FRAME THE LESSON
TEACHER:
CLASS: 8th Grade
DATE: November 9-10
M T W TH F
Understanding the Constitution
Resources/Materials:
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline
Verb=Italicize
15D: analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism,
separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights
U.S. History Textbook
Colonization through
Reconstruction pp.
(227-242)
18A: identify the origin of judicial review and analyze examples of congressional and presidential responses
21A: identify different points of view of political parties and interest groups on important historical and contemporary issues
Objective/Key Understanding:
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Explain the basic goals of the Constitution as defined by the
Preamble.
Identify the framework of government that the Constitution
established.
Summarize the seven basic principles of American government.
Identify the powers and duties of the legislative branch, executive
branch, and judicial branch of the American government.
Describe the services that state and local government provide.
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 227)
Preamble
Domestic tranquility
General welfare
Electoral College
Unconstitutional
Supreme Court
Popular sovereignty
House of Representatives
Checks and balances
bill
civilian
liberty
article
federalism
veto
Senate
appeal
override
impeach
local government
judicial review Limited government
infrastructure
Constitutional initiative
Interactive Chart: The
Federal System
(p. 230)
Interactive Gallery:
The U.S. Congress
(p. 231)
Digital Activity: Goals
and principles of the
Constitution (p. 237)
Digital Lesson Quiz:
(p. 242)
Rigor & Relevance: (Real World Connection)
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 242)
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What is the significance of the Preamble’s opening words, “We the people of the United States”?
Why is Article VI, which declares that the Constitution is the “supreme law of the land,” so important?
What is meant by the statement that representatives “must remain open to the opinions of the people they represent.\?”
Compare and contrast the viewpoints of strict constructionists and loose constructionists.
How would you use the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution to support the ideas that the federal government should not assume more power than it already has?
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions
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What is each section of the Constitution called?
What is the principle of federalism?
How does a bill become a law?
How many terms is the President allowed to serve?
What was so significant about the Supreme Court decision in the case Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
What checks does Congress have over the President?
What are some examples of services that states provide to their citizens?
On what services for citizens do local governments spend the most money?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
The Preamble, the Articles, and the Amendments (p. 228-229)
 How does the Constitution’s intention to form “a more perfect union” reflect the principle of federalism?
 Cite evidence that the American justice system is based on the principle of individual rights?
 How does Article VI of the United States Constitution reflect the principle of federalism?
 Review the goals of the Constitution. Name one way you think adopting the Constitution affected the early republic.
Seven Basic Principles (230-231)
 Name the seven principles reflected in the United States Constitution and analyze how the Constitution reflects each of them.
 Why was the principle of popular sovereignty reflected in the United States Constitution such a revolutionary idea at the time?
Critical Writing Prompt:
 What caused the Framers to create a Constitution that reflected the principle of limited government?
The Legislative Branch-Congress (p. 231-234)
 How does the Seventeenth Amendment reflect the principle of popular sovereignty?
 What is the elastic clause and why is this an issue over which political parties have differing points of view to this day?
The Executive Branch-The President (p. 234-236)
 Do you think the electoral college reflects the principle of popular sovereignty? Explain your reasoning.
 Define electoral college.
The Judicial Branch-The Supreme Court (p. 236-237)
 Identify the origin of judicial review.
 How does this power reflect the principle of checks and balances?
Preventing Abuse of Power (p. 238)
 How does the Constitution reflect the principle of separation of powers?
 Discuss how the system of checks and balances prevents abuse of power.
 Give an example of how the system of checks and balances reflects the principle of limited government.
 How does the principle of limited government reflected in the Constitution show how the Constitution supports individual rights?
State Government (p. 239-241)
 How do you think the principle of federalism serves the general welfare of the states?
The Responsibilities of Local Government (p. 241-242)
 Explain how local governments reflect the principle of popular sovereignty.
 Discuss the services both state and local governments provide.
 Use the example of public education to explain how, in a federalist system, power is shared among national, state, and local governments.
 How do state and local governments reflect the principle of limited government?
 How do state and local governments reflect the principle of republicanism?
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Interactive Chart: The Federal System (p. 230)
Project the Interactive Chart: The Federal System (p. 230) and read through the columns. Analyze and discuss how the state, national, and concurrent powers outlined in
the Constitution reflect the principle of federalism in the Constitution.
