THE PREAMBLE OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
SS.7.C.1.6 Interpret the intentions of the Preamble of the Constitution.
Please find additional lesson resources at:
http://floridacitizen.org/resources/middle/benchmark/ss7c16
Annotations made by Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LESSON SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
ESSENTIAL CONTENT BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………………………….
CIVICS CONTENT VOCABULARY…………………………………………………………………………………...
SUGGESTED STUDENT ACTIVITY SEQUENCE…………………………………………………………………...
STUDENT ACTIVITY RESOURCES/HANDOUTS…………………………………………………………………
SOURCES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
ANSWER KEYS………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2
3
5
6
9
10
11
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 1
Lesson Summary
Essential Question
What are the goals and purposes of government according to the Preamble?
Note that this lesson begins with an essential question.
Essential questions provide focus and purpose, and if used before, during, and after presentation of
new content, they can help students make critical connections about the text.
In addition, the teacher can use this essential question for small group and whole class discussions, and
for writing assignments. (Book Reference: Chapters 3-8)
NGSSS Benchmark
SS.7.C.1.6 Interpret the intentions of the Preamble of the Constitution.
Students will be involved in interpreting a complex text. (Book Reference: Chapter 3)
Common Core Benchmarks
LACC.68.RH.1.1
LACC.68.RH.1.2
LACC.68.RH.2.4
LACC.68.RH.2.5
LACC.68.WHST.1.2
LACC.68.WHST.4.10 LACC.7.SL.1.1
LACC.7.SL.1.2
Note that this lesson is aligned with specific social studies and state academic standards. (Book
Reference: Chapters 1, 4)
Overview
In this lesson, students will understand the goals and purposes of government as defined by the
Preamble of the U.S. Constitution.
Learning Goals/Benchmark Clarifications
 Students will explain how the Preamble serves as an introduction to the U.S. Constitution,
establishing the goals and purposes of government.
 Students will identify the goals and purposes of government as set forth in the Preamble of
the U.S. Constitution (i.e., form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity).
 Students will recognize that the intention of the phrase “We the People” means that
government depends on the people for its power and exists to serve them.
The learning goals provide focus for the students (and teacher), and will be used for teacher
assessment of student progress and student self-assessment of mastery/performance (Book Reference:
Chapter 4). These goals also help utilize instructional time well (Book Reference: Chapter 4). In
addition, these learning goals reflect that students will be involved in close reading of this text in order
to interpret it (Book Reference: Chapter 3). Students will also need to have good knowledge of key
concepts and ideas related to this text and previous ones. (Book Reference: Chapters 5-7).
Benchmark Content Limits
 Items will be limited to addressing the intent of the Preamble, rather than interpretations
throughout other periods of history.
Civics EOC Reporting Category
Reporting Category 1 – Origins and Purposes of Law and Government
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 2
The lesson is aligned with the End-of-Course (EOC) assessment in the state of Florida. It carries
implications for student mastery, test preparation, assessment, and college and career readiness.
(Book Reference: Chapters 1, 10)
Suggested Time Frame
 One 45-50 minute class period
Civics Content Vocabulary
 defense, domestic, insure, justice, ordain, posterity, Preamble, tranquility, union, welfare
An example of effective vocabulary instruction guidelines: These are the key words/concepts students
will need to know and understand in order to analyze the text, make related connections, ask
questions, and build content knowledge. (Book Reference: Chapters 3-7).
Instructional Strategies
 Document
analysis

Close reading
of complex
text

Use of video
These strategies are discipline-specific and the materials are varied. Note that the teacher decided to
use close reading and document analysis—the learning goals determined the type of strategy. These
instructional strategies will also take the reader back to the text, equip him/her with disciplinespecific habits of mind, and build his/her vocabulary and academic language. In addition, the use of
video will build their background knowledge and expand their understanding of the text. (Book
Reference: Chapters 2-3, 5-7).
