Teaching 6 Big Ideas in the Constitution
with Resources from
The National Archives &
The Center for Legislative Archives
http:// www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education/constitution/
We teach about:
What Congress
Does
And
Why it Matters
Archives and history classes share a
common mission:
engaging students in history.
When we engage
students in
active learning
with
original records,
we trigger powerful
discoveries
that help them better understand today
and inspire civic engagement tomorrow.
When we invite
students to analyze
President Thomas
Jefferson’s decision
to acquire the
Louisiana territory
Or challenge them to formulate a congressional
compromise to save the Union in 1850
Through active learning with primary sources,
we open their eyes to history as a living set of
choices and unfinished revolutions.
We take them to the
defining moments
that shaped our
national destiny
and inspire them to contribute their voices to shaping
the next chapter of our history.
Educational Resources from the National Archives
http://www.archives.gov
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education
“The vast majority of Americans cherish the
U.S. Constitution but do not know much
about it.
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_home_Landing.aspx
Honor the Teks
Start where
the students
are
Study primary
sources
Apply what the
students learn
to their lives
Honor the TEKS
19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies,
Subchapter B, Middle School
(16) Government. The student understands the
American beliefs and principles reflected in the
U.S. Constitution …
(D) analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the
principles of:
1. limited government
2. republicanism
3. checks and balances
4. federalism
5. separation of powers
6. popular sovereignty
7. * individual rights (See our lesson: Congress &
the Creation of the Bill of Rights)
Start where the
students are
Study primary
sources
Mapping the Constitution prepares students to consider
questions such as the following:
1. According to the map, which topics received the most
attention from the Founders?
2. In what ways does the map suggest how the Founders
weighed the relative importance of various sections and
powers in the new government?
3. What significance is suggested by the order of topics
discussed in the Constitution?
4. To what extent does the map match today’s government?
The Founders’ Social Network
Biographical Resources for Constructing An 18th
Century Social Network
1. http://usconstitution.net/constframedata.html
2. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters.html
Likes
Idea
The Great
Compromise
The Three-Fifths
Compromise
The Constitution (Did
he sign it?)
Significance
Why he likes this idea or not
Finding 6 Big Ideas in the Constitution
•Divide the students into groups with each group
assigned a Big Idea.
•Supply each group with a transcript of the Constitution
(printed or electronic).
•Have the students identify text in the Constitution that
refers to their big idea.
•Have them place the ideas on a chart.
Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
Republic
Separation of Branches
Checks and Balances
Federal and State Separation
A second technique for identifying 6 big ideas in the Constitution
Relate the 6 Big Ideas to History
Analyze historic documents
Determine which of the 6 Big Ideas
each matches
Apply what the students
learn to their lives
Relate 6 big ideas in the Constitution to civic life today:
becoming politically active by debating big ideas
•Each debate assigns five participants to each side of an issue.
•Each speaks for no more than two minutes.
•Teams alternate speakers.
Opening A
Opening B
First Argument A
First Argument B
Second Argument A
Second Argument B
Third Argument A
Third Argument B
Closing A
Closing B
Debate Topic Example
Teaching History with the Records of Congress
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education
Active citizens are engaged in civic action informed by the
Constitution
The National Archives
And the Center for Legislative Archives
Are your partners in civic education.