Download Lesson Topic/Focus: The Preamble to the U. S. Constitution

Social Studies Lesson Integrated with KET EncycloMedia
Grade: 5
Lesson Topic/Focus: The Preamble to the U. S. Constitution
Adapted from the Edsitement Marco Polo website: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=233
Estimated time: 1 hour
Targeted Standards:
Academic Expectations
2.14 Students understand the
democratic principles of justice,
equality, responsibility, and freedom
and apply them to real-life situations.
2.15 Students can accurately describe
various forms of government and
analyze issues that relate to the rights
and responsibilities of citizens in a
democracy.
Program of Studies
Core Content for Assessment
Program of Studies
SS-5-GC-1 Students will recognize
the basic purpose of democratic
governments including the
establishment of order, security, and
the attainment of common goals.
SS-05-1.1.1
Students will explain the basic
purpose of the government
(national) of the United States as
defined in the Preamble to the U.S.
Constitution (establish justice,
ensure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare,
secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity) and
give examples of how our
government continues to preserve
these today.
DOK 2
SS-05-1.1.2
Students will describe fundamental
(basic) principles of American
democracy (e.g., life, liberty,
happiness, truth, justice, equality,
human dignity) that are included
in the Declaration of
Independence, the U. S.
Constitution, and the Bill of Rights
and explain their importance
today.
DOK 3
Essential Question(s):
o How does the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution describe the basic purpose of government in the
United States?
o
How are the fundamental principles (e.g., life, liberty, happiness, truth, justice, equality, human
dignity) of American democracy expressed in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and why are they
important today?
1
Teacher background information:
Defending the Colonies in the French and Indian War was very expensive for the British. In order to cover the cost of
the French and Indian War, the British government decided to tax the colonists. Because the colonists strongly
protested The Stamp Act, which taxed all legal documents, newspapers and other documents, so in 1766, this tax was
repealed. However, this tax was just the beginning of conflicts between Britain and the colonists. The Boston Tea
Party was a result of Britain’s tax on tea. Eventually, these led to the American Revolution. After the British
surrendered October 19, 1781, Americans were independent from British rule and set about establishing their own
government.
The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
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.
The Preamble introduces the Constitution of the United States and identifies five purposes for the government:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Establishing justice
Ensure domestic tranquility
Provide for the common defense
Promote the general welfare of the people
Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
Materials:
o
o
o
1 copy of the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution for each student
Internet access to the United Streaming website: www.unitedstreaming.com
Chart paper/markers
Procedures:
o Show video clip from the United Streaming website: www.unitedstreaming.com
o An Introduction to the U. S. Constitution from The Almost Painless Guide to the
U. S. Constitution (3:32).
o Pass out copies of the Preamble to each student. Ask students to follow along and focus on the words to
reflect on their meaning.
o Show video clip from the United Streaming website: www.unitedstreaming.com
o Preamble from the Program The American Revolution: From Colonies to Constitution: Shaping the
New Nation (: 46).
o Lead a class discussion using the following questions:
1. How does the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution describe the basic purpose of the government of the
United States?
2. How are the fundamental principles (e.g., life, liberty, happiness, truth, justice, equality, human dignity)
of American democracy expressed in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and why are they important
today?
o Divide the class into six small groups. Assign each group a phrase from the Preamble to interpret.
o Provide each group a copy of the document/evidence of what the phrase means (sources attached).
o Group members will use chart paper to illustrate their “phrase.”
o In a presentation to the class, group members will share their illustration of the phrase; explain their
interpretation and how the phrase relates to the essential questions.
o Students will create a class picture book of the Preamble using the information they researched and their
illustrations. Each group will write their phrase on a page with an appropriate illustration and explanation as
appropriate. If desired, the group can add an introduction and/or conclusion (about a paragraph long each) for
the book.
o Students will share their books with another class.
o Students will scan the class picture book in order to make multiple copies for distribution in the school
library and other classrooms. Another option would be to use PowerPoint to create a multimedia
presentation.
2
Group 1: Establishing Justice
Students should read the facts of the case, Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, answer the question presented and
respond to the following:
1.
