The Constitutional Convention
By: Meghan Smith and Chelsea Sullivan
Introduction:
For our Curriculum Project, we have created a five-day unit based on the Constitutional
Convention. This unit is designed to incorporate various elements of learning that include
research, discussion, and dramatization. We chose the Constitutional Convention because we felt
that it is an important event that students ought to have a deeper understanding of, as it was so
influential in forming the government that we have today. There is a lot to learn about, including
the politics, culture and important historical figures. By providing students with background
knowledge about the culture of the times, as well as the actual event, we then give them the
opportunity to display their knowledge through a creative outlet. This allows for all different
students to shine in a context in which they are most comfortable and strong. As the unit
progresses, students continue to learn and do research, which then culminates in a mock
Constitutional Convention which they perform themselves in the character of a real historical
figure of the time. We feel that by giving them an opportunity to openly and freely express
themselves as their character, they are putting to good use all of the information they gathered
throughout the week. They will come out with a balanced and well-rounded perspective of the
colonial time and the Convention itself, as they will have witnessed what life was like at the time
and how different people reacted. Rather than regurgitating facts and figures, they are learning
to think about why people fought for and believed in the things that they did. They will also
come out of this unit with the skills to do thorough internet research, the ability to hold
discussions among a group of peers, and the ability to argue on one side of a debate from the
viewpoint of an assigned character.
Context:
This curriculum unit on the United States Constitutional Convention is for sixth grade
students in the Hartford public school system. It requires 5 80-minute long periods. Students
will start the week with a basic introduction to the topic as the teacher will give them some
background information on the Convention and they will watch brief clips of a movie. They will
also do some research on their own in which they are supplied with materials including book
chapters and articles and are asked to read about a specific topic and then discuss in groups. The
group work will involve small group discussions on a common topic and then intermixing groups
in the format of Jigsaw II so that they students will be able to share their expertise and learn
about the other topics. They will also be given more information on researching and different
research skills and sources which will help them to prepare for the final day which is the mock
Constitutional Convention. Overall, this curriculum exposes students to new information, new
methods of research, a creative outlet to express what they have learned, and the opportunity to
discuss and debate with their classmates.
Objectives:
The following objects have been carefully chosen based on some of the guidelines provided by
the Connecticut Social Studies Curriculum Framework for grades PK-12, provided by the
Connecticut State Department of Education.
1. Students will gain a general understanding of the United States Constitutional
Convention.
This objective is based on the first Social Studies standard based on Content Knowledge
which emphasizes the importance of “knowledge of concepts and information from history and
social studies”1 for understanding our nation. Our purpose is to provide students with the
background information that they need so that they might be able to truly understand and discuss
different aspects of this historical time and event. They will also take the basic knowledge that
they have learned and apply in different discussions and situations.
2. Students will investigate different aspects of colonial culture and collaborate in groups to
demonstrate gained knowledge.
The purpose of this objective is so that students will gain a broader perspective on the
time by thoroughly understanding what colonial life was like. In order to gain a deeper
understanding of what was going on in the minds of the political leaders at the Convention, they
would need to know more about the social structure and cultural influence. They will understand
what daily life is like for people in the colonial times which will provide them with a deeper
appreciation for why they fought for the things they did and made the decisions they made.
3. Students will interpret varying viewpoints.
This objective is based on the Social Studies Standard 3.2 which states that students will
be able to “analyze and evaluate human action in historical and/or contemporary contexts from
alternative points of view.”2 This gives students a bit more perspective on the arguments of
opposing sides rather than simply learning about the side that won and what resulted from it. We
1
“Social Studies Content Standard.” The Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards,
p. 5. Connecticut State Department of Education. <http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/
socialstudies/ssfrmwk_10-6-09.pdf>
2
“Social Studies Content Standard 3: Application.” The Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular Goals
and Standards, p. 26. Connecticut State Department of Education. <http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/
curriculum/socialstudies/ssfrmwk_10-6-09.pdf>
feel that in social studies and history classes, students often are only exposed to one side of an
argument or debate, and always the side that won, so we found it important to give students a
better idea of the multitude of ideas and opinions that surround every debate our country has had
in history. With this concept in mind, students will be able to move forward in the future
knowing how such resolutions came about and how compromises were made.
