Unit Overview

1.) The New Government- The Articles of Confederation a. Discipline: Social Studies b. This lesson will inform students of the need for a new form of government and how the Articles of Confederation fulfilled that need. Students will about various weaknesses in the Articles and how these weaknesses led to their ultimate failure. 2.) The United States- Shays Rebellion a. Discipline: Social Studies b. This lesson will focus on a specific failure of the Articles of Confederation- the fact that Congress could not require states to pay taxes. Students will learn how this meant that each state could create its own form of taxation, and how this led to serious debt problems and eventually Shays Rebellion. Students will also learn the significance of Shay 3.) Where the Constitution Began a. Discipline: Social Studies b. This lesson will begin our study of the Constitution itself by teaching students about how the Constitution began. This lesson will inform students about the Constitutional conventions by giving students a brief overview of where they took place, who was involved, and what was being discussed. 4.) Convention Conumdrum: The Great Compromise a. Discipline: Social Studies b. This lesson will teach students about one of the biggest debates that took place during the Constitutional Convention, this being the Great Compromise, and what the result meant for the government that was being formed. 5.) The Question of Slavery a. Discipline: Social Studies b. In this lesson, students will learn about another huge debate that took place during the Constitutional Convention, the status of slavery, and what the decision made meant for slaves in the country and for states where slaves made up a large portion of the population. 6.) The Branches of Government a. Discipline: Social Studies b. This lesson will focus on the three branches of government that were created under the Constitution, how power and responsibility were divided among the three, and how this new form of government differed from past ones. 7.) Unwrapping the Constitution a. Discipline: Social Studies and ELA b. This lesson will introduce students to the actual content of the Constitution, including both the preamble and the various Articles of

the Constitution. This lesson will also take a look at the language and tone used in the Constitution and the purpose of this form of writing. 8.) Amending the Constitution: The Bill of Rights a. Discipline: Social Studies b. This lesson will teach students about the 10 famous amendments made to the Constitution, these being the Bill of Rights. Students will learn about why these amendments were made and what these amendments did for the people of the country. 9.) Creating Our Own Constitution a. Discipline: Social Studies and ELA b. This lesson will be used for students to complete their culminating project, this being their own Constitution and Bill of Rights. This lesson will focus on creating a classroom Preamble and deciding the content that will be within the Constitution. 10.) Creating Our Own Constitution, Continued a. Discipline: Social Studies and ELA b. This lesson will be used for students to continue their Constitution. Students will have the chance to look at what they have decided on so far and how their current Constitution needs to be amended in order to serve everyone in the new country.