Goals and Objectives
Goal: Using primary sources to further understand the ratification of the constitution.
Objective: Students will use at least 3 primary source documents in order to analyze their effect on the ratification of the constitution.
Objective: Students will use at least 3 primary source documents in order to analyze their effect on the ratification of the constitution.
California State Content Standards
8.2.3 Evaluate the major debates that occurred during the development of the Constitution and their ultimate resolutions in such areas as shared power among institutions, divided state-federal power, slavery, the rights of individuals and states, and the status of American Indian nations under the commerce clause
82.4 Describe the political philosophy underpinning the Constitution as specified in the Federalist Papers and the role of such leaders as Madison, George Washington, Roger Sherman, Gouveneur Morris, and James Wilson in the writing and ratification of the Constitution
82.4 Describe the political philosophy underpinning the Constitution as specified in the Federalist Papers and the role of such leaders as Madison, George Washington, Roger Sherman, Gouveneur Morris, and James Wilson in the writing and ratification of the Constitution
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Driving Historical Questions
How do people in government reach compromise and how do those compromises affect citizens?
How do primary sources aid our understanding of historical facts and knowledge?
How do primary sources aid our understanding of historical facts and knowledge?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time: 5 minutes
Tell a story about compromise (either a personal story or a historical one) then ask students to think of a time when they made a compromise, either with a friend or with a parent about something. Then have them thinking about the way that compromise was reached. Was it reached right away or were there several back and forth exchanges?
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time: 5 minutes
Federalism: a system of government in which power is shared between the central government and the states.
Anti-federalists: People who opposed the constitution because it took too much power away from states
The Federalist Papers: A series of letters (eventually published in a book) that served as a response to anti-federalist letters.
Anti-federalists: People who opposed the constitution because it took too much power away from states
The Federalist Papers: A series of letters (eventually published in a book) that served as a response to anti-federalist letters.
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time: 15 minutes
Go through the process for looking at primary sources with each document checking for understanding as the lesson proceeds. First the students will source their information. Then we will talk about the historical context in which the document was written in. They will then analyze and close read the document in their group.
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time: 20 minutes
Students will analyze the primary sources in jigsaw method and then present the information to each other. They will use the worksheet provided by the national archives to help them do this (see resources section)
They will use the following Primary Sources:
Introduction to the Federalist Papers
Federalist Paper #51
Objections to the Constitution by George Mason
They will use the following Primary Sources:
Introduction to the Federalist Papers
Federalist Paper #51
Objections to the Constitution by George Mason
Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 10
Students from each group will travel so each group has one person from each group each with a different document and they will discuss their findings about the document. These groups will try and corroborate the information they read in order to determine their own views. (This may carry over into the next day)
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative: Teacher will check for understanding at various points in the close reading as well as during the sourcing and contextualizing phase of reading the documents.
Summative: Students will complete the document provided by the national archives in order to demonstrate understanding and present and discuss their findings with their classmates.
Summative: Students will complete the document provided by the national archives in order to demonstrate understanding and present and discuss their findings with their classmates.
Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)3
Congress.gov
Docsteach.org
McDougall Littell Creating America: A History of the United States
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysis_worksheet.pdf (Handout)
Docsteach.org
McDougall Littell Creating America: A History of the United States
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysis_worksheet.pdf (Handout)