TWest Briar Middle School
Lesson Plan Template 2013-2014
Course: U.S. History
Class Period(s): 2,3,4,5,6,8
Teacher(s): Payne, Schiller, Blessinger
Unit Title:
Lesson Title:
Dates: December 2-6
Bloom's Taxonomy
Key Questions
Materials _Resources
Room Arrangement
Key Vocabulary
Warm-up Activity
Monday, December 2nd
Opening
Activate Prior Knowledge
Instructional Activity
Check for Understanding
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Formative Assessment
Extension
Description of Product /Task
Rubrics/Grading Criteria
Closure
Assignments
Remembering | Understanding | Applying | Analyzing | Evaluating | Creating
How does the United States constitution reflect the principles of limited government, checks and balances,
and federalism? 8.15D
Pen, INB, textbook
Small groups
Constitution, republicanism, amendment, preamble
Why would a dictator/absolute ruler not wish to abide by a Bill of Rights in the governing of his or her
country?
Discuss the importance of the Bill of Rights included in the American constitution. Lead students in a
classroom discussion regarding basic freedoms in the United States that might be unavailable in a country
such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, etc.
Have students discuss the attitudes of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. What compromises were
necessary for the ratification of the constitution?
Determine the accuracy of student discussion. Make corrections when needed.
Ask students to explain what a constitution is. Follow up questions should include: “What is the danger
of a constitution that bestows too much power on one person or political party?”
Break students into small groups and have them read specific articles and sections (including the
preamble) of the United States constitution. These materials will be provided and rotated from group to
group as “floating” stations. Students can use the textbook (pgs. 233-43) as supplemental material.
Students will use the provided materials/textbook to complete a questionnaire regarding the constitution.
Once Students have completed all stations the constitutional questionnaire will be completed.
Constitutional questionnaire will become a component of the student’s interactive notebook.
Constitutional questionnaire will become a component of the student’s interactive notebook (classwork
grade).
Why did the founding fathers create a two house congress? (state representation/proportionate)
Warm up, wrap-up will be in the student’s INB.
Reflection:
Key Questions
Materials _Resources
Room Arrangement
Key Vocabulary
Warm-up Activity
Tuesday, December 3rd
Opening
Activate Prior Knowledge
Instructional Activity
Check for Understanding
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Formative Assessment
Extension
Description of Product /Task
Rubrics/Grading Criteria
Closure
Assignments
Analyze how limited government, republicanism, and popular sovereignty are important parts of the
Constitution. 8.15D
INB, pen, textbook
Small groups
Popular sovereignty, citizen, constituents
Have the students read the Preamble to the Constitution. “What purpose of the Constitution is most
important to you? Why?”
Discuss the warm-up question. Have students explain their answer and defend their choice against the
possibility of a fellow classmate’s inquiry.
Ask students to explain the role/purpose of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of
government.
Judge responses for accuracy and make corrections when needed.
Ask students to explain who is at the head of the executive, legislative, judicial branch. What are the
qualifications to these positions? How would power be checked by each separate branch?
Break students into small groups and have them read specific articles and sections (including the
preamble) of the United States constitution. These materials will be provided and rotated from group to
group as “floating” stations. Students can use the textbook (pgs. 233-43) as supplemental material.
Students will use the provided materials/textbook to complete a questionnaire regarding the constitution.
Once Students have completed all stations the constitutional questionnaire will be completed.
Constitutional questionnaire will become a component of the student’s interactive notebook.
Constitutional questionnaire will become a component of the student’s interactive notebook (classwork
grade).
List the six goals of government listed in the Preamble.
Warm up, wrap-up will be in the student’s INB.
Reflection:
Wednesda
y,
December
4th
Key Questions
Materials _Resources
Room Arrangement
Key Vocabulary
Identify colonial grievances listed in the D.C and how those grievances were addressed in the Bill of
Rights and the United States Constitution. 8.15C
INB, textbook, pen
Small Groups
Enumerated powers, reserved powers, concurrent powers
Warm-up Activity
Opening
Activate Prior Knowledge
Instructional Activity
Check for Understanding
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Formative Assessment
Extension
Description of Product /Task
Rubrics/Grading Criteria
Closure
Assignments
List all the rights you can think of that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
Discuss the American Bill of Rights. Contrast it to the English Bill of Rights. What right/freedom is most
important to them?
Why would the Anti-Federalists demand that a Bill of Rights be included in the new Constitution?
