CKHG Unit 8: The United States Constitution
Focus:
This unit explores the creation and central ideas of the United States Constitution. Students learn how the Founding Fathers, confronted by the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, worked to form a new government following America’s independence from England.
Led by the thinking of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, delegates at the Constitutional Convention grappled with several critical issues. They focused on defining the power of the central government and determining how that government should be structured, giving states fair representation regardless of their population, balancing power between the central government and the states, and dealing with the divisive issue of slavery. Students learn why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution, and they explore reasons why the Constitution has survived as the guiding document of government in the United States. Some lessons present primary source documents and additional activities examining key principles of the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Much of the content of this unit is tied to the “Pathway to Citizenship,” an array of civics-focused knowledge, questions, and activities.
Number of Lessons: 10
Instruction Time:
45 minutes (Each lesson may be divided into shorter segments.)
Additional Search Terms:
social studies • geography • civics • map skills • nonfiction • informational text • Declaration of Independence • Shay’s Rebellion • George Washington • three branches of government: executive, legislative, judicial • Supreme Court • checks and balances • separation of powers • republican government • “Three-Fifths” Compromise • Preamble to the Constitution • “We the people” • Federalist Papers