4. Students will argue in favor of one viewpoint.
This objective is based on the Social Studies Standards 2 which specifies a “competence
in literacy, inquiry and research skills” necessary to “analyze, evaluate and present history and
social studies information.”3 Specifically, Standard 2.2 in which students will be able to
“interpret information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including electronic
media” and Standard 2.4 which states that students will “demonstrate an ability to participate in
social studies discourse through informed discussion, debate and effective oral presentation.”4 In
doing this, students will have to interpret the research that they did and present it in a creative
fashion. This gives them the opportunity to internalize a point of view that they might not
necessarily understand or agree with but will have to find the support and dedication to stand by
it. In the end, they will be able to empathize for other groups and find key points in both
arguments that might help to strengthen their own ideas and opinions.
5. Students will gain competence in conducting research.
3
“Social Studies Content Standard 2.2: History/Social Studies Literacy.” The Connecticut Framework:
K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards, p. 21. Connecticut State Department of Education. <http://
www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/socialstudies/ssfrmwk_10-6-09.pdf>
4
“Social Studies Content Standard 2.4: History/Social Studies Literacy.” The Connecticut Framework:
K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards, p. 21. Connecticut State Department of Education. <http://
www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/socialstudies/ssfrmwk_10-6-09.pdf>
This objective is based on the Social Studies Standard 2.1 which states that students will
be able to “access and gather information from a variety of primary and secondary sources
including electronic media.”5 The importance of this objective is to give students the skills and
knowledge that they need to successfully do research on their own. Sixth graders have likely had
exposure to computers and internet sources before, but are at an important age at which the basic
skills of internet use are very valuable. Students will apply this knowledge to research done on a
basic subject. As they get older and continue their education, the ability to properly and
effectively do research will be very advantageous to them.
Activities:
Day 1:
The first day of the curriculum will consist of giving the students a general idea of what
occurred at the Constitutional Convention. The teacher will start the class by asking the students
various questions about the United States’ constitution to gauge how much they may or may not
know already. The conversation should be driven by the teacher asking questions like, “What is a
constitution?” or “What rights does the United States’ constitution spell out for its citizens?” The
focus of the curriculum is not necessarily what is in the constitution but more about what
occurred and was discussed at the Convention. So, since the period is only 80 minutes and the
first day’s activity is watching a movie, the teacher should keep this group discussion to about 20
minutes or less.
5
“Social Studies Content Standard 2.1: History/Social Studies Literacy.” The Connecticut Framework:
K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards, p. 20. Connecticut State Department of Education. <http://
www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/socialstudies/ssfrmwk_10-6-09.pdf>
Once the discussion is complete the teacher should introduce the movie the students will
be watching for the remainder of the class period. “1776” is a film, made in 1972, based off the
Broadway musical of the same name. The movie is a fun way of giving the students a general
overview of what occurred at the Convention rather than having them listen to the teacher lecture
for an hour about the facts. The movie is 142 minutes, just over two hours. There is only one
class period allotted for watching the film so the teacher should fast forward through the musical
numbers and any parts not affiliated with the events at the Constitutional Convention.
At the end of the class period the teacher will hand out a homework assignment based of
the movie the students just watched. The worksheet will be basic questions about what they
viewed in the film about the Convention. Example questions are “Who were the main characters
at the Convention? (Name at least four)” and “What do you think was most important to the
colonists about what was written in the United States’ Constitution?” The worksheet will be due
at the start of the class the next day.
Day 2:
The activities of Day 2 are meant to give the students an idea of what life was like for the
colonists. The information the students gain from their work on this day will help them develop
their characters for the mock debate on Day 5. Of course there are many aspects of the colonial
period that can be studied but for this curriculum we are going to focus on fashion, family
structure and arts. The teacher will break the students up into three groups. Since this curriculum
is not based off any type of tracking, the teacher should group the students as randomly as
possible but keep in mind which students work well or not together.
The first thirty minutes of the period will be spent by each group reading and discussing
their specific topic. Prior to the start of class the teacher will have broken up the classroom into
three areas. At each station will be short articles or books about each topic for the students to
utilize. For example, at the table where the fashion group will be discussing they will be given a
book “Colonial America (Costume and Fashion Source Books) by Deirdre Steer and Amela
Baksic. The students will have a half hour to glean through the articles or books and find several
points of interest.