Materials
Computer to project websites, activity sheet, and video
Dictionaries for student pairs to use throughout the lesson, if needed
Student activity sheet:
 The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 3
Essential Content Background
This section addresses the following issues:
1. What is the purpose of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution?
2. Dissecting the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution.
1. What is the purpose of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution?
The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution provides information as to why the U.S. Constitution
was being written; it does not form or specify any power of government. The U.S. Constitution was
written in order to take the goals of government and create a workable structure reflecting the
goals of government outlined in the Preamble.
Information in point #1 can also be used before close reading to share with students the purpose of
this lesson and how it relates to the learning goals, course outcomes, and student learning. (Book
Reference: Chapters 3-4, 10).
2. Dissecting the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
The matrix that follows takes each phrase in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution and
clarifies its deeper meaning. The clarifications explain how the Preamble establishes the goals and
purposes of government.
The following matrix phrases can also be used as instructional moments for close reading of text, textdependent questions, and peer discussions. Note the two components of the matrix: deeper learning
and example (or real-world application). Also note that the teacher has spent time planning for this
lesson and identifying the core words/concepts/ideas students need to grapple with in order to
develop understanding of the text. Close reading with scaffolding, text-dependent questions, evidencebased thinking and reasoning through peer and whole class discussions (about the meaning of the
concepts and the real-world connections) will help students master the learning goals and make
connections with this lesson’s essential question. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-8, 10)
Phrase
we the people
form a more
perfect union
Deeper Meaning
The people grant the powers to the government
in this clause. The creators of the U.S.
government were, by definition, an elite group
that understood that they were creating a nation
where the majority of the population were not
elites, but common people. This majority’s
approval was necessary; one way to gain their
approval was to confirm that the people were
forming the government, and it was not being
handed down by a god or a king.
The U.S. Constitution was intended to improve
on the Articles of Confederation, the government
in place at the time. The Articles of
Confederation had worked well to a point, and
was the best that the colonists could come up
Modern Application or Example
In elections, the people decide who will
govern. One of the results of the
Progressive Movement (1890s-1920s)
was the direct election of U.S. Senators
who had been elected by state
legislatures up to the ratification of the
17th Amendment.
Amendment process in the Constitution
allows for change in order to respond to
issues that emerge such as concerns
about presidential abuse of power
reflected in term limits.
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 4
Phrase
establish
justice
insure
domestic
tranquility
provide for the
common
defense
promote the
general welfare
secure the
blessings of
liberty to
ourselves and
our posterity
do ordain and
establish this
Constitution for
the United
States of
America
Deeper Meaning
with when the Articles were created. The
Framers understood that the Constitution would
not be “perfect”, but “more perfect”.
The purpose of establishing justice is to maintain
public order. Maintaining public order requires
that the government follows the rule of law and
treats the law as supreme. After the experiences
of the people as colonists and new Americans,
they wanted a level playing field where courts
were established with uniformity and would
treat the people with fair and equal treatment.
The purpose of insuring domestic tranquility
was to protect citizens from internal conflict.
Internal conflict creates instability. Avoiding
instability, such as Shays’s Rebellion (17861787) was needed in order for a new nation to
take hold.
The purpose of this phrase is to present the goal
of protecting citizens from external attacks,
which was a problem under the Articles of
Confederation. No one state was really capable
of fending off an attack from land or sea on its
own so the states needed each other to survive
attacks, especially from Britain or Spain, or by
Native Americans.
Government focuses on the “public interest”
which allows every state and citizen to benefit
from what the government could provide. The
point of having tranquility, justice, and defense
was to promote the general welfare which
reinforces the concept of “we the people”.
The “public interest” is intended to work to the
people’s benefit and not to their detriment for
now and forever. In essence, the U.S. would
resemble a paradise for liberty.
This phrase finishes the “we the people”
approach by giving the document a name,
naming the nation and summarizing the
Preamble. There is a higher order involved here
which is “the people”. The Constitution replaces
the Articles of Confederation (“establish”) and
Modern Application or Example
The Bill of Rights extends protections to
persons accused of crimes. Even
though the nature of these crimes is
unpopular and may be especially
heinous, the Bill of Rights guarantees to
all citizens a level playing field when
they are brought to trial.
