Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 04
Lesson: 01
Suggested Duration: 2 days
Articles of Confederation
Lesson Synopsis:
In this lesson, students read, analyze and summarize the Articles of Confederation through a group activity, a powerpoint,
and a series of primary source analysis questions.
TEKS:
8.4
History. The student understands significant political and economic issues of the revolutionary era. The student
is expected to:
8.4C
Explain the issues surrounding important events of the American Revolution, including declaring independence;
writing the Articles of Confederation; fighting the battles of Lexington, Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown;
enduring the winter at Valley Forge; and signing the Treaty of Paris of 1783; Readiness Standard
8.15
Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the Declaration of
Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and other important historic documents. The student is expected to:
8.15B
Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Supporting Standard
Social Study Skills TEKS:
8.29
8.29B
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through
established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is
expected to:
Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences
and conclusions.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator:
•
Write a letter to the delegates meeting to discuss changing the Articles of Confederation. In the letter, summarize
the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain the issues that are evidence of the
weak confederation. (8.15B; 8.29B)
5G
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
•
Conflict often influences the development of and changes in government.
— What issues surrounded important events in the writing of the Articles of Confederation?
— What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
•
•
confederation
governance
•
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sovereignty
opinion
•
compromise
Materials:
•
Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials.
Attachments:
•
•
•
•
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Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of Confederation
Handout: Articles of Confederation (1 per student)
Handout: Reading Notes (1 per student)
Handout: Reading Notes KEY
Handout: Frayer Model (1 per student, or students draw their own)
©2012, TESCCC
04/30/13
page 1 of 4
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 04 Lesson: 01
Resources and References:
None identified
Advance Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson.
Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.
Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
Primary source documents discussing revisions to the Articles of Confederation
John Jay letter proposing changes to Articles of Confederation
Background Information:
At the end of the Revolutionary War, the new nation was in political, social, and economic transition. The colonists were
no longer British citizens and loyal to the King. Mercantilism now gave way to a free enterprise system. In addition, the
new states were now in debt. Because of the experience under a tyrannical government, the newly-established states
were apprehensive toward giving any new government too much power. The Articles of Confederation were ratified while
the American Revolution was in progress and became the first form of government for the new republic. A confederation,
or loose association, was all the states could handle at this point, as little unity existed between the different sections of
America. This time period is marked by a constant balancing act of giving the government enough power to protect the
people while maintaining the rights of the people and the states.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
ENGAGE – Confederation
1. Show students Slide #2 of the Teacher Resource: PowerPoint:
Articles of Confederation.
2. To summarize previous learning and prepare students for the
content of this lesson, introduce the day using words such as:
• Based on what you have read and learned in the
previous weeks and based on the symbolism (images)
and clues that you see on this slide, describe the
important historical event in American history.
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of
Confederation
Purpose:
This short activity serves as a review and helps to
introduce a justification/rationale for the Articles of
Confederation.
TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B
3. Students write their description on their own paper.
4. Use a teacher-preferred method of selecting students to share
their descriptions.
Instructional Note:
Students may scribe their answers on a slide when
explaining their interpretation.
5. Students will describe the image and explain their interpretation
while the teacher scribes.
6. Display and then read the statement: “With freedom comes
responsibility.”
7. Facilitate a brief discussion where students respond to the
statement. Some questions/statements that can be used to incite
discussion include:
• Can someone elaborate on this statement? Do you agree
©2012, TESCCC
04/30/13
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Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 04 Lesson: 01
Instructional Procedures
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•
Notes for Teacher
or disagree? Justify.
What if there were no rules in our classroom, or no rules
in our school, or no laws in our city? What sorts of
consequences come attached with a lawless society?
Write the student responses.
Do you see some basic principles or ideas emerging to
bring order to the chaos? While it might have seemed like
complete chaos for the colonists during the American
Revolution, a governmental system had already been
established. Today, our goal is to learn about a system of
government that the colonists established: The Articles of
Confederation.
EXPLORE – Confederation?
1. Divide the class into small groups (no more than three).
2. Distribute the Handout: Articles of Confederation and the
Handout: Reading Notes.
Suggested Day 1 continued – 20 minutes
Attachments:
• Handout: Articles of Confederation
• Handout: Reading Notes
• Teacher Resource: Reading Notes KEY
3. Students (in groups) read the excerpts of the Articles of
Confederation, answering the questions on the Handout:
Reading Notes and discussing in their groups.