Discuss the Bill of Rights. Have the students eliminate (by majority vote) one right that is guaranteed in
the Bill of Rights. Discuss why they would choose to eliminate that particular right. What new right or
freedom would they wish to include? Why?
Monitor discussion. Guide when needed. Ideally students will be torn as to which right should be
eliminated. Explain to the students the importance of the Bill of Rights and how some rights/freedoms
were a direct result of harsh treatment under British rule.
Break the students into pairs and have them complete a packet on the United States Constitution.
Students will begin by reading (“popcorn”) the first two pages of the handout aloud while underlining
anything they might deem important. Following the reading, the students will share what they have
underlined and why they believe it to be important.
Students will use the reading and their classmate’s assessment of that reading to complete a questionnaire
regarding the constitutional convention and the resulting document.
Completed United States Constitution packet.
Packet is to become a component of the student’s INB. (classwork grade)
Why is James Madison often called the “Father of the Constitution?”
Warm up, wrap-up will be in the student’s INB.
Reflection:
Course: U.S. History
Key Questions
Materials _Resources
Room Arrangement
Key Vocabulary
Warm-up Activity
Thursday, December 5th
Opening
Activate Prior Knowledge
Instructional Activity
Check for Understanding
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Formative Assessment
Extension
Description of Product /Task
Rubrics/Grading Criteria
Closure
Assignments
Class Period(s): 2,3,4,5,6,8
Teacher(s): Payne, Schiller, Blessinger
Summarize the purposes for and process of amending the United States Constitution. 8.16A
INB, textbook, pen
Small groups
Due process of law
What would become of the United States constitution if the government did not have to power to amend
it?
Discuss the warm up. Ideally, students will understand that amendments serve to help the citizens and
keep the constitution from becoming an inflexible, rigid, document with too much or too little power.
Ask students why the constitution included the creation of a two house legislature as opposed to a “one
state=one vote” system under the Articles of Confederation.
Determine the accuracy of student answers. Make sure that students are aware of the differences between
the upper house and lower house of congress.
Have students explain the reason for the difference in number of delegates in the House of
Representatives in Texas as opposed to the number of delegates in Montana.
Have the students create a Bill of Rights for the class room/West Briar. Explain to them that these
proposed rights would apply to all students/teachers. Would their Bill of Rights be different if they were
to create it solely for students?
Students are to use their knowledge of the Bill of Rights, Articles, Amendments to write a letter to their
state senator proposing a change/removal of one aspect of the constitution. The most articulately and
persuasive letters will be sent to Austin.
Persuasive letter.
Project Grade
What fraction of states must agree to ratify an amendment to the Constitution? (3/4)
Warm up, wrap-up will be in the student’s INB.
Friday, December 6th
Reflection:
Key Questions
Materials _Resources
Room Arrangement
Key Vocabulary
Warm-up Activity
Opening
Activate Prior Knowledge
Summarize the purposes for and process of amending the United States Constitution. 8.16A
INB, pen, textbook
Small groups
Implied powers, judicial review
“Restricts quartering of troops in private homes” is a specific right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. What
British Trade law is this right directly contrasting?
Have the students correlate the Bill of Rights to certain British trade laws. Have students point out
articles in the Constitution that were a result of harsh British rule.
Ask the students to identify certain members of the Constitutional Convention. Ask them if they think the
Instructional Activity
Check for Understanding
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Formative Assessment
Extension
Description of Product /Task
Rubrics/Grading Criteria
Closure
Assignments
members of the CC were representative of the American public.
Facilitate classroom discussion. Make note that no women, African Americans, or Native Americans
were represented at the Constitutional Convention.
Ask the students why no minorities were included in the CC. Does the treatment of minorities in the new
nation contradict Thomas Jefferson’s writings in the Declaration of Independence?
Have the students pair up and alternate reading articles of the United States Constitution to each other
(pages 233-43 in their textbook). After a determined time, students will share with the class any pertinent
information they have gathered during their reading.
Students are to use their knowledge of the Bill of Rights, Articles, Amendments to write a letter to their
state senator proposing a change/removal of one aspect of the constitution. The most articulately and
persuasive letters will be sent to Austin.
Persuasive letter
Project grade
Why did the founding fathers include a system of checks and balances in the new constitution?
Project
Reflection:
Special Considerations
Special
ESL
504
Gifted and Talented
All required accommodations will
be given to students that qualify.
Visuals, repeated
instructions, and partner
study will be given to
qualifying students.
All required accommodations
will be given to students that
qualify.
Students will extend learning
though the use of writing,
speech, and/or visual
representation when
appropriate.