Introduction
8th Grade Webquest
Overview
After the failed attempt of creating a government with the articles of confederation, the United States need to reorganize its government. In order to do so, they got together to create the constituion. After its creation, Ben Franklin was quoted saying that we were given a republic. In order to better see this process as well as the creation of this document, today we'll be going over and making our own constitution.
Covers the Ohio Social Studies Standards 20 and 21 for 8th grade
SS.8.20. The U.S. Constitution established a federal system of government, a representative democracy and a framework with separation of powers and checks and balances.
SS. 8. 21. The U.S. Constitution protects citizens’ rights by limiting the powers of government.
Task
Task Overview
In groups, you will research the Articles of Confederation and find three key weak points in it and explain how it lead to the creation of the Constitution. After this, you will be assigned one the main political factions, those being the Democratic-Republicans or the Federalists and then answer the following questions: How did your faction feel about central government? What was the main platform of your faction? Who were your faction’s supporters? Who was your faction’s leaders? Did your faction support the constitution from the start? Upon completing these questions, you will then create a model constitution that your faction would support.
Process
Steps
1. Break into small groups.
2. Allow time to look into the Articles of Confederation and find weak points of it along with explaining how those points lead to the creation of a new government.
3. You will be assigned one of the main political factions.
4. Research your assigned faction and find the answers to the questions listed in the task section.
5. After answering your questions, you will then work in your groups to create sample constitution your party would support.
6. Once you complete your constitution, you will then present your answers to your questions as well as your constitution to the class.
Here are some links to help you get started but feel free to use your own
- Some helpful sites on the Articles of Confederation:
- http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html
- https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/articles
- http://www.usconstitution.net/articles.html
- Information of the Democratic-Republican Party
- https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/early-republic/timeline-te…
- http://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Republican-Party
- Some sites with information on the Federalists
- http://www.ushistory.org/us/16a.asp
- http://www.history.com/topics/federalist-party
- Some help on writing a sample Constitution
- https://studentactivities.temple.edu/how-write-constitution
- Actual Text of the Constitution
- http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
Evaluation
| Assignment Name | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
| Finding 3 details as to why the articles were weak | Demonstrates little to no understanding of how the articles were a weak form of government and provides no details. | Has a basic understanding of how the articles were a weak form of government and provides 1 detail. | Shows a good understanding of how the articles were a weak form of government, provides 2 details. | Shows an excellent understanding of how the articles were a weak form of government. Provides three or more details. |
| Explaining how the articles of Condfederation directly lead to the creation of a new government | Provides little to no sound reasoning as to to claims or produces unsound claims and provides no examples. | Shows a limited idea as to how the two events are related to each other and provides one example. | Has a very good understanding of how the two events are linked and offers at least two examples as to how they are linked. | Has an excellent understanding as to how the two events are related and offers multiple examples as to how the two are linked. |
| Political Faction Questions | Has little understanding of the Political faction that was assigned, and answers at an unsatisfactory level. | Obtains a basic understanding of their assigned faction, answers a of questions or does so at a below satisfactory level. | Demonstrates a good understanding of their assigned faction. Answers all the questions at a satisfactory level. | Shows an excellent understanding of their assigned party. Answers all questions at an above satisfactory level. |
| Model Constitution | Document shows little understanding of assigned party's platform. Document also shows little to no understanding of goverment structure, make up and powers. | Document shows a limited understanding and application of assigned party's platform. Document shows a limited knowledge of government structure, make up and powers. | Document shows a good understanding of assigned party's platform. Document shows a good understanding of government structure, make up and powers. | Document shows an excellent understanding of assigned party's platform. Document also shows excellent understanding of government structure, make up and powers. |
Conclusion
Putting it all together
As we can see, the Articles of Confederation were not the best form of government and we needed a change badly. Thankfully for us, our founding fathers recognized this and got together to create a new government, and though factions did form, a better system was forged, and by creating your own Constitutions, you now can better understanding what these men did and how important their work was.
Credits
Sources Used
"Primary Documents in American History." The Articles of Confederation: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress). Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html>.
"Articles of Confederation, 1777–1781 - 1776–1783 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." Articles of Confederation, 1777–1781 - 1776–1783 - Milestones - Office of the Historian. United States State Department, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/articles>.
"The Articles of Confederation - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." The Articles of Confederation - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. U.S. Constitution, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <http://www.usconstitution.net/articles.html>.
"Democratic-Republican Party." Democratic-Republican Party. Gilder Lehrman Institute, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/early-republic/timeline-te…;.
Editors of the Britannica Encyclopedia. "Democratic-Republican Party | Political Party, United States." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Republican-Party>.
History.com Staff. "Federalist Party." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/federalist-party>.
"Federalists." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/16a.asp>.
"Student Activities." How to Write a Constitution. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <https://studentactivities.temple.edu/how-write-constitution>.
"The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html&…;.
Teacher Page
This webquest is designed to be taught to an 8th grade history class. If meets OAE learning standard SS.8.7. The lesson helps students gain a better understanding of how the government of the United States was formed and evolved, as well as the debate over its formation.
Before starting this webquest, students should have completed the unit on the American Revolution as to better understand the topic occurring. If not, the student would have trouble figuring out how the events fit into one another.