Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By:StevenAlfieri
Title:TheUnitedStatesConsitution
GradeLevel:8thGrade
Subject:SocialStudies
BigIdeas:limitedgovernment,republicanism,checksandbalances,federalism,separationofpowers,popularsoveignty
EssentialQuestions:WhatisthesignificanceofthekeyideasintheconsitutionhistoricallyandforAmericanstoday?
Whatisboththegovernmentsandcitizensroleingovernment?
Howshouldpowerbedividedwithinthegovernment?
StudentswillKnow:Thecoreconceptsoftheconsitutionandidentfytheirrelationshiptoitscentralideasanddebatethecore
constitutionalprinciplesastheyrelatetotoday'spoliticalissues.
StudentswillUnderstand:ThemajorideasandframeworkofhowtheUnitedStatesgovernmentisstructuredandthesignificanceof
theconstitution.
StudentswillDo:MappingtheConsitutionstext,learningaboutthefoundingfathers,identifyingtheconsitutionssixmainconcepts,
analyzeprimarysources,debatingtheideasintheconstitution.
ResearchBasedInstructionalStrategies:Researchingonlinetextualinformation
Materials/Resources/Websites:Constitution,BackgroundinformationonFoundingFathers(online),Copiesofprimarysources
4handouts,http://www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education/constitution/
MultipleAssessmentsandRubrics:Handouts,GraphicOrganizers,Discussion
MercyhurstUniversityLessonPlan
PreserviceTeacher__StevenAlfieri_____________
th
School/Grade_ParkerMiddleSchool/8
Grade
CooperatingTeacher___MrLaser
____________
DateReceived__________DateReviewed_________
(CooperatingTeacherInitialsRequired)
LessonTitle__
OrientationtotheConsitutionMappingtheText
TeachingTime__
90minutes
______
LessonConcept:Studentswillbeabletounderstandtheconstitutionasatextualhistoricaldocument,anddeterminehowmuchofthe
overallprojectwasdedicatedtoeachstructureorpower
Standards: 8.1.8.B:Compareandcontrastahistoricalevent,usingmultiplepointsofviewfromprimaryandsecondarysources.
8.3.8.B:Evaluatetheimportanceofhistoricaldocuments,artifactsandplacescriticaltoUnitedStateshistory.
Objectives
(Stateinmeasurabletermswhatthestudentsshould/willbeabletodoasa
resultofthelesson.)SeeBloomWheel.
Assessments
(Theassessmentshouldclearlystatehowstudentachievementofobjectivewill
bemeasured.)SeeBloomWheel.
1.Studentswillbeabletounderstandtheconstitutionasa
documentandidentifythemakeupofitsstructureasa
manuscript
1.Studentswillfilloutahandouttodeterminethenumberof
wordscontainedineacharitcleoftheconstitutionandwhatthey
represent.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Materials:DigitalandPhysicalCopiesoftheGraphicOrganizerHandout
AnticipatorySetWhattopicsdoyouthinkaremostimportantintheConstitution?
ActivatingPriorKnowledge:WhatdoyouknowinitiallyabouttheUnitedStatesConstitution?
Adaptations:Givingthestudentwithadaptationsthehandoutaheadoftimebeforeclass
Procedure:
TeacherActions
1. IntroducetheSixBigIdeaswhichunderpinthe
Constitution.Limitedgovernment,republicanism,checks
andbalances,federalism,separationofpowers,popular
soveignty
StudentActions
1. StudentswilllistenandtakenotesonthesixBigideasin
theconstitution
2. Introducethetablehandouttodeterminethenumberof
mainideascontainedineacharticleoftheconstitution
3. Studentswillcompletethehandoutbyidentifyingthe
numberofwordsandthepercentagebreakdownand
contentoftheconstitution
3. Havethestudentscompletethehandoutbywritinginthe
percentagesofthewholeConstitutionthatisdedicatedto
eacharticle
4. Studentswillanswerquestionsandconverseinclass
discussion
4. Classdiscussiontoanalyzethemapandaddressquestions
etc
2. Studentswilllistentotheinstructionsabouthowto
completethetablegraphicorganizer
etc
Closure:WhichtopicsreceivedthemostattentionintheConstitution?Doesthemapsuggesthypothesesabouttherelativeimportance
tothefoundersofthepowersofthenewgovernment?Towhatextentdothepowersofeachbranchofgovernmentdisplayedinthe
mapmatchhowthefederalgovernmentworkstoday?
AdditionalConceptRelatedActivity:LinktheseconceptstotheIntroducingoftheFoundingFathersandhowthesewordsrepresent
theirideas.
