to ask questions. I will
also be walking around the classroom when students are working alone and in pairs so if
students have trouble working in either of these situations I can help them.
Subject Matter Integration/Extension:
This lesson will be taught on Constitution Day, September 17, thus it will be an
independent lesson (not taught as part of a unit). It will give an overview of the topic that
way it can be understood alone or further developed later in the school year when comes
up again. This lesson could easily be extended by developing more on the actual
Constitution (the main points).
Reflections on Lesson Plan:
I am anxious to teach my first lesson of the semester so this was fun writing a lesson that
could easily be completed and would involve a lot of class discussion (which I really
enjoy). When I walked into my practicum class today they were talking about the
Constitution and actually did a very similar hook and it seemed to go over fairly well. In
fact, the students works individually at first and then in groups which is what I had
planned as well. The only difference is that they just announced their answers to the class
instead of writing them on the board. It was good to see this part of my lesson in action
even if I didn’t lead it/teach it.
Name ________________________________
The Road to the Constitution
The __________________________________________ were the first governing
document of the United States.
Weaknesses of this document include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
______________________________was when a 1,500 disgruntled farmers forcibly
restrained the Massachusetts state court.
This showed the need for a _____________________ government.
A convention was held in Philadelphia to write a ____________________________.
The ______________________________ and ____________________________ were
read at the convention a combined into the Great Compromise.
The basic principles of the Constitution are: (define)
1. federalism:
2. separation of powers:
3. checks and balances
Preamble Worksheet
Name_________________________
Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America
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,
promote 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.