This activity is a wonderful and engaging interactive
scavenger hunt for students to learn about or review
information relating to the new nation. The scavenger
hunt takes students through the “Congress for Kids”
website to answer questions relating to Articles of
Confederation, Constitutional Convention, Great
Compromise, Bill of Rights, three branches of
government, and checks & balances.
© Kara Lee 2013
New Nation Interactive
Internet Scavenger Hunt
Name: ____________________________
Date: ____________
Directions: Click on the links provided to answer the following questions.
Articles of Confederation
1. Who wrote the Articles of Confederation?
_______________________________________
2. Why were the Articles of Confederation written?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. What happened as a result of the Articles of Confederation? List at
least 5 different things the website discussed.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
4. Click on the “Show What You Know” link on the website
and take the quiz. Write your score on the line. ______
© Kara Lee
Constitutional Convention
5. When and where was the constitutional convention
held?
____________________________________
6. How many of the 13 colonies were represented? _______ Which
state refused to attend and why?
____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
7. What did the delegates work on at the constitutional convention?
___________________________________________________
8. What is the group of delegates sometimes called?
____________________________________________________
9. Click on the “Show What You Know” link on the website and take the
quiz. Write your score on the line. ___________
10. Who was elected president of the convention? ________________
11. How long did the Constitutional Convention meet for? __________
Great Compromise
12. What was one thing that was argued about during the convention?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
13. What did the Virginia Plan state?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
14. What did the New Jersey Plan state?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
© Kara Lee
15. What did Roger Sherman propose?
___________________________________________________
16. What determines the number of House of Representatives?
___________________________________________________
17. What determines the number of representatives from the senate?
___________________________________________________
18. Click on the “Show What You Know” link on the website and take the
quiz. Write your score on the line. ___________
Bill of Rights
19. What do the Bill of Rights list?
___________________________________________________
20. Who proposed 12 amendments to the states for approval?
______________________________________
21. How many amendments were approved? __________
22. These amendments make up the what?
_____________________________
23. Click on the “Show What You Know” link on the website and take
the quiz. Write your score on the line. ___________
Branches of Government
24. Why did delegates at the Constitutional Convention want to divide
powers within the federal government?
____________________________________
____________________________________
25. What were the three parts the new
government was divided into called?
______________________
© Kara Lee
______________________
______________________
26. In your own words, fill in the boxes below to
explain the powers of each of the three branches of
government.
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
27. Click on the “Show What You Know” link on the website and take
the quiz. Write your score on the line. ___________
Checks & Balances
28. Why was the system of checks and balances implemented?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
29. What are two examples of how one branch is restrained by another
branch?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
30. Click on the “Show What You Know” link on the website and take
the quiz. Write your score on the line. ___________
31. When you finish, try taking the 3 quizzes. Write your score for
each quiz on the lines below.
Quiz 1 - __________
© Kara Lee
Quiz 2 - __________ Quiz 3 - __________
New Nation Interactive
Internet Scavenger Hunt
Answer Key
1. Continental congress
2. To give the colonies some sense of a unified congress.
3. - Each colony began to act alone in its own best interest
- A new governing document was needed in order for these new states to act
together, to become a nation
- all thirteen states had ratified the articles of confederation
- the Articles made the states and legislature supreme
- There was no executive branch
- Judicial functions were very limited.
- The resulting government was weak
- A convention called in May 1787 to re-write the Articles decided to draft an
entirely new Constitution.
4. Answers will vary
5. May 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6. 12, Rhode Island
7. Drafting up the constitution
8. The Founding Fathers
9. Answers will vary
10. George Washington
11. 4 months
12. How many representatives each state should be allowed.
13. Each state would have a different number of representatives based on the
state's population
14. The number of representatives would be the same for each state.
15. A 2 house legislature consisting of the house of representatives and the
senate
16. Include one representative for each 30,000 individuals in a state
17. An equal number of representatives from each state
18. Answers will vary
19. Individual rights of every citizen
20. James Madison
21. 10
22. Bill of Rights
23. Answers will vary
24. They did not want these powers to be controlled by just one man or one group.
The delegates were afraid that if a small group received too much power, the
United States would wind up under the rule of another dictator or tyrant
© Kara Lee
25. Executive, legislative, judicial
26.
carpenterm1
Executive
Headed by the president.
The president carries out
federal laws and
recommends new ones,
directs national defense
and foreign policy, and
performs ceremonial
duties. Powers include
directing government,
commanding the Armed
Forces, dealing with
international powers,
acting as chief law
enforcement officer, and
vetoing laws.
Legislative
Headed by Congress,
which includes the House
of Representatives and
the Senate. The main task
of these two bodies is to
make the laws. Its powers
include passing laws,
originating spending bills
(House), impeaching
officials (Senate), and
approving treaties
(Senate).
Judicial
Headed by the Supreme
Court. Its powers include
interpreting the
Constitution, reviewing
laws, and deciding cases
involving states' rights.
carpenterm1
27. Answers will vary
28. So that no one branch of our government could become too powerful.
29. Each branch is restrained by the other two in several ways. For example, the
president may veto a law passed by Congress. Congress can override that veto
with a vote of two-thirds of both houses. Another example is that the Supreme
Court may check Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. The power is
balanced by the fact that members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the
president. Those appointments have to be approved by Congress.
30. Answers will vary
31. Answers will vary
carpenterm1
Answers taken directly from http://www.congressforkids.net/index.htm
© Kara Lee
Terms of Use
Thank you for downloading my
New Nation Interactive Internet
Scavenger Hunt. I hope that you enjoy using it
as a valuable resource in your classroom!
Please let me know if you have any questions
or concerns. My email is
[email protected].
© Kara Lee 2013
This resource entitles you to single classroom
use only. Please do not share with grade level
teams or district wide or post/resell any part
of this resource.
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