U.S. Constitution Unit Outline

Goals:

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• Recognize the importance of this document and how it is used to create laws that affect the people of the United States

• Apply their knowledge of the document to future choices as voting citizens  

• Analyze and constructively critique the document in order to promote positive change

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Standards:

 

• Oregon Social Studies Standard 6.8. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships, including the importance of individuals, ideas, human interests and beliefs

• Oregon Social Studies Standard 6.18. Describe current forms of government in countries in the Western Hemisphere.

• Oregon Social Studies Standard 6.20. Critique information to determine if it is sufficient to answer questions

• Oregon Social Studies Standard 6.21. Clarify key aspects of an event, issue, or problem through inquiry and research.

• Oregon Social Studies Standard 6.22. Gather, interpret, document, and use information from multiple sources, distinguishing facts from opinions and recognizing points of view.

• Oregon Social Studies Standard 6.23. Interpret documents and data from multiple primary and secondary sources (art, artifacts, eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, real or simulated historical sites, charts, graphs, diagrams, written texts).

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

• ELP.6-8.2 Participate in grade appropriate oral & written exchanges of information, ideas, & analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments & questions.

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Key ideas unit will cover:

 

• When and why it was created

• Constitutional Convention/Writing/Signing

• How the document is designed/set-up

• What each article describes

• What the sections mean

• What the amendments are

• What is a ratification and its process

• Bill of Rights/First 10 amendments

• Later Amendments

• Presidential Election Process

• Electoral College (Video)

• Judiciary Act/Three-tiered system

• Congress (what do they do)

• House of Representatives (what do they do)

• Senate (what do they do)

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Pre- and formative assessments:

 

• Pre-assessment

  • Idea web of the Constitution

    • This web will be kept until the end of the unit where we will return to it to see what we thought we knew compared to what we know now

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• Formative assessment

  • Turn and talks

  • Classroom Simulations

  • Jigsaw research

  • Large and small group discussions

    • Community meetings

  • 3-2-1 Countdowns

    • 3 things you learned

    • 2 things that surprised you

    • 1 thing that you want to start doing with what you’ve learned

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Authentic post assessment: 

 

• Students will analyze and apply this information to promote positive change by engaging in some sort of social activism.

  • Students can write letters to the governor, senators, or President informing them of their research and understanding and encouraging these officials to use their power to positively change it

  • Students could use this knowledge to promote positive change in their communities by informing and educating adults and peers of a specific concept in the constitution.

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Topic Chunks:

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• The creation of the document

  • Lesson:​ 

    • Constitution Jeopardy

  • Objective: 

    • Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the creation of the Constitution by participating in Constitution Jeopardy

  • Activity:

    • ​Student will review information about the creation of the Constitution (ex: date, individuals who signed, etc) through an interactive game of jeopardy

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• Design of the document

  • Lesson:​

    • Document design word wall 

  • Objective: 

    • Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the design of the Constitution by creating a word wall in which partners put the scrambled Constitution back together

  • Activity:

    • ​Students will work in teams of two to unscramble the Constitution. This activity will be done toward the end of this topic chunk after students are familiar with the document

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• Bill of Rights

  • Lesson:​ 

    • Visual Representation of the Bill of Rights

  • Objective: 

    • Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the amendments in the Bill of Rights by creating a visual poster

  • Activity:

    • ​Students will work in groups to create a visual poster of one amendment in the Bill of Rights which they will present to the rest of the class

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• Later Amendments

  • Lesson:​ 

    • Research an amendment

  • Objective: 

    • Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the later amendments of the constitution by researching and creating a way to present the information in the form of a speech, paper, video, or any other approved format

  • Activity:

    • ​Students will conduct research on an amendment of their choice and present that information in a way that reflects their deepened understanding

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• Presidential Election

  • Lesson:​ 

    • Electoral College and how it works

  • Objective: 

    • Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the presidential election by participating in a mock election and describing the process

  • Activity:

    • ​Students will put together a mock election in which two students are candidates and the rest of the students are states with specific amounts of electoral votes each

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Pedagogical Approaches: 

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• Community Meetings/TRIBES

• Field trip to the State Capitol building

• Large and small group discussions

• Engaging videos

  • Live or recorded videos of C-Span or Congress

• Primary sources such as other legal documents relating to the constitution

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