U.S. History Lesson Plan: Mock Constitutional Convention/ Debates
Voncia Barno #3442510, AMH 5905: American Revolution, Professor Howard Rock
11th grade U.S. History or 12th grade Government: Mock Constitutional Convention
1.
Title:
2.
Overview - Big Ideas: Enduring Understandings – Students will be able to:

Identify the major debates and arguments over the framing of the new government
presented at the Constitutional Convention

Evaluate the purpose and importance of the individual liberties presented in the Bill of
Rights

Describe the characteristics of varying state Constitutions

Recreate a Constitution with all the necessary components required of defining a
government’s powers
Essential Questions – What were the major points of contention in framing the new government
at the Constitutional Convention? How did the various characteristics in the State Constitutions
influence the making of the U.S. Constitution? What were the arguments behind including each
of the liberties in the Bill of Rights?
3.
Lesson Objectives: Standards SS.8.A.1.5
Identify with both primary and secondary sources, the author, audience, format
and purpose of significant historical documents.
SS.8.A.1.6
Compare interpretations of key events and issues throughout American History
4.
Key Vocabulary: Delegates, Constitutional Convention, Federalists, Anti-Federalists, Great
Compromise, Three-Fifths Compromise, Electoral College, Republican Government, factions, Bill
of Rights, ratification
5.
Evidence of Student Understanding (Assessment) in this Lesson:
Each student will be assigned a major delegate from the Constitutional Convention and research
Constitutional databases to obtain the biography of their assigned Framer, the major issues the
individual and the state in which they represented were concerned with, and the position of their
delegate on the controversial issues that were presented at the Constitutional Convention. Then,
students will recreate a mock Constitutional Convention in which they represent their assigned delegate
and have debates on all of the major issues that had to be decided in creating the Constitution (including
representation, the legislative branch, separation of powers, methods of selecting the President).
Reenacting the debates that the Framers had will enable students to understand the major issues that
each delegate and state was concerned with. Next, in small groups of 3, students will be assigned a
specific state Constitution from after the Revolution to research on the computer and to present to the
class the specifics of the branches of government, powers, and rights of the people. After having
examples of various Constitutions, the class will collectively create a new, modern Constitution for a
new lawless country, “Barnation,” having similar debates as the Constitutional Convention but making it
relevant to modern day considerations. The teacher will then lead a lesson on the rights included in the
Bill of Rights, with a brief history behind each amendment and the reason for its inclusion. Students will
then be presented with a scenario to have to choose ONE civil liberty they can keep in their new
“Barnation” from the Bill of Rights. They will have a class discussion to determine which right is the most
important in the Bill of Rights, debating the importance of each right.
6.
Materials Needed: Computer for research, name plates, copy of the Bill of Rights and
Constitution, biography of delegates at the Constitutional Convention
7.
Steps to Deliver the Lesson (4-5 class periods):
a. Computer Research: After each student is assigned a major delegate from the
Constitutional Convention, they will research the biography, position on major issues,
primary concerns of their delegate and their constituents of the Framer to which they
are assigned.
b. Mock Constitutional Convention: Representing a delegate, students will reenact the
Constitutional Convention by debating the major issues that caused contention
(representation, separation of powers, selection of the President, slavery)
c. Group Research and Presentation: In groups of 3, students will research a postRevolutionary State Constitution assigned by the teacher, and then present the powers
of the government, the rights of the people, and how the government is structured to
the class. The class will compare and contrast the different state constitutions to
evaluate which one had the most effective Constitution.
d. New Constitution Creation: Using examples from the presentations and the real
constitution, as a class, the students will create a new Constitution for a new, lawless
nation, “Barnation” by creating all the characteristics that a Constitution requires
(powers of the government, rights, etc.)
e. Mini-Lecture on Bill of Rights: Teacher will give a power point lesson on the
amendments included in the Bill of Rights, including the history and reasoning behind
each amendment.
f.
Class Evaluation of Liberties: The class will be presented with the challenge to decide
the single most important liberty that they are allowed to keep in the new nation they
created, by debating the importance and necessity of each amendment. Students will
have to convince one another (like a jury) of the most vital right of all those in the Bill of
Rights.
8.
Specific Activities: (From Guided to Independent)
a. Independent Research of delegate’s biography and position on issues
b. Mock Constitutional Convention (Class discussion/ debate)
c. Group Computer Research on assigned State Constitution and present to class
d. Class creation of a new Constitution for a lawless country
e. Class evaluation of the most important liberty in the Bill of Rights with a class summary
explaining why
9.
Differentiated Instruction Strategies:
a. Use of multiple learning modalities: hands on activity with research and creating a new
Constitution (kinesthetic/tactile learners), class discussion with the mock Constitutional
convention and lecture (auditory learners), power point presentation (visual learners)
b. Working in multiple settings from class discussion, to small heterogeneous groups, to
individual work
10.
Technology Integration: Computer research of Constitutional Convention delegates, computer
use of LCD projector for teacher’s power point presentation
11.
Lesson Closure: Write an evaluative paper on the benefits and shortcomings of 3 components
of the U.S. Constitution that have occurred throughout history and even modern day.