Lesson 6.1 “Our Constitutions” Unit 6: Establishing Government

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Lesson 6.1

Lesson 6.1 “Our Constitutions”

Unit 6: Establishing Government

Lesson Objectives

Lesson Competencies

• Students will participate in

creating a class constitution and

discuss connections with the U.S.

Constitution.

• I can initiate and sustain a focused

discussion. (ELA 7)

• Students will listen to literature

about writing the U.S.

Constitution and answer

questions about key aspects of its

creation.

• I can interpret the narrator’s point of

view and summarize key events.

(ELA 2)

•

Students will investigate the

anatomy of the U.S. Constitution

through an infographic and

worksheet.

•

I can locate relevant key ideas using

text features, including visual and

graphic information, to make

connections within or across sources

and explain how various parts of

information contribute to overall

meaning. (ELA 3)

• Students will produce a timeline

comparing the creation of the

U.S. and N.H. Constitutions.

• I can analyze, use, and construct

timelines to explain how events are

related chronologically to each other

and to explain probable causes and

effects of events and developments.

(Moose SS)

Essential

Questions

How have New Hampshire’s people shaped its government?

Focus

Questions

What is a constitution?

Estimated

Time

Two or three 40-minute class sessions

Materials &

Equipment

Poster board or other way of recording class constitution

Class set of “What Is a Constitution? Literature Connections” worksheet

Recommended literature about writing the U.S. Constitution (see

“Supporting Materials,” p. 7 of this Educator Guide)

“The Constitution of the United States” infographic

for projection or

distribution

Class set of “Anatomy of a Constitution” worksheet

Class set of “Our Constitutions Timeline” worksheet

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Lesson 6.1

Educator Introduction & Rationale

Once Americans declared their independence from Great Britain and began fighting the

Revolutionary War, they had the monumental task of creating a new form of

government, one that was run by the people, at the local, state, and federal levels. This

new form of government needed to balance order and liberty. The people set about

writing constitutions, written documents that explain the social contract the people make

with the government, saying what the government can and cannot do. Constitutions limit

the power of government through specifying and making public the government’s

powers. The U.S. Constitution was completed and ratified in 1788 and came into effect

the following year, while the N.H. Constitution took effect in 1784. Development of these

constitutions took years and still today can be changed when the people deem

amendments necessary.

This is the first lesson in Unit 6: Establishing Government and introduces students to

constitutions. Understanding the backbone of the foundational principles of the nation is

essential and accessible for elementary students; these foundational principles are

explored in lesson 6.2: The Ideas of Our Government. First, though, students must

comprehend the power of agreeing to and writing down the organization and laws for a

nation and making them public.

In this lesson, students first develop a class constitution to make connections between

public rules for the classroom and rules for the state and country. How the U.S.

Constitution came into being is explored through literature, then students investigate the

anatomy of the U.S. Constitution. Students next create a timeline comparing the N.H.

Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, then circle back around to the class constitution

to discuss amending this document. Please adapt all the material in this lesson, as

necessary, to meet the needs of the students in your classroom. Please note, lesson

vocabulary and definitions are at the end of the document. You may wish to preview

these with your students.

A reinforcement activity invites students to illustrate selected amendments to the U.S.

Constitution. Two extension activities broaden students’ ideas about constitutions

through comparing the class constitution with a school-wide constitution and further

investigating various amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

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Lesson 6.1

Learning Activity

Activation

Creating a constitution. Ask students what the classroom would

look, sound, and feel like if there were no rules. Record their answers

as brainstorming. As students progress with their ideas, transition to

discuss why classroom rules are developed: to create a learning

environment that benefits all students and so that everyone, students

and teachers, know what is expected of them and feels safe.

What rules are necessary for such a learning environment? In a

separate space, brainstorm class rules with students, ensuring that

you reflect and add your own as well.

Teaching tip: If you have created class rules at the beginning of the

year, take this opportunity to revisit them. What is working as a class

rule? What should be changed, added, subtracted? Does anything

need to be rewritten? Alternatively, instead of revising your classroom

rules, consider enlarging the brainstorm to consider what rules are

necessary for a school to create a more beneficial learning

environment. Have students propose school rules that reflect your

classroom values.

Encourage a robust list of rules with specificity. Go beyond “Be

respectful” to include what that looks like, sounds like, and feels like.

Help students combine rules that aim for similar goals and consider

rules that will help students see the connection to a country’s

constitution, like rules for interacting with other classes or

administrators or who is responsible for what in the classroom. This

discussion might be part of a few class periods so that students have

time to consider their ideas.

Discussing the constitution. When you have a list of rules that has

gone through some revisions, have each student mark with a star or

other symbol the three rules they feel are most important. Complete

your discussion of which rules to include and which to exclude in a

final draft, then write them on a poster board. Do not yet include a

title. Have students sign their names signifying their agreement to

follow the class rules.

Discuss the process of creating class rules and connect it with our

country’s constitution. Possible questions to guide discussion:

• Who created these rules?

• Do we have to follow them? Why?