 Name the seven principles reflected in the United States Constitution and analyze how the Constitution reflects each of them.
Analyze Cartoons (p. 230)
Review the cartoon on page 230.
 What point do you think the cartoonist is trying to make about government?
Analyze Charts (p.231)
Review the chart, Separation of Powers, on page 231.
 How is the power to make and enforce laws divided among the three branches of government?
Interactive Gallery: The U.S. Congress (p. 231)
Project the Interactive Gallery: The U.S. Congress (p. 231) and click through the images. Remind students that he Great Compromise divided Congress into two parts: the
House of Representatives and the Senate.
 How does the Seventeenth Amendment reflect the principle of popular sovereignty?
Analyze Maps (p. 236)
The number of electors each state has is based on the combined total of the state’s Senators and Representatives.
 Why might the number of a state’s electors change?
Digital Activity: Goals and principles of the Constitution (p. 237)
Project the Digital Activity: Goals and principles of the Constitution (p. 237). Have students review the lists of goals and principles. Explain how the goal of securing the
blessings of liberty is supported by the principle of individual rights.
 Have students choose one item from each list and explain how they relate.
 How do the goals and principles reflected in the Constitution promote their general welfare and well-being?
 Which goals and principles reflected in the Constitution have the greatest impact on their daily lives and why? Provide evidence to support your response.
Analyze Charts (p. 237)
A case can reach the Supreme Court through several paths.
 Why do you think so few cases reach the Supreme Court?
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 237)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz. Pose these questions to the class. In Understanding the Constitution, you read about the principles reflected in the United States
Constitution and the powers granted to national, state, and local governments. Explain the debate over the Tenth Amendment and the elastic clause.
 What are the different points of view of political parties on contemporary issues connected with the elastic clause?
 With whom do you agree, and why?
 The United States Constitution has endured for hundreds of years. What aspects of the document do you think have enabled it to last?
Analyze Cartoons (p. 238)
In this cartoon, each of the tree branches represents a branch of government-executive, legislative, and judicial.
 How does the cartoon show that each branch can limit the power of the other two?
Engage
~Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.227). Use the Editable Presentation found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the lesson (p. 227).
Complete the Start Up Activity on p 227. Tell students that “general welfare” means the well-being of all citizens. One of the main reasons we have a government is to help make sure
everyone in the country is doing well.
Have students list at least three ways that government actions affect people.
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the principles reflected in the United States Constitution.
~Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with the class.
Explore
The Preamble, the Articles, and the Amendments (p. 228-229)
Seven Basic Principles (230-231)
The Legislative Branch-Congress (p. 231-234)
The Executive Branch-The President (p. 234-236)
The Judicial Branch-The Supreme Court (p. 236-237)
Preventing Abuse of Power (p. 238)
State Government (p. 239-241)
The Responsibilities of Local Government (p. 241-242)
Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and understand the text as they read.
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the influence of ideas from historic documents and significant individuals on the U.S. system of government.
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate
The Preamble, the Articles, and the Amendments (p. 228-229)
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The Preamble identifies six goals of the Constitution.
Seven Basic Principles (230-231)
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The Constitution reflects seven basic principles. They are popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, republicanism, and
individual rights.
The Legislative Branch-Congress (p. 231-234)
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The first and longest article of the Constitution deals with the legislative, or law making, branch. Article 1 sets up the Congress to make the nation’s laws.
The Executive Branch-The President (p. 234-236)
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Article II sets up an executive branch to carry out the laws and run the affairs of the national government.
The Judicial Branch-The Supreme Court (p. 236-237)
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Article III establishes a Supreme Court and authorizes Congress to establish any other courts that are needed.
Preventing Abuse of Power (p. 238)
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The Framers hoped that the separation of powers among three branches would prevent the rise of an all-powerful leader who would rob the people of their liberty.
State Government (p. 239-241)
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One principle of the Constitution is federalism, or the division of powers between the federal and state governments.
The Responsibilities of Local Government (p. 241-242)
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The Constitution defines the power of the federal and state governments. But it does not mention local government, that is, government on the county, parish, city, town, village,
or district level.
~Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
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See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity

See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 242). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate mastery by responding to the following questions on paper:

What is the significance of the Preamble’s opening words, “We the people of the United States”?

Why is Article VI, which declares that the Constitution is the “supreme law of the land,” so important?

What is meant by the statement that representatives “must remain open to the opinions of the people they represent.\?”

Compare and contrast the viewpoints of strict constructionists and loose constructionists.

How would you use the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution to support the ideas that the federal government should not assume more power than it already has?
TEACHER:
CLASS: 8th Grade
DATE: November 11-13
M T W TH F
FRAME THE LESSON
Amending the Constitution
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline
Verb=Italicize
Resources/Materials:
15D:analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism,
separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights
16A:summarize the purposes for and process of amending the U.S. Constitution
U.S. History Textbook
Colonization through
Reconstruction
pp. (243--247)
Interactive Chart:
Methods of Amending
the Constitution
(p. 244)
19B:summarize rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights
25A:trace the development of religious freedom in the United States
25B:describe religious motivation for immigration and influence on social movements, including the impact of the first and second Great
Awakenings
25C:analyze the impact of the First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom on the American way of life
Interactive Gallery: The
first Amendment
(p. 244)
Digital Activity:
Understanding the Bill of
Rights (p. 247)
Digital Lesson Quiz (p.
247)
Objective/Key Understanding:
 Explain how the Constitution can be amended.
 Identify the rights that the Bill of Rights protects.
 Summarize how later amendments expanded democratic rights.
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 243)
Federalist
Antifederalist
amend
Bill of Rights
First Amendment
incriminate
Civil War Amendments
Nineteenth Amendment
Twenty-sixth Amendment
Federalist Papers
ratify
civil
Rigor & Relevance: (Real World Connection)
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 247)
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Hypothesize why the framers of the Constitution did not want to make it easy to amend the Constitution.
Give and explain an example of something that supports the idea that “in order to self-govern, people must be able to access information an d make their
own decisions”.
What fear did the Ninth Amendment address and how did it do so?
Hypothesize why the framers of the Constitution thought it was important to be able to change it with amendments, although they made it difficult to do so.
Why do you think the Constitution has been amended seventeen times in addition to the amendments called the Bill of Rights?
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions
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Which article of the Constitution outlines the amendment process?
Which amendments protect the rights of those accused of a crime?
Which amendment gave women the right to vote?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Constitutional Amendment (p. 244)
Critical Writing Prompt:
 Summarize the process for amending the United States Constitution.
 Have students divide into groups and use the Sequence It Strategy to explore the process of amending the Constitution. Give each student a piece of
paper with a single step in the amendment process. Have students form lines showing the correct order for proposing and ratifying amendments.
The Bill of Rights (p. 244-246)
 Summarize the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights
 Make a generalization about how the passage of the First Amendment shaped the development of religious freedom in the United States.
 Point out the key term the First Amendment in the text. Explain that there are some exceptions to the freedom of speech. The government can restrict
the time, place, or manner of speech in the interest of public safety.
Additional Amendments (p.246-247)
 Cite evidence from the text that summarizes the purpose for amending the Constitution beyond the Bill of Rights.
 Make a generalization about the purpose for the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
 Give an example that shows how amending the United States Constitution has made the country more equal
.
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Interactive Chart: Methods of Amending the Constitution (p. 244)
Project the Interactive Chart: Methods of Amending the Constitution (p. 244) and read through the graphic. Walk through the process for proposing and ratifying
amendments to the United States Constitution.
 Summarize the process for amending the United States Constitution.
Interactive Gallery: The first Amendment (p. 244)
Project the Interactive Gallery: The first Amendment (p. 244) and click through the images.
 Summarize the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights
 Make a generalization about how the passage of the First Amendment shaped the development of religious freedom in the United States.
Analyze Information (p. 244)
After an amendment to the Constitution has been proposed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, what two options exist for the states to ratify the
amendment?
Analyze Information (p. 247)
Approximately what percent of the more than 200 amendments proposed by the states’ ratifying conventions finally made it into the Bill of Rights?
Digital Activity: Understanding the Bill of Rights (p. 247)
Project the Digital Activity: Understanding the Bill of Rights (p. 247). Have students fill in the chart with each amendment they learned about, the protection it offers and
its purposes. Have students answer the following:
 Why have these amendments been added to the Constitution?
 How have they expanded rights and freedoms in the United States?
Digital Lesson Quiz (p. 247)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz. Pose these questions to the class: In Amending the Constitution, you read about the purposes and process of amending the United States
Constitution and the rights guaranteed by important amendments.
 How does the process of amending the United States Constitution affect the balance of power between the federal government and the states?
 How does the Bill of Rights reflect the principle of individual rights in the United States Constitution?
Engage
~Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.243). Use the Editable Presentation found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the
lesson (p. 243).
Complete the Start Up Activity on p 243. Tell students that the First Amendment guarantees the freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the right to assemble
peacefully and to petition the government.
Choose one of the rights that the First Amendment protects and write a one paragraph about how this right affects you in your everyday life.
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the purposes and process of amending the Constitution and the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
~Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with the class.
Explore
Constitutional Amendment (p. 244)
The Bill of Rights (p. 244-246)
Additional Amendments (p.246-247)
Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and understand the text as they read.
~ Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the purposes and process of amending the Constitution and the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
Explain
Constitutional Amendment (p. 244)
 Article V outlines two ways to propose an amendment. An amendment may be proposed by two thirds of both the House and the Senate, or by a national
convention called by Congress at the request of two thirds of the state legislatures.
The Bill of Rights (p. 244-246)
 As one of the first acts, the new Congress drafted a series of amendments in 1789and sent them to the states for approval. In 1791, the Bill of Rights, the first
ten amendments, became part of the Constitution.
Additional Amendments (p.246-247)
 Since the Bill of Rights, the Constitution has been amended only seventeen times. Many later amendments reflect changing attitudes about equality and the
expansion of democracy.
Elaborate
Evaluate
~Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 247). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate mastery by responding to the following questions on
paper:
 Hypothesize why the framers of the Constitution did not want to make it easy to amend the Constitution.
 Give and explain an example of something that supports the idea that “in order to self-govern, people must be able to access information an d make their own
decisions”.
 What fear did the Ninth Amendment address and how did it do so?
 Hypothesize why the framers of the Constitution thought it was important to be able to change it with amendments, although they made it difficult to do so.
 Why do you think the Constitution has been amended seventeen times in addition to the amendments called the Bill of Rights?