Once the thirty minutes is up, the students will be regrouped. This time the teacher will
create several groups ensuring that each group has one or two members from each original group
(fashion, family structure and arts). The teacher will explain to the students that the next half
hour should be used to discuss the interesting points they each found in their original groups. It
should also be made clear to the students that at the end of the half hour they will be asked to
write out facts or points of interest they have learned during their group discussions. Basically,
students will be explaining to one another what they read about in the previous half hour.
At the end of the class period, when there is only about twenty minutes left, the teacher
will hand out an assessment to the children. The sheet will be blank except for three headings
which will say: Fashion, Family Structure and Arts. The instructions will tell them to write at
least two things they’ve learned about each topic under their heading. All papers must be handed
in by the end of the period.
Day 3:
The viewing of “1776” on the first day gives the students a general look at the
Constitutional Convention but the third day of the curriculum will be spent providing more facts
about the viewpoints shared by the representatives at the Convention. The teacher will lecture for
the first hour of the class. The heart of the lecture will be spent on the several different proposals
of how the government should be set up. At the Constitutional Convention there were three main
proposals: the New Jersey plan, the Virginia plan and the Connecticut Compromise. Once each
of these proposals has been full explained the teacher will divide the class into three groups.
Each group will be given twenty minutes to review what each plan proposed. To help guide the
students, the teacher will hand out a worksheet that outlines what the students should discuss.
For example, “Which states would benefit most from this plan?” and “What did the plan entail?”
At the end of class the teacher will give out the character assignments to the students. The
character they are assigned will be based off which groups they were put into at the end of class.
So, a student in the Virginia Plan group will be assigned the character of Edmund Randolph and
a student in the Connecticut Compromise will be assigned the character of Roger Sherman. Since
every delegate who attended the convention may not fit perfectly into each group, they will be
assigned based off which proposal they supported.
Day 4:
Depending on how the school is structured this class period may need to take place in a
designated computer lounge. Class will begin on this day with the teacher spending 20 minutes
demonstrating how to use various search engines to do research. The students will then be asked
to spend the next hour researching their character. The teacher should indicate to the children that
what they want to research not only the opinion of their character but also details of the
character’s life (how they dressed, if they were married, etc). A handout will be given that has
guiding questions for the students to follow during their research. This should help the students
hone in on what they are to be looking for. The students’ assignment for homework is to prepare
for a mock Constitutional Convention the following day in class.
Day 5:
The final day of the curriculum will be spent having a mock Constitutional Convention.
Students will be expected to show up dressed and behaving as their character. The first thirty
minutes will be spent discussing various topics argued about at the original convention. Students
will be expected to engage other students in discussion as their character. After the first half hour,
the rest of the mock delegation will be spent arguing how the government should be structured.
During this portion the teacher will take detailed notes of how students are participating. At the
end of the debate the teacher will declare a mock winner and all students will be given their final
grade for the unit.
Evaluation:
The grading for this unit will be based on Preparation, Participation, Understanding, and
Creativity. Assessment will be one on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being the best a student can receive.
In order to earn a 5 on Preparation, students will need to demonstrate that they used the research
day appropriately and have multiple, relevant resources which they used in the development of
their character’s argument. Participation will be based off of how often they speak in class and
how well they articulate their ideas, both during the discussions and the debate. As long as they
speak often and persuasively, they will earn a 5. The most important aspect of the assessment is
the Understanding portion. This ties back to the main theme of the curriculum which is to gain a
better perspective of the varying viewpoints of the time. To earn a 5 for Understanding, the
student simply needs to show a complete understanding of the character’s viewpoint. The last
section of the assessment is for Creativity. This is an opportunity for students who don’t do as
well when it comes to written tests and assignments but can shine when given a creative outlet to
express themselves and their ideas. To earn a 5 in Creativity, the student needs to show an
interesting and unique interpretation and presentation of their character. On Day 2 we care more
about the students having discussions that genuinely interest them based off the facts they are
reading about in the articles and books. So, at the end of that class there will be a short written
assignment that is not necessarily an evaluation but more an insurance that there was discussion
going on in the groups. The students final grade for the week will be based off the completion of
the group discussions and performance in the mock Constitutional Convention.