• Did we all agree on all of the rules? If not, does that mean that

people can pick and choose which rules to follow?

• If we get a new student in our classroom, should they have to

follow our classroom contract? Why?

• If after a while, we find that one of the rules isn’t working very

well or that we forgot to include a rule, what should we do?

• What should happen if someone breaks the rules?

• As a class, we have class rules. What about the school? The

town? The state and country?

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Lesson 6.1

Project the definition of “constitution” and label your class rules “Class

Constitution.” Discuss with students that each of the state

governments and the federal government have their own

constitutions. The process by which those constitutions were

developed was very similar, though much lengthier and more

complex, to the process the class used to create the classroom

constitution.

Direct

Instruction &

Discussion

Literature about writing the U.S. Constitution. In 1787, the

states sent delegates to Philadelphia to help write the U.S.

Constitution. John Langdon and Nicholas Gilman represented New

Hampshire at the convention. This is a pivotal summer in U.S. history,

and students will study its complex problems many times over their

career. Using literature to help them imagine and understand the

issues makes the history more approachable.

Select a book about the writing of the U.S. Constitution and distribute

copies of “What Is a Constitution? Literature Connections.” Preview

the questions with students before beginning the book. See

“Supporting Materials,” page 7 of this Educator Guide, for

recommended literature about writing the U.S. Constitution. Students

should complete the questions as you read, then discuss them in

groups or as a class to review.

Teaching tip: These books cover the writing of the U.S. Constitution,

most of them from the end of the Revolutionary War and failure of the

Articles of Confederation to the passage of the Bill of Rights. As such,

they contain aspects of all lessons in Unit 6: Establishing Government.

Consider whether to read the entire book and complete questions with

your students now in lesson 6.1 or to pick and choose parts of the

book to use with various unit 6 lessons. Alternatively, read one of

these books at the end of the unit as review.

Student

Reading

The U.S. Constitution. As an alternative, or as a supplement, to the

Direct Instruction reading activity, direct students to read Unit 6,

Learn It! “

The Path to the U.S. Constitution,” pages 1-7. Students may

also benefit from using these pages while they complete “What is a

Constitution? Literature Connections.”

Guided Practice

Anatomy of a Constitution. Distribute copies of the “Anatomy of a

Constitution” worksheet and print out or project “The Constitution of

the United States”

infographic. Students can work together to

complete worksheet.

Teaching tip: The infographic “The Constitution of the United States”

describes the organization of the U.S. Constitution, but it does not

contain all information needed for the worksheet. Students may need

guidance with completion of the worksheet as it requires background

knowledge.

Independence

Practice

A timeline of the constitutions. Tell students that the writing of

state constitutions happened during the time the U.S. Constitution

was being written because states wanted their own governments

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Lesson 6.1

established as well. Distribute copies of the “Timeline of the

Constitutions” and give students time to complete the timeline and

questions.

Student

Reading

The N.H. State Constitution. Before beginning Independent

Practice, direct students to read Unit 6, Learn It! “N.H. State

Constitution,” pages 2-9.

Independent

Practice &

Reflection

Amending our constitution. Neither the state constitutions nor the

U.S. Constitutions have remained unchanged. As the world changes

and we view our country and our people differently, government

needs to adapt. When this happens, we have not given up on our

founding documents. Instead, representatives have said, how can we

fix this? How can we make it better? Discuss with students what they

think happens when we need to change our constitutions.

Possible responses:

• Both documents have in place systems for amending, or

changing them.

• These processes involve passing changes by both legislative

houses and by the people.

• The U.S. Constitution was amended almost immediately, when

the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments, was added in

1791.

• There are now a total of 27 amendments.

• The N.H. Constitution was also amended soon after it was

legalized and underwent revisions in 1791–92.

• The N.H. Constitution has been changed in more than 200

places over 29 different constitutional conventions! Some of

these changes are significant, while some are merely wording

changes.

• Make the connection with students about revision to their own

writing. Everyone needs to go back and make changes, even

the U.S. government!

• Project “Changes to Our Constitutions” to give students

examples of amendments and revisions. Discuss together as a

class.

Now that students have had a chance to learn more about the U.S.

Constitution, offer the class an opportunity to revisit the class

constitution created at the beginning of the lesson. Just as the U.S.

and N.H. Constitutions have been amended over the years as our

country has grown and changed, are there any changes they would

like to make to the class constitution?

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Lesson 6.1

Reinforcement

1. Illustrating the constitutional amendments. Distribute

copies of the “Illustrating the Amendments to the Constitution”

worksheet. Answer any questions students have about the

meaning of them, then ask students to complete the worksheet

illustrating each of the amendments. If they could add an

amendment, what would they add?

Extension

1. School-wide constitution. Have students consider how the

process and the result of creating a classroom constitution

might look different if they were to create a constitution for the

entire school. Each of the original 13 states had their own

constitutions and the United States as a nation created a

federal constitution as well. Compare this to each of the

classrooms in your school having their own constitutions and

then your school as a whole also having a constitution. What

would this process be like? Give students the questions below

and time to think them through and respond individually or as

a group.