For a case to arrive at the Supreme Court, it must be difficult to decide. What good points are there on both
sides of the case Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections? It costs money to hold an election. The tax being
charged at Virginia polling places was used by counties for expenses such as conducting voting and by the
state to support public education. The maximum tax was only $1.50. Shouldn't everyone be happy to pay
such a small amount for the privilege of voting and to help pay for the voting process? Would it be fair to ask
people who do not vote to pay for voting through some other tax, such as a tax on items you buy at the store
(a sales tax)? On the other hand, if you have no money at all, is that a good reason to keep you from voting?
2.
Another word for justice is fairness. What happens in our country to make sure that things are fair? What
does establishing justice mean?
3.
What do you think the court decided?
----------------------------------------------------------Group 2: Ensuring Domestic Tranquility
Students should read the facts of the case, Burson v. Freeman, and respond to the following:
1.
2.
For a case to arrive at the Supreme Court, it must be difficult to decide.
o
What good points are there on both sides of this case?
o
Shouldn't voters be able to walk to the polling place in peace and quiet (such peace and quiet could
be considered one kind of domestic tranquility) without someone trying to get them to vote for their
candidate?
o
On the other hand, don't we have the right to talk to people about candidates we want elected? What
do you think the court decided?
What does it mean to "insure domestic tranquility"? How did the case Burson v. Freeman ensure domestic
tranquility"? What other examples of domestic tranquility can you list?
---------------------------------------------------------------Group 3: Providing for the Common Defense
Students should read the letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the U.S. Congress, view the Uncle Sam poster
and respond to the questions below:
1.
Why did the President have to ask Congress to declare war? Why does it make sense to require the President
to ask Congress? How does that help provide for the "common" defense?
2.
How does our government today "provide for the common defense"?
3.
What is the point of the Uncle Sam poster?
4.
What was the response of Congress regarding the President’s letter?
Group 4: Promoting the General Welfare
3
In 1906, no one was required to inspect meat that was sold to the American public. Public reaction to Upton Sinclair's
book The Jungle was a major factor in the passage of the 1907 Meat Inspection Act, which established a system of
meat inspection that lasted until July 1996, when the federal government announced new rules requiring more
scientifically advanced methods of meat inspection.
Students should read the letter from author Upton Sinclair to President Theodore Roosevelt (March 10, 1906)
concerning conditions in the meat packing industry and respond to the following:
1.
Shouldn't the companies that sell meat inspect the meat they sell? Why should the government have a system
for inspecting meat? How do meat inspections "promote the general welfare"?
2.
What does "promoting the general welfare,” mean and what else does the government do to promote the
general welfare?
--------------------------------------------------------------Group 5: Securing the Blessing of Liberty to Ourselves…
Students should read the case of Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Fifteenth Amendment, and view the poster of the celebration
of the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and respond to the questions below.
For a case to arrive at the Supreme Court, it must be difficult to decide.
1.
What good points are there on both sides of this case? Why do some people believe parents should be
required to send their children to school? On the other hand, shouldn't parents be able to raise their kids the
way they want?
2.
How do you think the Supreme Court decided this case?
3.
Look up "liberty" in the dictionary. What does liberty mean? What might happen if everybody felt s/he had
the liberty to do what ever s/he wanted no matter what the consequences? When, why and how should
liberties ever be restrained...and when should they not be?
4.
What is being celebrated in the poster? How did the Fifteenth Amendment secure the blessings of liberty to
those who had been enslaved? That's an easy question, but here's a hard one: How did the Fifteenth
Amendment secure the blessings of liberty to those who had NOT been enslaved?
5. What does it mean to "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves"?
-----------------------------------------------------------Group 6: Securing the Blessing of Liberty to Our Posterity
Students should view the photograph of the Coal Breaker Boys carefully and respond to the following:
1.
Would young children be tempted to leave school and take up a job if they could? What's wrong with that?
Why are there no more coal breaker boys?
2.
What does "securing the blessing of liberty to our posterity" mean?
3.
The Constitution can still be changed today using amendments. How does this help to secure the blessings of
liberty for our posterity? Can you think of some other ways the government makes sure people in the future
will have liberty?
Evaluation/Assessment (Formative, Summative, CATS-like)
4
o
Group Work/Presentation
Using a rubric, students will be assessed on their role in group work and group presentation.
o
Open Response:
The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution establishes the purpose of the government and identifies
fundamental principles (e.g., life, liberty, happiness, truth, justice, and equality) of American democracy.
A. Describe the purpose of the United States government, as stated in the Preamble.
B. Select one of the fundamental principles that the Preamble addresses. Using two examples, explain
why it is still important today.
5