MercyhurstUniversityLessonPlan
PreserviceTeacher_
StevenAlfieri
_________
th
School/GradeParkerMiddleSchool/8
Grade
CooperatingTeacher
Mr.Laser
DateReceived__________DateReviewed_________
(CooperatingTeacherInitialsRequired)
LessonTitleIntroductingtheFounders
TeachingTime
45minutes
LessonConcept:Researchinformationaboutthefoundersthemselvestoaidintheunderstandingoftheconstiutionandhowthe
governmentsystemwascreated.
Standards: 8.3.8.A:Examinetherolegroupsandindividualsplayedinthesocial,political,cultural,andeconomicdevelopmentof
theUnitedStates.
8.3.8.C:SummarizehowcontinuityandchangehaveimpactedU.S.history
8.3.8.D:Examinehowconflictandcooperationamonggroupsandorganizationshaveimpactedthegrowthand
developmentoftheU.S.
Objectives
(Stateinmeasurabletermswhatthestudentsshould/willbeabletodoasa
resultofthelesson.)SeeBloomWheel.
Assessments
(Theassessmentshouldclearlystatehowstudentachievementofobjectivewill
bemeasured.)SeeBloomWheel.
1.Studentswillbeabletoidentifywhothefoundingfatherswere
andundesrtandthegovernmenttheycreated.
1.Studentswilleachcompleteaprofilehandoutofthefounding
fatheroftheichoicwhicheachstudenthavingadifferent
individualtoresearch.
Materials:Onlinenationalarchiveswebsitethathasinformationoneachfoundingfather,socialnetworkhandout
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html
AnticipatorySetExplainhowthefoundingfathersviewsandideasconnectwiththeconstitution.
ActivatingPriorKnowledge:Whatdoyouknowabouttheofundingfatherspriortoresearchingthem?
Adaptations:Givestudentswhoneedadaptationsthefoundingfatherinformationpriortoclassandletthemresearchthereindividual
beforehand
Procedure:
TeacherActions
1. Introducewhythefoundingfathersareimportantto
UnitedStatesHistoryandhowtheirpersonalrelationships
wereimportanttofarneraconsensusforspecific
proposalstobeincludedintheconstitution.
2. Assigneachstudentafoundingfatherandgiveeach
studentasocialprofilehandouttocompletefromthe
onlinewebresource
3. Afterstudentscompletetheprofileandlikessectionon
Handout2,postthemonthewall.Studentswillthen
StudentActions
1. Studentswilllistentotheteacherandmakeconnections
withtheimpactthatthefoundingfathersmadeonthe
UnitedStates.
2. Studentswillcompletethesocialprofilehandoutby
researchingontheonlinewebsiteabouttheirspecific
foundingfather
3. Studentswillcompletethefinalportionofthehandoutby
comparingtheviewpointsoftheirfoundingfatherwith
otherstomakeconnections.
browsetheotherprofilestodeterminewhowouldlikely
be"friends"withtheirassignedFounder,thenfilloutthe
Friendssectionofthehandout.
4.
etc
4.
etc
Closure:Theteacherwilldiscusswhatthestudentslearnedaboutthefoundingfathersandhowindividualsstillmadeconnections
todayliketheydidbackinhistory.
AdditionalConceptRelatedActivity:Connectthefoundingfatherstotheconstitutionandthesixbigideas
MercyhurstUniversityLessonPlan
PreserviceTeacher
StevenAlfieri
th
School/GradeParkerMiddleSchool/8
Grade
CooperatingTeacher
Mr.Laser
DateReceived__________DateReviewed_________
(CooperatingTeacherInitialsRequired)
LessonTitle
OutliningtheConstitutionsSixBigIdeas
LessonConcept:
TeachingTime
45minutes
Standards:CC.8.5.68.D:Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinatext,includingvocabularyspecificto
domainsrelatedtohistory/socialstudies.
1.1.6.C:UseMeaningandknowledgeofwords(e.g.,rootwords,literalmeanings,idioms,commonforeignwords)across
contentareastoexpandreadingvocabulary
Objectives
(Stateinmeasurabletermswhatthestudentsshould/willbeabletodoasa
Assessments
(Theassessmentshouldclearlystatehowstudentachievementofobjectivewill
resultofthelesson.)SeeBloomWheel.
1.Studentswillanalyzethetextoftheconstitutiontoidentify
specificexamplesoftheSixBigIdeasintheconstitutionitself.
Limitedgovernment,republicanism,checksandbalances,
federalism,separationofpowers,popularsoveignty
bemeasured.)SeeBloomWheel.