Purpose:
The purpose of this part of the lesson is to
encourage students to explore the ideas outlined in
the Articles of Confederation to examine strengths
4. Students may deepen their understanding of the content by
and weaknesses of the document. This
reading appropriate sections in the textbook and other classroom exploration will strengthen their content to deepen
materials on the functions and powers of the national
discussion and analysis of other perspectives
government under the Articles of Confederation. (This can be
during the Elaborate part of the lesson.
completed as homework.)
TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B, 8.29B
Instructional Note:
During reading and notetaking, teacher will
circulate among the small groups to probe with
questions, correct misinformation, and enrich
thinking. See Teacher Resource: Reading Notes
KEY.
EXPLAIN – Frayer Model
1. Provide each student a copy of the Handout: Frayer Model.
2. Students use what they have learned during the Explore section
to complete this vocabulary activity.
3. Within their groups, students share definitions, characteristics,
and examples, changing their graphic organizers as needed.
4. Project the following questions:
• What problems do you see with the powers under the
Articles? (little power is given to the national government to
pay debts or make laws)
• How can NOT having the power to tax affect the national
government? (national government’s revenue depends on
taxes; no revenue means the government cannot provide
services)
• Why did colonial leaders allow state governments to
retain most of the power under the Articles? (states
©2012, TESCCC
04/30/13
Suggested Day 1 continued – 10 minutes
Attachments:
• Handout: Frayer Model (1 per student)
Purpose:
The purpose of this part of the lesson is to label the
ideas that students explored in the Articles of
Confederation. The concepts that students
analyze in this part of the lesson are essential to
their understanding of how the confederation
required a stronger agreement that later results in
a Constitution.
TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B, 8.29B
Instructional Note:
To strengthen the discussion using academic
language, students may use a Word Wall or posted
Frayer models to practice using the concepts
frequently and correctly.
page 3 of 4
Grade 8
Social Studies
Unit: 04 Lesson: 01
Instructional Procedures
•
•
•
Notes for Teacher
differed greatly and were interested in meeting the needs of
their own states; they were not ready to give up any power)
Why weren’t there provisions for an executive in the
Articles? (their experience under a tyrannical king kept
them from giving up any power to a central authority or one
person)
Who held most of the power under the Articles? (the
states)
Do you think many laws were enacted or changed? Why
or why not? (many laws were not passed or amended
because it was difficult to get the states to agree)
5. Facilitate a discussion where students use academic language to
discuss the questions. (Discussion within the small group before
sharing with the whole class often helps students communicate
their ideas more clearly.)
ELABORATE – Strengths and Weaknesses
Suggested Day 1 continued – 10 minutes
Materials:
• Primary source documents discussing
revisions to the Articles of Confederation.
2. Students will share their understanding of the differing opinions
• John Jay letter proposing changes to Articles
communicated in the primary source documents and those of the
of Confederation
time period, including important topics during the Constitutional
Conventions.
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of
3. Students will predict how these differening opinions might come
Confederation.
together during the Constitutional Convention. (Refer to
compromise on a World Wall or in a Frayer model.)
TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B, 8.29B
1. Project or distribute primary source documents discussing
revisions to the Articles of Confederation.
4. Show students the last two slides of the PowerPoint: Articles of
Confederation. (Weaknesses and Strengths)
5. With a partner, students discuss how they would change the
Articles of Confederation, based on their understanding of the
historical context of the document and the multiple points of view
they have studied.
Instructional Note:
Students may have the misconception that all
Americans agreed about wanting a new
Constitution. Studying the multiple points of view
about the Articles of Confederation is a parallel
discussion about compromise that students will
have about ratifying the Constitution.
6. Facilitate a discussion where students use what they have
learned to support the Key Understanding and answer the
guiding questions.
• Conflict often influences the development of and
changes in government.
— What issues surrounded important events in the
writing of the Articles of Confederation?
— What were the strengths and weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation?
EVALUATE
•
Write a letter to the delegates meeting to discuss changing the
Articles of Confederation. In the letter, summarize the strengths
and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain the
issues that are evidence of the weak confederation. (8.15B;
8.29B)
5G
©2012, TESCCC
04/30/13
Suggested Day 2 – 30 minutes
TEKS: 8.15B, 8.29B
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