Unit 1
What is a Constitution? What does it do? Why is one important?
Do Constitutions have to be written? Give an example of a nation today that is working with an
unwritten constitution that is based upon Common Law. How does it work? Is this a good idea?
Read Federalist 51
Summarize Federalist 51
What constitutes a good constitution?
What is a Constitutional Government?
How do we know a government is a constitutional government?
Give two examples of a constitutional government and explain in detail what makes them so.
Give two examples of governments that are not constitutional governments and explain in detail why
they are not so,
Read John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government – The last paragraph states why people put
themselves into society.
What are those reasons?
Is a government that is not a constitutional government in a state of war against its people?
Explain
What does Rousseau mean by the “Civil State”?
Do non-constitutional governments have a “Social Contract” with the people?
How does Rousseau distinguish between slavery, liberty, and moral liberty?
Unit 2
Explain the alleged abuses of the British Government against the colonialist
Match each amendment in the bill of rights directly to an abuse
What are the Articles of Confederation?
When were they written?
List the major types of governments available to countries.
What type of government was created by the Articles?
Why did we want that type of government?
Draw a diagram of the major points in the Articles.
List as many accomplishments as possible that America achieved under the Articles
Explain each accomplishment in detail
Make a list of the shortcomings of the Articles
When did we start seeing each shortcoming?
How did these shortcomings affect the government?
How did these shortcomings affect the citizens?
Compare the U.S. Articles of Confederation with the Confederate States of America’s Confederation.
Read Madison’s notes on Ancient and Modern Confederacies.
Unit 3
Read the Virginia Plan
Draw a picture of the plan
Read the New Jersey Plan
Draw a picture of the plan
Read the Connecticut plan
Draw a picture of the plan
Read Madison’s notes on the Constitutional Convention
Determine who won the debate:
What did the big population states get?
What did the small population states get?
Which ended up having the most power and why?
Going back to the convention – give specific arguments on both sides – who said what and what state
where they representing. (Use Madison’s notes)
Unit 4
What is a political party?
What political parties were represented at the Convention?
What caused the Federalist and Anti-Federalist to debate?
How did Washington function outside a political party?
What were the arguments between Hamilton and Jefferson?
How did the Federalist Party and the Democratic - Republican Party come about?
Explain the fighting between the two parties
Why did the Democratic – Republican Party split?
What are the differences between the Democrats and Republicans today?
Give examples of when these two parties cooperated and when they refused to cooperate.
Why the differences in cooperation?
Read Washington’s farewell address. What specifically did he say about parties?
Unit 5
What does the First Amendment say about speech?
Find five quotes from colonial times/revolutionary times that discuss the importance of free speech.
What is freedom of speech? Can anyone say anything at any time? What speech are we talking about?
Provide specific references
Provide three Supreme Court cases defining Free Speech.
Should speech ever be limited? Why? When?
Provide three Supreme Court cases where speech was limited.
What were the criteria the Court used to limit speech?
How is the criteria applied today?
Do believe the court was right in these cases? (Remember the court is not always right, Dred Scott,
Plessy v. Ferguson
How should Mr. Brown from Ferguson MO be treated for calling for people to “get the police” but not
actually doing anything?
How has the Supreme Court ruled on those calling for violent action but not actually being violent
themselves?
Unit 6
List major components of our Constitution
Why was the component written?
What other countries have adopted some of the similar components?
Be specific – find at least five
List the major attributes of the Bill of Rights.
Why was each right written in the Bill of Rights?
How has each attribute affected our lives in America?
What other countries have adopted some of the similar rights into their constitutions?
Be specific – find at least five
How has the U.S. been affected by other countries?
How does the UN operate?
Should the World Court, UN, and other international agencies have dominion over the US?
Explain.