Introduction
The single most striking feature people remember from pictures of our founding fathers were their hair-styles. Every one of these guys had either a carefully tied pony tail or they wore those ridiculous, powdered wigs. In either case, their hairstyles leave us with a notion that these were aged men in the last few years of life. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Our founding fathers were mostly middle-aged, upper-middle class farmers who had a vision of what our country could and should be. In this lesson, we will look at how they made the critical decision to separate from England, then they bring their vision to life under the Articles of Confederation and most importantly, the Constitution
Procedure
It will be necessary to delve into the history post-Revolutionary America for students to set the scene for discussions about how our government was built. We will look at the Conventions that brought forth the Articles of Confederation
Resources
Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
There will be several quizzes during and following the completion of this lesson
State Standards included:
CIVICS STANDARD ONE 4-5b: Students will understand that the United States government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each with specific responsibilities and powers.
CIVICS STANDARD ONE 6-8a: Students will understand that governments have the power to make and enforce laws and regulations, levy taxes, conduct foreign policy, and make war.
CIVICS STANDARD ONE 6-8b: Students will analyze the different functions of federal, state, and local governments in the United States and examine the reasons for the different organizational structures each level of government employs.
CIVICS STANDARD TWO 6-8d: Students will understand the principles and content of major American state papers such as the Declaration of Independence; United States Constitution (including the Bill of Rights); and the Federalist Papers
HISTORY STANDARD FOUR 6-8:: Students will develop an understanding of pre-industrial United States history and its connections to Delaware history, including:
The single most striking feature people remember from pictures of our founding fathers were their hair-styles. Every one of these guys had either a carefully tied pony tail or they wore those ridiculous, powdered wigs. In either case, their hairstyles leave us with a notion that these were aged men in the last few years of life. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Our founding fathers were mostly middle-aged, upper-middle class farmers who had a vision of what our country could and should be. In this lesson, we will look at how they made the critical decision to separate from England, then they bring their vision to life under the Articles of Confederation and most importantly, the Constitution
Procedure
It will be necessary to delve into the history post-Revolutionary America for students to set the scene for discussions about how our government was built. We will look at the Conventions that brought forth the Articles of Confederation
Resources
- "John Adams" biography
- "Thomas Paine" biography
- Excerpts from Common Sense, by Thomas Paine
- The Crisis by Thomas Paine (primary source)
- The Annapolis Convention: A Most Successful Failure (reading)
- Excerpts from The Federalists Papers (primary source)
- Powerpoint: No Pain No Gain!
- Powerpoint: Hitting Reset
- Powerpoint: America's Blueprint
- Powerpoint: Fix it
Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- identify the writings of Thomas Paine and explain their social significance in relation to the events of the day
- explain the reasons for the early failure of attempts to create national laws
- analyze the structure of the US Constitution
There will be several quizzes during and following the completion of this lesson
State Standards included:
CIVICS STANDARD ONE 4-5b: Students will understand that the United States government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each with specific responsibilities and powers.
CIVICS STANDARD ONE 6-8a: Students will understand that governments have the power to make and enforce laws and regulations, levy taxes, conduct foreign policy, and make war.
CIVICS STANDARD ONE 6-8b: Students will analyze the different functions of federal, state, and local governments in the United States and examine the reasons for the different organizational structures each level of government employs.
CIVICS STANDARD TWO 6-8d: Students will understand the principles and content of major American state papers such as the Declaration of Independence; United States Constitution (including the Bill of Rights); and the Federalist Papers
HISTORY STANDARD FOUR 6-8:: Students will develop an understanding of pre-industrial United States history and its connections to Delaware history, including:
- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s