The American Revolution and United States Government, 1763 - 1791
A Lesson Sample from Curriculum Collection
The United States Constitution and the Adoption of the Bill of Rights
Created by Jamie Charrier, Lunenburg High School, Lunenburg, MA
Grading the Preamble of the United States Constitution (1 Day, 50 minutes)
• Lesson Sample
Grade Level:
• Grade 10, United States History as aligned with MA Curriculum Frameworks
Core Knowledge/Enduring Understanding:
• As America strived for independence, rights of the individual progressed and
became arguable balanced with the common good.
Essential Questions:
• How did the rights of the Patriots reflect a compromise between individual rights
and the common good?
•
How does the United States Constitution reflect these ideals?
•
What conflicts arose in establishing these ideals?
•
What was the role of war in establishing these ideals?
Learning Standard:
• USI.7 Explain the roles of various founders at the Constitutional Convention.
Describe the major debates that occurred at the Convention and the “Great
Compromise” that was reached.
Objectives: After reading the Preamble of the United States Constitution, students will:
• analyze and discuss the main components of such, “more perfect union”, the
“establishment of justice”, “domestic tranquility”, “common defense”, “general
welfare”, and “liberty” as to how they function today, in a satisfactory and just
fashion or an unsatisfactory and unjust manner.
•
grade each component of the Preamble as stated above. Grades should be based
on prior historical knowledge, personal opinion, reason and logic.
•
discuss and share their given grades as well as their reasoning in support of the
grade. Hopefully this will spark and foster academic debate and discussion.
Motivation: Student will:
• view a basic overhead, this can simply be written on the black/whiteboard or it
can be distributed as a class handout that reads the following, “If you were given
the opportunity to grade the quality of life politically, socially, economically and
militarily within America, what letter grade would the country receive from you?”
Ask a few student volunteers to share their initial thoughts and philosophies in
regards to such. (3-5 minutes)
Procedure: (Post Motivation) Students will:
• be asked and preferably respond to the following question, “If you were to give a
grade to the country you would have to correct something much like they do in a
school setting with tests, quizzes, projects and other forms of academic
assessment therefore, what national document would you use to distribute your
grade?” Hopefully, a student volunteer will suggests the United States
Constitution and then the instructor would agree that this would be an appropriate
document. At this point the instructor will suggest that the class view, analyze
and grade only the Preamble.
(5 minutes)
•
be given a copy of the Preamble to the United States Constitution and will read
such aloud as a class. Teacher should encourage student volunteers to participate
in the reading process. (1 minute)
•
Then be given a grading sheet to grade the various and major components stated
in the Preamble (4 minutes)
•
be asked and encouraged to work with a discussion partner to begin and complete
the grading process. (10-15 minutes)
•
reconvene as a collective class and discuss the various grades given to the major
components of the Preamble. Students will be encouraged via open-ended
questions to support their grades by providing more than their opinion but also
concrete examples, logic and reason. (20-25 minutes)
Materials: Students will need and use:
• a writing utensil
•
a copy of the Preamble to the United States Constitution
•
a report card/grading handout
Assessment: Students will be assessed in the following areas:
• appropriate participation during the motivation, the procedure of grading and in
the collective classroom discussion of the grading process
•
thoroughness as seen on the grading handout, an exemplary grade handout
demonstrates a students ability to provide their audience with more than a
personal opinion by supporting grades with evidence and/or concrete examples,
logic and reason.
Follow – Up: Students will:
• Further their knowledge gained in regards to the Preamble by reading the rest of
the United States Constitution.
Report Card: The United States of America, The Preamble to the
United States Constitution
How well has our government performed on each one of the six
major components/goals of the Preamble to the United States
Constitution? Give a grade, A – F and provide a comment(s) to
support each given grade. Comments should be supported by
specific evidence and/or concrete examples past or present and
furthered maintained by logic and reason.
1. “…a more perfect union,”
Grade:
Comments:
2. “…establish justice,”
Grade:
Comments:
3. “…ensure domestic tranquility,”
Grade:
Comments:
4. “…provide for the common defence,”
Grade:
Comments:
5. “…promote the general welfare,”
Grade:
Comments:
6. “…secure the blessing of liberty,”
Grade:
Comments: