Lesson: The Road to the Constitutional Convention: Delegate Biography Tours using
Google Earth
Author: Nan Andrews
Grade Level: High School
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of
primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an
understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary
or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships
among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in
words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both
primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting
discrepancies among sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing
what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing
feedback, including new arguments or information.
Wisconsin Academic Standards:
A.12.1 Use various types of atlases and appropriate vocabulary to describe the physical
attributes of a place or region, employing such concepts as climate, plate tectonics,
volcanism, and landforms, and to describe the human attributes, employing such
concepts as demographics, birth and death rates, doubling time, emigration, and
immigration
A.12.2 Analyze information generated from a computer about a place, including
statistical sources, aerial and satellite images, and three-dimensional models
B.12.1 Explain different points of view on the same historical event, using data gathered
from various sources, such as letters, journals, diaries, newspapers, government
documents, and speeches
B.12.2 Analyze primary and secondary sources related to a historical question to
evaluate their relevance, make comparisons, integrate new information with prior
knowledge, and come to a reasoned conclusion
Essential Question: Who were the men who created the United States Constitution?
Learner Outcomes – Students Will Be Able To:
Use Google Earth to create a historical project.
Interpret primary documents.
Describe and write a biography profile for a delegate to the Constitutional
Convention using geographic features of Google Earth
Identify influences on delegates of the Constitutional Convention.
Procedure:
1. Introduction: Students will meet in the library computer lab. Teacher will explain,
“We will be preparing a biography tour about a delegate to the Constitutional
Convention. First, we will gather our information using Microsoft Word, then, we
will publish the information into a Biography Tour using Google Earth.”
2. Pass out copies of KCSD Tech’s “Getting to Know Google Earth.”
3. Students will be given a handout that provides preliminary information about their
delegate (Appendix A – Biography List and 12 state handouts retrieved from the
Digital Classroom's Founding Fathers' Page.
Introduction to Google Earth
o Google Earth maps the Earth by superimposition of images obtained from
satellite imagery and aerial photography. It is a free software package
that allows you to add notes to satellite maps and share that data with
others around the world. It’s a globe that sits inside your PC. You point
and zoom to anyplace on the planet that you want to explore. Satellite
images and local facts zoom into view..We can look at real images of
current locations where your delegate came from.
o Show students how to open Google Earth online and search for a place on
it. Students will be given 10 minutes to investigate Google Earth on their
computers. Students will try to find the location where their founding
father was born or where his family came from. As soon as students find
an image that they like, they are to keep the page and wait for the rest of
their classmates to find one too.
o When everyone has found a picture, teach the students how to take a
Screen Shot. Students will press the Print Screen button on their
computer to take a picture of their computer screen and paste it into a
Word document. Demonstrate how to use the screen shot button.
Students will use the button, paste their image and adjust it so the picture
is all may see it.
o Students will add a place mark to their Biography Tour using Google
Earth. Students will be required to add place marks for the following
locations: the names of each of the colonies and important cities, such as
Boston (MA), New York (NY), Philadelphia (PA), Savannah (GA),
Charleston (SC), Williamsburg (VA), New Haven (CT), Providence (RI),
Portsmouth (NH), Annapolis (MD), Trenton (NJ), New Bern (NC).
4. Students will be introduced to research tools and will start writing a draft of their
Delegate Profile. After gathering notes, students will upload and map the
information into Google Earth.
5. Pass out the Database Resource sheet. Students will be guided to primary
sources available from these pre-selected websites.
6. Students will research their delegates and then create a biography tour based
upon the life of their assigned delegate:
Students will work in teams of two and will create a Delegate Biography Tour of one
delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Using Google Earth, students will create at
least ten annotated place marks selected for the purpose of demonstrating knowledge
about their delegate.
Each delegate biography tour must include: one primary source title, an introduction to
each place mark, at least one cited picture, video or sound file, discussion questions,
and related vocabulary with links to definitions.
The Delegate Biography Tour must include a beginning geographic place marks
describing where the delegate lives, how they make a living, age, and socio-economic
class. The portrait should answer the following questions:
In what ways did he serve his colony/state before the Constitutional
Convention?
What were his qualifications to represent his state?
Was his state large or small? State the population of the state at that time.
Was his state in the North or South?
In what ways was he involved with Patriot causes before the Constitutional
Convention?
What was his profession?
What was his socioeconomic background? How might that background have
affected his decisions?
In what ways did his proposal to the Constitutional Convention represent the
interests of his state?
In what ways did he serve the United States after the Constitutional
Convention?
Additional place marks must identify: feeling and attitudes towards issues of the Mock
Convention, how the delegate will vote in the issues and enemies/allies of the delegate
at the convention. Each place mark must contain a student-authored discussion
question.
The Delegate Biography Tours will be gathered into a wiki page for ease of use by the
students during the second part of the lesson when students will respond to discussion
questions.
Closure: Students will share their biography tours with the entire class and discuss
recurring themes involving the delegates.
Assessment: Students will be assessed upon completion of their Google trips, group
worksheets and works cited rubric.
