Introduction
Every country has rules to follow, the United States has its own unique set of rules- where can they be found? The United States Constitution!
The founding fathers of the United States created a set of rules for the growing country, it's citizens, and it's government to follow. Many things have changed over the years, however, the Constitution is standing the test of time.
Follow the link to see a timeline of important dates in the development of the Constitution.
https://www.freetochoosenetwork.org/programs/perfect_union/explore/history.php
Who ultimately has the power in the United States? WE do!
The Constitution starts with three famous words: We the People.
When the Constitution was written in the Fall of 1787, almost all countries were ruled by monarchies- Kings or other types of rulers. People were used to their government telling them what to do, not the other way around. A government "ruled by the people, for the people" was a profound idea!
The opening paragraph of the Constitution is called the Preamble. It explains what the writers were trying to do:
- Form a better union among the states
- Create a fair legal system
- Guarantee peace inside the country
- Join all the states together to defend against attacks
- Help support people’s well-being
- Make sure all future generations remain free
And how did they plan to accomplish all this? Well, they tell you in the very last line of the Preamble: by establishing the Constitution!
Watch the following video about the Preamble, pay attention to the "goals":
A short, comprehensive video about the Constitution and the part the importance of the Preamble: https://mpb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/civ23-soc-wethepeople/we-the-people-and-the-constitutions-preamble-the-constitution-explained/
Complete the Doc and submit/ turn in:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10WhRD1-bdVMXkjmbpkKlFMnLyA8kPQ2cu1SXZpiHQR4/edit?usp=sharing
Task
Question from the timeline(s):
- What year was the Constitution written?
- When did the Constitution go into effect?
- What is the current year? How long has the Constitution has been in effect?
- Compile FIVE of the most important dates in the creation/activation of the US Constitution- date, name of event, brief description of the event.
From the Schoolhouse Rock video:
List 2 of the goals desired in the Preamble.
How do you think creating rules for a new government to follow could help meet those goals?
Complete the document:
worksheets will be at the front of the class: "US Constitutional Timeline"
USI7ConstitutionalConventionTimeline-1
Process
The Constitution was carefully designed to divide the powers of government so that no one entity had ultimate powers.
Why did they feel need to divide and create separate branches of government? Why “separation of powers”? Because the early Americans knew that too much power in one place could be problematic, and they were building a government unlike previous governments— they were ensuring that no one entity had enough power to enact policy without support from the others!
Follow the link to read about separation of powers. Then, answer the questions below.
Read the attached article and watch the video about Separation of Powers, then complete the questions on your worksheet:
Complete the doc and submit/turn in:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10WhRD1-bdVMXkjmbpkKlFMnLyA8kPQ2cu1SXZpiHQR4/edit?usp=sharing
Evaluation
II.D.1.3.b.4 Constitutional Government which includes checks and balances
To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain how the Constitution's overall design and specific features were intended to place limitations on both national and state governments, e.g., states cannot restrict interstate commerce
II.A.1.3 To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain the means of limiting the powers of government under the United States Constitution
Students should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues regarding the distribution of powers and responsibilities within the federal system.
III.A.2.2 To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain how the Constitution's overall design and specific features were intended to place limitations on both national and state governments, e.g., states cannot restrict interstate commerce
Conclusion
The United States has one of the most complex yet beneficial governing systems in the world. Through a closer study of how and why the Constitution was created, to the reasoning behind Separation of Powers, students should have a comprehensive grasp of the ins and outs of how and why the Founding Fathers crafted the Constitution of the United States.
Credits
https://www.freetochoosenetwork.org/programs/perfect_union/explore/history.php
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10WhRD1-bdVMXkjmbpkKlFMnLyA8kPQ2cu1SXZpiHQR4/edit?usp=sharing
USI7ConstitutionalConventionTimeline-1. printed worksheet
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10WhRD1-bdVMXkjmbpkKlFMnLyA8kPQ2cu1SXZpiHQR4/edit?usp=sharing
Teacher Page
This WebQuest was designed to introduce the US Constitution, the necessity, the process, and the reasons behind it's creation and implementation. The videos and articles will be the basis for classroom discussions moving forward in our unit on the creation of the US Government involving balance of powers, Articles of Confederation, and more as the unit progresses!