Miracle in Philadelphia
Introduction
The Articles of Confederation was a bold attempt at bringing together 13 states that had little in common nor had any desire to forfeit any of the own sovereignty. However; the Articles were unable to address growing problems that threatened to undue all that had been achieved in the American Revolution.
In this lesson, we will look at the Constitutional Convention to how delegates from the states resolved their differences through compromise to create the US Constitution.
We will also review the ratification process and the troubles that occured along the way.
Procedure
After a review of the problems caused or left unresolved by the Articles of Confederation, we will readn about then re-create the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Students will get to know the issues which divided states from the perspective of the state as we role-play the Convention to create our own government.
Following this, we will see how the Founding Fathers reached compromise on various issues and compare our results to theirs.
Resources
Specific Objectives
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Evaluation
There will be a brief follow-up discussion following the completion of this lesson as well as a quiz on the information in the textbook
Delaware State Standards
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 6-8a: Students will understand that the concept of majority rule does not mean that the rights of minorities may be disregarded and will examine and apply the protections accorded those minorities in the American political system.
Civics Standard Two 6-8b: 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.
Civics Standard Three 6-8a: Students will understand that civil rights secure political freedom while property rights secure economic freedom and that both are essential protections for United States citizens.
Civics Standard Three 6-8b: Students will understand that American citizenship includes responsibilities such as voting, jury duty, obeying the law, service in the armed forces when required, and public service.
Civics Standard Four 6-8a: Students will follow the actions of elected officials, and understand and employ the mechanisms for communicating with them while in office
Economics Standard One 6-8a: Students will analyze how changes in technology, costs, and demand interact in competitive markets to determine or change the price of goods and services.
Economics Standard Two 6-8a: Students will analyze the role of money and banking in the economy, and the ways in which government taxes and spending affect the functioning of market economies.
Economics Standard Three 6-8a: Students will demonstrate the ways in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange in different economic systems have a relationship to cultural values, resources, and technologies.
Economics Standard Four 6-8a: Students will examine how nations with different economic systems specialize and become interdependent through trade and how government policies allow either free or restricted trade.
Geography Standard One 6-8a: Students will demonstrate mental maps of the world and its sub-regions which include the relative location and characteristics of major physical features, political divisions, and human settlements.
Geography Standard Two 6-8a: Students will apply a knowledge of the major processes shaping natural environments to understand how different peoples have changed, and been affected by, physical environments in the world’s sub-regions.
Geography Standard Three 6-8a: Students will identify and explain the major cultural patterns of human activity in the world’s sub-regions.
Geography Standard Four 6-8a: Students will understand the processes affecting the location of economic activities in different world regions.
Geography Standard Four 6-8b: Students will explain how conflict and cooperation among people contribute to the division of the Earth’s surface into distinctive cultural and political territories.
History Standard One 6-8a: Students will examine historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or theme; analyze change over time, and make logical inferences concerning cause and effect.
History Standard Two 6-8a: Students will master the basic research skills necessary to conduct an independent investigation of historical phenomena.
History Standard Two 6-8b: Students will examine historical documents, artifacts, and other materials, and analyze them in terms of credibility, as well as the purpose, perspective, or point of view for which they were constructed.
History Standard Three 6-8a: Students will compare different historians’ descriptions of the same societies in order to examine how the choice of questions and use of sources may affect their conclusions.
History Standard Four: Students will develop historical knowledge of major events and phenomena in world, United States, and Delaware history [Content].
Students will develop an understanding of pre-industrial United States history and its connections to Delaware history, including:
Three worlds meet (Beginnings to 1620)
-- Colonization and settlement (1585-1763)
-- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
-- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
-- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Students will develop an understanding of ancient and medieval world history, and the continuing influence of major civilizations, including:
-- The beginnings of human society
-- Early civilizations and pastoral peoples (4,000-1,000 BC)
-- Classical traditions, major religions, and great empires (1,000 BC-300AD)
-- Expanding zones of exchange and encounter (300-1,000AD)
-- Intensified hemispheric interactions (1,000-1,500 AD)
Introduction
The Articles of Confederation was a bold attempt at bringing together 13 states that had little in common nor had any desire to forfeit any of the own sovereignty. However; the Articles were unable to address growing problems that threatened to undue all that had been achieved in the American Revolution.
In this lesson, we will look at the Constitutional Convention to how delegates from the states resolved their differences through compromise to create the US Constitution.