1.Studentswillcompleteahandoutthatsummarizesthe
vocabularywordsinquotesthattheyfindwithintheconstitution.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Materials:OnlineCopyoftheConstitution,SixBigIdeasGraphicOrganizer
AnticipatorySetReferbacktopriorlessonsandquestionthestudentsaboutwhateachofthewordsmeansasarefreshertocheck
forunderstanding
ActivatingPriorKnowledge:Askthestudentsifanyofthefoundingfathersrelatestotheseconceptsandwhichideatheysupported
Adaptations:Icouldgivethevocabularyandcopiesofthehandoutstostudentspriortothelesson.
Procedure:
TeacherActions
1. Dividethestudentsintosixgroupswitheachgroup
assignedaBigIdeavocabularyword
2. Providetheelectroniccopyoftheconstitutionandhave
thestudentsfilloutthehandoutwiththequotefromthe
consitutionanditslocationsthatshowanexampleofthe
StudentActions
1. Studentswillfollowtheteachersdirections
2. Studentswillresearchthroughouttheconstitutionfora
quotethatusetheideawithingtheirvocabularywordand
summarizethequotetosharewiththeclass
assignedBigIdeainaction,whilerefrazingthequotein
theirownwords
3. Eachgroupwillsharetheirexampleswiththeclass
3. Studentswillsharetheirexampleswiththecalssandwrite
downtheexamplesfromotherstudents
4.
etc
Closure:Discusswithstudentswhyunderstandingvocabularyandlocatingideasintextareimportantandhowtheseideasarewithin
theconstitution.
AdditionalConceptRelatedActivity:Showstudentshowthesewordswillrelatetothedebateforthenextclass.
MercyhurstUniversityLessonPlan
PreserviceTeacher
StevenAlfieri
th
School/GradeParkerMiddleSchool/8
Grade
CooperatingTeacher
Mr.Laser
DateReceived__________DateReviewed_________
(CooperatingTeacherInitialsRequired)
LessonTitle
DebatingtheSixBigIdeasinAmericaToday
TeachingTime
90minutes
LessonConcept:Studentswillobtainanunderstandingoftheelementsoftheconstitutionandtakesidesinadebatefeaturingcurrent
issues.
Standards: 8.3.8.B:Evaluatetheimportanceofhistoricaldocuments,artifactsandplacescriticaltoUnitedStateshistory.
8.3.8.A:Examinetherolegroupsandindividualsplayedinthesocial,political,cultural,andeconomicdevelopmentofthe
UnitedStates.
8.1.9.B:Comparetheinterpretationofhistoricaleventsandsources,consideringtheuseoffactversusopinion,multiple
perspectives,andcauseandeffectrelationships.
Objectives
(Stateinmeasurabletermswhatthestudentsshould/willbeabletodoasa
resultofthelesson.)SeeBloomWheel.
Assessments
(Theassessmentshouldclearlystatehowstudentachievementofobjectivewill
bemeasured.)SeeBloomWheel.
1.Studentswillobtainanunderstaningoftheconstitutionand
debateoverissueswithintheprimarysourcedocument.
1.GradingtheHandoutforthedebateandthediscussionduring
thedebateitself.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Materials:Onlinecopyoftheconstitution,DebateHandoutGraphicOrganizer
AnticipatorySetRemindstudetnsofthedebatesthefoundershadoverwhattoputintotheconstitution
ActivatingPriorKnowledge:Askstudentswhatdebatedissuesaregoingoninourcountrytoday
Adaptations:Givestudentsthedebatehandoutpriortostarttheirresearchearlier
Procedure:
TeacherActions
1. Teacherswillgivestudentsthedebatehandoutdescribing
thateachquestionwillhaveitsownhandoutandforthe
studentstoworktogethersplitintoteamsdividingthe
workamongtheirteamtoprepareforthesixquestions
thatwillbepresentedthatrelatetothevocabularywords
taughtprior.
2. Allowstudentstoresearchwithintheconstitutionand
createapositionthattheirteamisassignedforeach
question.Eachstudentshouldselectaspeakeranddivide
roleswithinthegroup,andpreparetosupporttheir
arguments
StudentActions
1.Studentswillsplitupintoteamsanddivideuptherolesand
workforthedebateinstructedbytheteacher
2.Studentswillresearchandplanapositionthattheirgroupis
assignedandfilloutthehandout.
3.Studentswillparticipateinthedebatediscussingbackandforth
theirpositions
4.
etc
3. Thedebatewillensuethenextclassperiodwiththe
teacherbeingthemoderatorfascilitatingthequestions.
Closure:Askstudentstoreflectontheconstitutionunitasawholeandseeiftheyunderstandtheunit.
AdditionalConceptRelatedActivity:Segwayintotheperiodaftertheconstitutionwascreated.