The president and governors may call in
the National Guard to address concerns
that may or have resulted in violence in
a state or area. For example, the
National Guard was called in to
maintain order in New Orleans after
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and to New
York and New Jersey after Superstorm
Sandy in 2012.
The terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001 were deemed by the federal
government to be a terrorist attack on
the nation even though New York City
and Washington, DC were the prime
targets of the attacks. As a federal
concern, the federal government took
action on behalf of victims.
Public policies focusing on
environmental protection promote the
public interest.
There are occasions when First
Amendment protections are offensive
to some; however, in protecting free
speech rights for some, free speech
rights for all are protected. However,
free speech exercises may not violate
the public interest because they would
compromise the people’s benefit.
Since the U.S. Constitution was ratified,
every state that has entered the union
has also adopted a constitution.
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 5
Phrase
Deeper Meaning
creates one national government.
Modern Application or Example
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 6
Civics Content Vocabulary
The teacher has also identified Tier II words in order to build all students’ academic vocabulary.
Identifying the part of speech will help students strengthen their overall vocabulary knowledge. (Book
Reference: Chapters 4-5, 7)
Word/Term Part of
Speech
defense
noun
Definition
domestic
adjective
referring to something at home, not foreign
insure
verb
ensure, to make sure
justice
noun
a system of establishing what is legal and illegal by fair rules
ordain
verb
to establish something by law
posterity
noun
future generations
Preamble
proper noun
the introduction to the U.S. Constitution
tranquility
noun
peace
union
noun
welfare
noun
something formed by combining parts, such as states into one
country
well-being
method of protecting oneself
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 7
Suggested Student Activity Sequence
1. To begin this lesson, place students into pairs and project a text image of the U.S.
Constitution: http://constitutioncenter.org/constitution/full-text.
 Establish purpose. (Book Reference: Chapters: 2-4)
2. Pose the following questions for brainstorm and discussion: “What do you know about the
U.S. Constitution? What is the purpose of the U.S. Constitution?”
 Instructional decisions, student engagement, motivation, formative assessment of
student content knowledge and vocabulary (Book Reference: Chapters 3- 8, 10).
3. Have students share out.
 Student engagement. (Book Reference: Chapters 4, 8).
4. Lead students to the understanding that the U.S. Constitution outlines the government
structure and function for the nation.
 Instructional decisions, establishing purpose, and making connections for
comprehension purposes. (Book Reference: Chapters 4, 7-8)
5. Engage students in a discussion about the structure of the document by posing the following
questions: “What do you notice about how the document is structured? Is there an
introduction to the document?”
 Student engagement, close reading of text, effective questions, text structure,
comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-4, 6-7)
6. Provide students with time to brainstorm and share out. Lead students to the understanding
that the Preamble is the introduction to the rest of the Constitution.
 Classroom environment, student engagement, close reading of text, peer collaborations
and discussions, academic language, accountable talk elements, and comprehension.
(Book Reference: Chapters 2-5, 7-8)
7. Project and pass out the “Preamble to the U.S. Constitution” student activity sheet and
explain to students that they will do an analysis and close reading of the Preamble in order to
understand the ideas contained within the introduction of the Constitution.
 Effective elements of close reading, instruction, purpose established, discipline-specific,
vocabulary, and comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-5, 8)
8. Read aloud the Preamble to the whole class.
 Close reading phase. (Book Reference: Chapter 3).
9. Pose the following questions for discussion: “What words or phrases from the text stand out
to you? What do you think this text means?”
 Close reading phase, student engagement with text, vocabulary, questioning, text
structure, comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-8).
10. Direct student attention to the vocabulary chart on the student activity sheet and project the
following list of civics content vocabulary terms on the board:
1. union
2. justice
3. insure
4. domestic
5. tranquility
6. defense
7. welfare
8. posterity
9. ordain
Teacher note: The terms are listed as they appear in the text.
 Instructional planning, Tier II and Tier III words, vocabulary instruction, student
engagement, comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-5, 7-8).