We will also review the ratification process and the troubles that occured along the way.
Procedure
After a review of the problems caused or left unresolved by the Articles of Confederation, we will readn about then re-create the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Students will get to know the issues which divided states from the perspective of the state as we role-play the Convention to create our own government.
Following this, we will see how the Founding Fathers reached compromise on various issues and compare our results to theirs.
Resources
- lecture and discussion
- "Constitutional Convention I" (handout)
- "Constitutional Convention II" (handout)
- "A Bundle of Compromises" (handout)
- The Articles of Confederation (primary source handout)
- The States game (a re-creation of the Constitutional Convention)
- Liberty (DVD)
- Powerpoint presentation: "Philadelphia Freedom"
Specific Objectives
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
- draw conclusions about the need for a new structure of government
- give examples of the problems encountered at the Consiotutional Convention
- analyze these problems
- explain how, through compromise, the delegates solved these problems
- assess the success of thje delegates in solving the issues facing the Convention
- conclude the necessity for compromise in difficult situations
Evaluation
There will be a brief follow-up discussion following the completion of this lesson as well as a quiz on the information in the textbook
Delaware State Standards
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 6-8a: Students will understand that the concept of majority rule does not mean that the rights of minorities may be disregarded and will examine and apply the protections accorded those minorities in the American political system.
Civics Standard Two 6-8b: 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.
Civics Standard Three 6-8a: Students will understand that civil rights secure political freedom while property rights secure economic freedom and that both are essential protections for United States citizens.
Civics Standard Three 6-8b: Students will understand that American citizenship includes responsibilities such as voting, jury duty, obeying the law, service in the armed forces when required, and public service.
Civics Standard Four 6-8a: Students will follow the actions of elected officials, and understand and employ the mechanisms for communicating with them while in office
Economics Standard One 6-8a: Students will analyze how changes in technology, costs, and demand interact in competitive markets to determine or change the price of goods and services.
Economics Standard Two 6-8a: Students will analyze the role of money and banking in the economy, and the ways in which government taxes and spending affect the functioning of market economies.
Economics Standard Three 6-8a: Students will demonstrate the ways in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange in different economic systems have a relationship to cultural values, resources, and technologies.
Economics Standard Four 6-8a: Students will examine how nations with different economic systems specialize and become interdependent through trade and how government policies allow either free or restricted trade.
Geography Standard One 6-8a: Students will demonstrate mental maps of the world and its sub-regions which include the relative location and characteristics of major physical features, political divisions, and human settlements.
Geography Standard Two 6-8a: Students will apply a knowledge of the major processes shaping natural environments to understand how different peoples have changed, and been affected by, physical environments in the world’s sub-regions.
Geography Standard Three 6-8a: Students will identify and explain the major cultural patterns of human activity in the world’s sub-regions.
Geography Standard Four 6-8a: Students will understand the processes affecting the location of economic activities in different world regions.
Geography Standard Four 6-8b: Students will explain how conflict and cooperation among people contribute to the division of the Earth’s surface into distinctive cultural and political territories.
History Standard One 6-8a: Students will examine historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or theme; analyze change over time, and make logical inferences concerning cause and effect.
History Standard Two 6-8a: Students will master the basic research skills necessary to conduct an independent investigation of historical phenomena.
History Standard Two 6-8b: Students will examine historical documents, artifacts, and other materials, and analyze them in terms of credibility, as well as the purpose, perspective, or point of view for which they were constructed.
History Standard Three 6-8a: Students will compare different historians’ descriptions of the same societies in order to examine how the choice of questions and use of sources may affect their conclusions.
History Standard Four: Students will develop historical knowledge of major events and phenomena in world, United States, and Delaware history [Content].
Students will develop an understanding of pre-industrial United States history and its connections to Delaware history, including:
Three worlds meet (Beginnings to 1620)
-- Colonization and settlement (1585-1763)
-- Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
-- Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
-- Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Students will develop an understanding of ancient and medieval world history, and the continuing influence of major civilizations, including:
-- The beginnings of human society
-- Early civilizations and pastoral peoples (4,000-1,000 BC)
-- Classical traditions, major religions, and great empires (1,000 BC-300AD)
-- Expanding zones of exchange and encounter (300-1,000AD)
-- Intensified hemispheric interactions (1,000-1,500 AD)