We Were There…
WebQuest on the U.S. Constitutional Convention
Introduction
In 1783, with the war formally drawing to a close, the Congress faced a
wider range of issues...Despite the Congress's continued efforts to
improve its effectiveness, many Americans saw the need for a more
powerful central authority; the Congress as defined by the Articles of
Confederation was too weak to make the states obey congressional
mandates…in 1786, leading statesmen called for a special convention to
revise the Articles -- the Constitutional Convention. (To Form a More
Perfect Union – Introduction)
The Federal Convention convened in…1787, to revise the Articles of
Confederation…Through discussion and debate it became clear…that, rather than amend the existing Articles, the
Convention would draft an entirely new frame of government…in closed sessions, the delegates debated, and
redrafted the articles of the new Constitution.
Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how
many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should
be elected--directly by the people or by the state legislators. The work of many minds, the
Constitution stands as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. (The
National Archives Experience)
The Quest (choose one)
You find yourself in late 18th century United States. Everything is just like you learned in Social Studies class,
except many of the technologies of today exist. You will explore the websites listed on pages 2 & 3, searching for
the answers to the questions under the “Evaluation” section.
The Task (choose based on above)
1. You and your team are the delegates from ________________ (pick state or teacher assign). You have each
been asked to appear on a local talk show to present your position on the proposed Constitution. Choose one
of the following:
 Prepare a handout for the talk show host with a brief biography and position for each member
of your delegation. Include:
 State represented.
 A picture if available.
 A biographical sketch for each member which includes birthplace, and family and
economic background.
 The reasons each delegate supports or opposes adopting the Constitution in bullet
form.
OR
 You temporarily get called back to your home state on an emergency, and will not be able
to attend the talk show. Prepare a video presentation to be aired on the talk show in your
absence. Include all of the information above.
2. You have been assigned to cover the Constitutional Convention for the Philadelphia Gazette.
 Answer the following questions based on the websites you visit.
 The number of delegates originally selected to the Convention.
 The state(s), if any, that did not send any delegates.
 The number of delegates who actually attended. (Include names if possible)
 The number of delegates who never attended. (Include names if possible)
 The oldest and youngest delegates and their ages.
 The professional and societal backgrounds of the delegates.
 The number of delegates who signed the Constitution.
 The names of prominent delegates who voted to ratify the Constitution and their reasons for doing so.
 The names of prominent delegates who failed to vote to ratify the Constitution and their reasons for doing
so.
 Pictures and/or graphics to enhance your article.
Resources
Here are some sites to help you on your Quest:
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The Constitution of the United States (The National Archives Experience)
 Constitution of the United States Questions & Answers (The National Archives Experience)
Teaching With Documents: Observing Constitution Day (National Archives)
Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention (Library of Congress)
 To Form a More Perfect Union – Introduction
 Identifying Defects in the Confederation
 Creating a Constitution
Teaching the Constitution
 The Constitution Explained
 The Constitution for Kids (grades 8-12)
 The Constitution for Kids (grades 4-7)
 The U.S. Constitution Online-FAQ
 Constitutional FAQ - Find it Yourself
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The U.S. Constitution Online
US Constitution - Table of Articles
Biographies of the Founding Fathers
The Signers of the Constitution of the United States
Fascinating Facts About The Constitution
The Constitutional Convention: A Simulation of Compromise
The Process
1. Each participant is to receive a hard copy of the worksheet. To complete the assignment listed above, you will
have to work within a group. Within the group, each person will have to take on one of the following roles:
 The Producer: You are to keep the group focused and on task. Make sure the members understand the
task and work to complete it.
 The Director: You understand the need to collaborate and facilitate discussion and consensus.
 The Editor: You understand the importance of higher level thinking. You understand that this project
requires team members to analyze information and show some creative expression.
 The F/X Specialist: You love to use the Internet, and technology in general. You love to download images
and animations, use colors and backgrounds and know at least a little about a lot of software. You help
determine the best vehicle or software to complete the project for presentation to the instructor and class.
Conclusion
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention strongly believed they were acting in the best interests of the
United States when they adopted the Constitution for ratification by the states. Having completed your Web Quest,
and looking back at the past 200 years of our history, your group should answer the following (to be handed in after
the last presentation):
1. Does your group feel the delegates were correct in adopting the Constitution? Why or why not? Give
Examples.
2. Which items might the delegates better have addressed? Why?
3. Given the Internet, technological inventions and the “global village” do you feel the US Constitution stands the
“test of time”?
Evaluation
Your group project will be evaluated according to the following collaboration rubric. Evaluation also addresses:
 Maintenance of an individual Learning Log/Journal.
 Participation in the group process.
 Group Preparation and Presentation of The Task.
 Participation in the group process.
 Ability to use critical thinking skills to organize and use information from a variety of sources; including
electronic technology, and elaborate in verbal and written forms using appropriate technologies in
completing The Task.
 Written Conclusion.
Be sure to read the criteria before beginning your Quest!