11. Read the Preamble aloud to the class for the second time and pause at each term. Instruct
students to define the term using the clues available. Teacher note: Explain to students that
some words are in a style of English that is no longer used in the U.S. and they might
recognize the word using modern spelling. For example, defence spelled with modern
English is defense. If additional support is needed to define terms in context, utilize the
S.L.A.P. technique: 1. SAY the word aloud to the class, 2. Instruct students to LOOK for clues,
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 8
3. Instruct students to ASK themselves what the word might mean and think of another word
that may be used to express that meaning, and 4. PUT that word in place of the unknown
word, does it make sense? Why or why not?
 Close reading of text, instruction, facilitation of student learning, vocabulary, making
connections, vocabulary, comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-7)
12. Have students add the definition for each term on the activity sheet.
 Close reading phase, student engagement, comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters
3-5, 7-8)
13. Read the Preamble to the class for a third time.
 Close reading phase, building student comprehension of text. (Book Reference:
Chapters 3, 7)
14. Pose the following questions for discussion: “What are the punctuation marks in the text?
(period and commas) What do these marks tell you about the structure of the text?” (It is a
complex sentence, with multiple and related ideas connected by commas.)
 Close reading phase, guiding questions, text structure, comprehension, student
engagement. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-4, 6-8)
15. Explain to students that there are two important questions about our government that can
be answered in the Preamble: Where does the government’s power come from? What are the
goals and purposes of government? Ask students to discuss these questions with their peers.
 Discipline-specific instruction, explanations, facilitation of student thinking, building
academic language, good questions that will prompt students to make conceptual
connections, comprehension, student engagement, assessment of student progress.
(Book Reference: Chapters 2-8, 10)
16. Read the Preamble aloud to the class for the fourth time.
 Close reading phase, instruction, developing student comprehension of text. (Book
Reference: Chapters 3-4, 7)
17. Pose the following questions for discussion: “Where does the government’s power come
from? What does the text say?”
18. Provide adequate time for students to think and share out ideas.
 17 + 18: Evidence-based thinking, close reading of text, questioning, comprehension,
student engagement. (Book Reference: Chapters 3-4, 7-8)
19. Instruct students to write the statement: We the People of the United States…do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America in the blank box on their activity
sheet.
20. Instruct students to circle the text from this statement that answers the question: Where
does the government’s power come from? (We the People)
 19 + 20: Discipline-specific instruction, close reading, vocabulary, questioning,
evidence-based writing, comprehension, student engagement, assessment. (Book
Reference: Chapters 2-10)
21. Discuss students’ responses and come to the conclusion that the phrase “We the People” is
important because the government gets its power from the people and government exists to
serve the people. Instruct students to take notes on their activity sheet, and record any
questions or thoughts they still have about this phrase.
 Classroom inquiry, discussions, vocabulary, evidence-based reasoning, comprehension,
writing, assessment. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-10)
22. Read the Preamble aloud for the fifth time.
 Close reading phase, building student vocabulary, comprehension. (Book Reference:
Chapters 2-4, 5, 7)
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 9
23. Pose the following questions for discussion: “Now that we know where government gets its
power from, what are the goals and purposes of government? What is in the text to help you
answer this question?”
24. Provide adequate time for students to think and share out ideas.
 23 + 24: Student engagement, collaborative inquiry, questioning, close reading,
socializing intelligence, comprehension. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-8)
25. Direct student attention to the graphic organizer on their student activity sheet that is
labeled: “Goals and Purposes” and pose the following question for discussion: “Based on the
amount of boxes on the graphic organizer, can you identify the same amount of goals and
purposes in the Preamble?”
 Instructional materials, discipline-specific, critical questions, comprehension, student
engagement, assessment. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-8, 10)
26. Provide time for students to fill in the top row of the graphic organizer with the six goals and
purposes as outlined in the Preamble: 1. in Order to form a more perfect Union, 2. establish
Justice, 3. insure domestic Tranquility, 4. provide for the common defence, 5. promote the
general Welfare, and 6. secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
 Instructional planning, materials, vocabulary, comprehension, student engagement,
writing. (Book Reference: Chapters 3-5, 7- 9)
27. Instruct students to work with their partner and using the definitions for each term,
summarize each goal and purpose in their own words in the spaces on the graphic organizer.
