Chapter 14
What are key features of the U.S.
Constitution?
I can…
 identify
the weaknesses in the Articles of the
Confederation and the work of the delegates
to the Constitutional Convention that led to
the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
 examine
and list the key powers of the three
branches of government created by the
Constitution.
 identify
which branches of the government
can act in certain situations.
 With
your textbook, try to balance it using
ONLY the end of your pencil eraser.
• Attempt #1
 Now
get into a group of three. Try to
balance the book on the ends of three
pencils.
• Attempt #2
 Which
method was more successful?
 This
chapter will show us how three branches of
government helped make the U.S. government
stronger and more lasting than a government created
under the Articles of Confederation had been.
 Turn
to page 187 and let’s read this page.
 Look at the stool at the bottom of the
• What do you see?
• What does the stool represent?
• In what ways is the government under the
Constitution like a three-legged stool?
page.

You are now going to read Sections 14.2 - 4.6.
 Use
your Reading Notetaker 14 to record
important information from this chapter.
• We will do this together, but EVERYONE is expected to
complete the Notetaker.
 Let’s
read pages 188-189.
 Then
complete your Notetaker for section
14.2 & 14.3.
 Now
go ahead and read Sections 14.4 - 4.6.
 Use
your Reading Notetaker 14 to record
important information about the Three
Branches of Government.
• Partner up (if you want).
 Be
ready to discuss your answers.
 What
is a democratic society?
 What
was the Articles of the Confederation?
• What was its’ main weakness?
 What
 What
are the three branches of government?
is the main responsibility of the each
(legislative, executive, & judicial) branch?
1)
Partner up!
2)
Cut out the Power Cards and the illustration cards
(along the dashed lines).
3)
Carefully examine each illustration and determine
which constitutional power it represents.
4)
Place the illustration on the corresponding Power
Card.
When everyone is finished, we’ll check your answers
then glue the illustrations to the Power Cards.
1)
You will have ONE minute to identify which Power
Card(s) that any of the branches might us in that
situation.
2)
Put the Power Cards in the proper sequence, when
more that one Card is used, to show which branch
would act first, second, and last.
3)
Your team receives one point each time you select
the correct Power Card(s) for a situation.
Note: In Situations 1-4, only one Power Card will be played.
Situations 5-7, you will use two Power Cards.
Situation 8-9, you will play two or more Power Cards.
 What
was the Great Compromise? pg. 190.
 Let’s
read about “Checks and Balances” and
the summary – pgs. 194-195.
___________________________________________
 What
powers does the legislative branch have to check, or
limit, a power of the other branches?
 What
powers does the executive branch have to check, or
limit, a power of the other branches?
 What
powers does the judicial branch have to check, or
limit, a power of the other branches?
 At
the beginning of the game, which branch did you
think would be the strongest? Why?
• Which do you now think is the strongest?
 What
 Why
does this tell you about the three branches?
do you think the writers of
the Constitution created this
system of checks and balances?