• Why would there be a need for classrooms (states) to have

their own constitutions in addition to the school (United

States)?

• Each of the classrooms in the school has unique needs and

interests like each of our states. How would some of the

rules look different for kindergarteners and fifth graders

who have different needs and responsibilities?

• How might the process work to create these constitutions?

• What might be included in the school constitution that’s not

in the class constitutions? What about in the class

constitutions but not in the school constitutions?

2. Changing our constitutions. Provide students with the

information in “Changing Our Constitutions” worksheet. Have

students choose an amendment or change to one of the

constitutions to investigate further. What are the details about

these changes? Why were these changes made? If using the

internet, take care to curtail internet use to appropriate

websites.

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Lesson 6.1

Supporting Materials

Literature about writing the U.S. Constitution:

• Lynne Cheney, We the People: The Story of Our Constitution (2008)

Beautiful illustrations accompany lyrical text about the people of the convention

and the writing of the U.S. Constitution. Relevant quotes on each page connect to

historical context. Focuses on big ideas, includes source notes at the end to give

details.

• Jean Fritz, Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution (1987)

A complete survey of the Constitutional Convention through ratification of the Bill

of Rights. Text-heavy with engaging illustrations by New Hampshire artist Tomie

dePaola. Fun tidbits of trivia throughout with historical notes and the text of the

U.S. Constitution at the end. Best to use with guiding questions to help students

organize information.

• Elizabeth Levy, If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution (1987)

A thorough look at the historical context of the writing of the U.S. Constitution.

Seventy-eight pages with a lot of text, but upper-elementary language and

organized around guiding questions. Possible to pick and choose topics to read.

Engaging information about delegates and convention background.

• Betsy and Giulio Maestro, A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution

(1987)

Easiest read with shortest text and most engaging illustrations. Upper elementary

language with accessible summary of historical context and big ideas of the

convention. Additional information and interesting facts included at the end.

iCivics, “Anatomy of the Constitution,” www.icivics.org/teachers/lesson-plans/anatomy-

constitution

N.H. Constitution, www.nh.gov/glance/constitution.htm

U.S. Constitution, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution

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Lesson 6.1

Standards

“Moose on the Loose” Content:

 Students will understand that after the revolution, the United States of America

established a federal government; colonies established state governments. They

will understand that the New Hampshire State Constitution established the basic

structure of government for the state and created laws to protect the people and

interests of the state. (3-5.T3.2)

“Moose on the Loose” Skills:

 Gathering, Interpreting, and Using Evidence (3-5.S1.1)

 Effective Historical Thinking (3-5.S3.1)

 Understanding and Participating in Government (3-5.S6.1, 3-5.S6.2)

New Hampshire Social Studies Frameworks:

 Civics and Governments: The Nature and Purpose of Government (SS:CV:4:1.1)

 Civics and Governments: Structure and Function of United States and New

Hampshire Government (SS:CV:4:2.1)

 Civics and Governments: Rights and Responsibilities (SS:CV:4:4.1)

NCSS Themes:

 Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change

 Theme 6: Power, Authority, and Governance

C3 Frameworks:

 Construction Compelling Questions (D1.1.3-5)

 Civic and Political Institutions (D2.Civ.3.3-5, D2.Civ.4.3-5, D2.Civ.5.3-5)

 Participation and Deliberation (D2.Civ.7.3-5, D2.Civ.8.3-5, D2.Civ.9.3-5)

 Processes, Rules, and Laws (D2.Civ.11.3-5, D2.Civ.12.3-5)

 Change, Continuity, and Context (D2.His.1.3-5, D2.His.3.3-5)

 Perspectives (D2.His.4.3-5)

Common Core ELA:

 Key Ideas and Details in Reading Literature (RL.4.1, RL.4.3)

 Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity in Informational Text (RI.4.10)

 Phonics and Word Recognition in Foundational Skills (RF.4.3)

 Comprehension and Collaboration in Speaking and Listening (SL.4.1)

 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use (L.4.4, L.4.4a, L.4.4b, L.4.6)

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Lesson 6.1

Lesson Vocabulary

amend

(verb) To revise or change

article

(noun) A part or piece of something

bill of rights

(noun) A document that contains a list of freedoms to protect; in the

U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments

branch of

government

(noun) A section of government with its own purpose; the U.S.

government has three sections of the government with different

responsibilities that support each other to create, examine, and

enforce laws

constitution

(noun) A document laying out the rules for how a government will

work

executive

(adjective) Describing the person or branch of government who puts

plans and laws into effect

federal

(adjective) The central government of a group of states; the U.S.

federal government is in Washington, D.C.

government

(noun) A group of people that have the power to make and carry out

laws for a community

judicial

(adjective) Describing the people or branch of government that

decides if laws are fair

legislative

(adjective) Describing the people or branch of government that

makes laws

preamble

(noun) Introduction

representative

democracy

(noun) When a group of people select someone to communicate

their views and make laws for them

ratify

(verb) To make legal by signing or giving permission