 Collaborative work, classroom environment, vocabulary, comprehension, writing,
assessment. (Book Reference: Chapters 2-5, 7-10)
28. Explain to students that they will watch a short video to help them summarize each goal and
purpose in their own words. Instruct students to add any notes to their graphic organizer
that will help them summarize the six goals and purposes in their own words.
29. Play the “Constitution Preamble from Schoolhouse Rock” video:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/03f9c858260a4da9b582/School-House-Rock-ThePreamble or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4.
30. Provide time for students to summarize the six goals and purposes in their own words.
31. Have students share out and provide evidence-based reasoning.
 28 – 31: Instructional planning, variety of materials, comprehension, reasoning,
writing, student engagement, learning environment. (Book Reference: Chapters 2, 3-4,
7-9)
32. Checking for Understanding (Formative Assessment):
Instruct students to write a well-crafted informative response using the following prompt:
Prompt
Using what you have learned from the analysis of the Preamble, explain where the
government gets its power and what the six goals and purposes of government are according
to the Preamble.

Discipline-specific, critical thinking, close reading, instruction, vocabulary,
comprehension, student engagement, writing, assessment. (Book Reference: Chapters
1-4, 5, 7-10)
33. Extension Suggestion: Divide the class into eight groups. Assign each group a section of the
Preamble:
1. We the People of the United States,
2. in Order to form a more perfect Union,
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 10
3. establish Justice,
4. insure domestic Tranquility,
5. provide for the common defence,
6. promote the general Welfare, and
7. secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,
8. do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America
Instruct each group to create a visual representation of their section of the Preamble. Display
each visual, in order, in the classroom.

Discipline-specific, content knowledge, differentiation, rigor, critical thinking, close
reading, instruction, vocabulary, comprehension, student engagement, writing,
assessment. (Book Reference: Chapters 1-10)
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 11
The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
1. union
6. defense
2. justice
7. welfare
3. insure
8.
posterity
9. ordain
4. domestic
Goals and Purposes
5.
tranquility
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 12
Sources
Text image of the U.S. Constitution from the National Constitution Center:
http://constitutioncenter.org/constitution/full-text.
Constitution Preamble from Schoolhouse Rock video:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/03f9c858260a4da9b582/School-House-Rock-The-Preamble or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4
Additional Preamble Content adapted from:
http://www.utb.edu/vpaa/cce/Documents/Celebrate%20Freedom%20Week/newdocs/Preamble
%20Elem.pdf
The SLAP Strategy: http://literacyblock2010.wikispaces.com/file/view/Vocabulary.pdf
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 13
The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United States of America.
1. union
3. insure
something formed by combining parts, such as states
into one country
a system of establishing what is legal and illegal by fair
rules
ensure, to make sure
4. domestic
referring to something at home, not foreign
5.
tranquility
peace
2. justice
6. defense
defense, method of protecting oneself
7. welfare
well-being
8.
posterity
9. ordain
future generations
to establish something by law
We the People of the United States… do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Goals and Purposes
in Order to form a
more perfect Union
The goal and
purpose of the
government is make
things better for all.
establish Justice
The goal and
purpose of
government is to
make a fair and
honest system for
all.
insure domestic
Tranquility
The goal and
purpose of
government is to
create peace in the
country.
provide from the
common defense
The goal and
purpose of
government is to
protect the country
from other countries
or people that might
try to harm us.
promote the general
Welfare
The goal and
purpose of
government is to
create a better life
for all.
secure the Blessings
of Liberty to
ourselves and our
Posterity
The goal and
purpose of
government is to
secure liberty and
freedom for current
and future
generations.
Origins and Purposes of Law and Government | SS.7.C.1.6 | 14