The Road to the Constitutional Convention: Delegate Biography Tour
Works Cited Rubric
Criteria
&
Weight
Reference
Source Use
__ x1 __
Directly
Credited
Sources
___ x3 ___
Variety and
authoritative
quality of
credited
sources
___ x3 ___
MLA Format
___ x2 ___
Mechanics and
Spelling
___ x2 ___
Excellent
(5)
Above
Average
(4)
Average
(3)
Below
Average
(2)
Criteria Not
Evident
(0)
Used 4 or more
different
reference sources
(encyclopedias,
dictionaries,
reference books,
etc.) to gather key
names, places and
ideas
Used 5 or more
non-reference
sources such as
books, magazines,
newspapers,
interviews, videos,
CD-ROMS,
Internet, etc.
Used 2 different
types of reference
sources
(encyclopedias,
reference books,
etc.) to gather key
names, places and
ideas
Used 1 reference
source
(encyclopedias,
reference books,
etc.) to gather key
names, places and
ideas
Used 1 reference
sources
(encyclopedias,
reference books,
etc.) to gather key
names, places and
ideas
No reference
sources
(encyclopedias,
reference books,
etc.) to gather key
names, places and
ideas
Used at least 4 or
more nonreference sources
such as books,
magazines,
newspapers,
interviews, videos,
CD-ROMS,
Internet, etc.
Of the nonreference sources
utilized at least 3
different types of
sources from the
following: OPAC,
magazines,
newspapers and
online.
Used 3 or more
non-reference
sources such as
books, magazines,
newspapers,
interviews, videos,
CD-ROMS,
Internet, etc.
Used 2 or more
non-reference
sources such as
books, magazines,
newspapers,
interviews, videos,
CD-ROMS,
Internet, etc.
Used fewer than 2
non-reference
sources.
Of the nonreference sources
utilized at least 3
different types of
sources from the
following: OPAC,
magazines,
newspapers and
online.
Used only OPAC or
online sources for
non-reference
sources.
Used only online
non-reference
sources.
3 or more
authoritative
sources are used.
All information
(background,
photos, charts,
etc) documented
in MLA format.
2 or more
authoritative
sources are used.
Most information
documented
correctly with only
1-2 errors.
1 or more
authoritative
sources are used.
Most information
documented
correctly with only
3-4 errors.
No errors in
capitalization,
spelling and
punctuation.
Little or no editing
required for
capitalization,
spelling and
punctuation (1 or
2 errors)
Of the nonreference sources
utilized at least 3
different types of
sources from the
following: OPAC,
magazines,
newspapers and
online.
Comments:
Total: ___ /10 ___
Grade:
Editing required
for capitalization,
spelling and
punctuation.(3 to
5 errors)
Sources are not
authoritative.
Information
documented with
5-7 errors.
Errors in
capitalization,
spelling and
punctuation
distracting (5 to 7
errors)
Information
documented with
8 or more errors.
Does not provide
citations for
images.
More than 7
errors; little or no
proof-reading
completed.
Encyclopedia
Britannica
ABC-CLIO databases
Daily life in History and
World History: The
Modern Era
GALE database
U.S. History in
Context
JSTOR
SEARCH HINTS:
SEARCH HINTS:
SEARCH HINTS:
SEARCH HINTS:
Excellent source
for images of
people and a
general overview.
Easiest reading
level.
Results are broader and
not as biographical. You
will find interesting
connections to other
topics.
Biographical
information and
general U.S. history
connections.
Richest source of
multiple types of
articles. High
reading level.
Start with a general
search.
Use Advanced
Search for best
results. LIMIT to
full text. For
example, fill in two
search boxes (john
Calvin and
Reformation).
Use Overview to
get a quick
understanding of
the topic
Use links for
Related articles or
Expand your
research
Filters to use:
Documents,
Search across all
databases to broaden
your results.
Double click any
word to get a
definition.
Limiters to use:
Reference,
Academic journals,
news, magazines,
primary sources,
images, case
overviews, audio,
websites or videos.
Use the My Activity
link to see your
search history
Click on
Workspace to
create a login and
Save your
resources.
CITATIONS and
TOOLS:
Citations are
generated by the
database. Copy
the MLA citations
located at the
bottom of the
articles
CITATIONS and TOOLS:
These are generated by
the database. Copy the
MLA citations located at
the bottom of the articles
Print or email
documents.
Badgerlink
databases
Academic Search
Premier
History
Reference Center
SEARCH HINTS:
Use Advanced
Search for best
results.
LIMIT to full text
and scholarly-peer
reviews articles.
Create your own
MyEbscohost
account to save
preferences, email
and share articles.
NARROW results to
Articles, written in
English and fulltext.
Use MyJSTOR to
register for your
own account. Save
your search history
in your own
account. Or, you
can use the general
password below.
CITATIONS and
TOOLS:
CITATIONS and
TOOLS:
CITATIONS and
TOOLS:
Copy the MLA
citations located at
the bottom of the
articles
Citations are NOT
generated but
sources can be
saved and emailed
using MyJSTOR.
These are
generated by the
database. Click on
Cite to generate
citations delivered
in several formats.
Download video,
audio or images
Save or email using
the Tools links. Can
share with
Facebook or
Delicious accounts.
Print or email
documents.
WISCAT interlibrary
loan can be used to
order items from
libraries across the
state of WI
Sample MLA citations
“Jefferson, Thomas." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. <http://school.eb.com/eb/article-9106454>.
“race." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia
Britannica, 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. <http://school.eb.com/eb/article-279652>.
Wayne, Tiffany K. "Interracial Marriages in America: 19th Century." Daily Life through History. ABC-CLIO,
2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.