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››Lesson Plans (continued)
“We the People”
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Grade Levels: 3-6
Academic Standards: Academic Standards for Civics and Government 5.1
Submitted by: Cindy Munch, a fifth-grade teacher at Irving Elementary School in the Erie City School District.
It was adapted for use in this guide by Bucks County attorney Harry Cooper.
The purpose of the lesson is to identify the basic ideas of government as identified in the preamble to the U.S.
Constitution. This lesson was adapted from the “We the People” curriculum of the Center for Civic Education. Free classroom sets of these materials are available. Visit www.leap-kids.com/programs/pennwtp_req.php for more information.
Materials:
Dictionaries
Copies of the preambles to the U.S. Constitution and the Pennsylvania Constitution (included handout)
“School House Rock” video – “America Rocks!” (if available)
Preamble Scramble Student Handout
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Procedure:
Have students watch the video (if available) and examine a copy of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. If no video is
available, dramatically read the preamble aloud. Highlight words that may be unfamiliar to the students. Divide the students into six groups and assign each group a portion of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution to study and a dictionary to
help them figure out the meaning of the words. Ask each group to answer
the following questions regarding its portion of the preamble:
1. What does the part mean? Give an example.
2. Why is it important?
3. What does it have to do with protecting your rights and freedoms?
4. What does it have to do with your world and your responsibility?
5. Can you find the same wording in the preamble to the Pennsylvania
Constitution?
The Pennsylvania preamble only shares Group 6’s “ordain and
establish this Constitution” language. It contains specific religious
language not found in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
Closing:
If time, distribute the Preamble Scramble handout. Discussion for the
entire class: The first three words of both constitutions are the same –
“We the People.” Many people think those are the most important words in
both constitutions. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
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The Preambles of the United States & Pennsylvania
Constitutions Student Handout
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Preamble to the United States Constitution
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Preamble to the Pennsylvania Constitution
“We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”
(end box)
Student Group #1
Student Group #4
We the People of the United States, in Order to
form a more perfect Union…
…promote the general Welfare…
Student Group #5
Student Group #2
…establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility…
…and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity…
Student Group #6
Student Group #3
…provide for the common defence…
…do ordain and establish this Constitution for
the United States of America.
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Preamble Scramble Student Handout
Directions: Working in groups, cut out the phrases as boxed below. The phrases come from both the United States and
Pennsylvania constitutions. Reorder the phrases to spell out both the United States Constitution and the Pennsylvania
Constitution.
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,
We the People of the United States
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty
promote the general Welfare,
and humbly invoking His guidance,
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
in Order to form a more perfect Union,
do ordain and establish this Constitution.
provide for the common defence
We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
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