us constitution assignment

The Constitution

Students will learn how our Constitution was created and what some of its key characteristics are. They will also explore key amendments to the Constitution and their application in protecting citizens' rights.

Planning to celebrate Constitution Day? Find our most popular resources in this collection .

Choose Grade Level:

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America's Founding Preambles

The Constitution's Cover Letter

Anatomy of the constitution.

You've Got Rights!

Branches of power.

Do I Have a Right?

Do i have a right extension pack.

The Constitution: Rules for Running a Country

Amendment mini-lesson.

Constitutional Principles (HS)

The federalist debate (hs), constitutional influencers, no bill of rights, no deal (hs), changing the constitution (hs), see how it all fits together.

America's Founding Documents

The Constitution of the United States

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We the People  of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. --Preamble to the United States Constitution

All four pages of the document are on permanent display at the National Archives.

Read a Transcript 

The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. Under America’s first national  government, the Articles of Confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might have ended as quickly as it had begun.

Read Articles About the Constitution

• The article "A More Perfect Union" is an in-depth look at the Constitutional Convention and the ratification process.
• "Questions and Answers Pertaining to the Constitution" presents dozens of fascinating facts about the Constitution.
• "Errors in the Constitution—Typographical and Congressional" discusses discrepancies in various printed and handwritten versions of the document.

Amendments 1-10

Amendments 1-10 constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights

Amendments 11-27

Discover the other changes and additions that have been made to the Constitution over the past 200+ years.

Back to Main Page What Does it Say?

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History Resources

Our Constitution: The Bill of Rights (Grades 10–12)

By tim bailey, view the constitution in the gilder lehrman collection by clicking here and here . for a resource on the variations between a draft and the final version of the united states constitution click here . for additional resources click here ..

Unit Objective

These lessons on the Bill of Rights are part of Gilder Lehrman’s series of Common Core–based units. These units were written to enable students to understand, summarize, and analyze original texts of historical significance. Students will demonstrate this knowledge by writing summaries of selections from the original document and, by the end of the unit, articulating their understanding of the complete document by answering questions in an argumentative writing style to fulfill the Common Core Standards. Through this step-by-step process, students will acquire the skills to analyze any primary or secondary source material.

Students will understand the rights and restrictions that are defined by the first five amendments of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. They will demonstrate that understanding by restating those ideals in their own words.

Introduction

On September 17, 1787, in the city of Philadelphia, 39 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the newly negotiated United States Constitution. Many of those who did not sign refused to do so because the document did not include a “bill of rights” that would both secure basic civil rights for its citizens and define the limits of the federal government’s power. Much of the later state ratification debates raged over this lack of a bill of rights. In the solution known as the Massachusetts Compromise, four states agreed to ratify the document if their recommendations would be sent to Congress for consideration. Subsequently, Congress approved twelve of those amendments to the Constitution in 1789. Ten of these were ratified by the states and became the Bill of Rights. The responsibility for the interpretation of those amendments is the given to the Supreme Court.

In this unit the students will analyze the original text of these amendments through careful reading. They will study the exact language of the amendments in order to understand not only the intent of the Founding Fathers, but also the way these words have since been interpreted. This will be done as both individual and group work, and will be evaluated by applying their understanding in short essays.

• The Bill of Rights, Amendments 1-10  (PDF)
• The Bill of Rights, Full Text  (PDF)
• Graphic Organizer (Amendments 1-5)  (PDF)

Note: Depending on the makeup of your class, you may choose to have the students do the first two lessons individually, as partners, or in small groups of three or four students.

• Discuss the information in the introduction.
• Hand out the graphic organizer “Analyzing the First Five Amendments.”
• The teacher then “share reads” the first five amendments with the students. This is done by having the students follow along silently while the teacher begins reading aloud. The teacher models prosody, inflection, and punctuation. The teacher then asks the class to join in with the reading after a few sentences while the teacher continues to read along with the students, still serving as the model for the class. This technique will support struggling readers as well as English Language Learners (ELL).
• The task for the students is to be able to put the first five amendments into their own words. The teacher will model how this is done by putting the graphic organizer on an overhead or Elmo projector so that all students can see the form. Then, as a whole group, go through the process of writing a paraphrasing of the First Amendment. In order to accomplish this the students are going to do a careful reading as they analyze the text and then restate the various parts of the amendment so it makes sense to them. For instance, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” could be restated by the students as “The government can’t start religions or stop people from practicing their own.” The students should follow the teacher through the process and write the new paraphrasing in the box next to the original text.
• The teacher now asks the students to continue with the rest of the amendments on the sheet. As they complete the amendments you can share out some of the best results so the students know if they are on the right track and to acknowledge them for their critical-thinking skills.
• Depending on the class, you may choose to move forward with Lesson 2, or it can be very effective to partner this lesson with short video clips that show the impact of the first five amendments. The following Gilder Lehrman videos may be helpful:
• Madison’s Influence on the US Constitution, Jack Rakove
• Teaching the Constitution, Larry Kramer
• Defining the Constitution, Larry Kramer

Students will understand the rights and restrictions that are defined by the second five amendments of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. They will demonstrate that understanding by restating those ideals in their own words.

In this lesson the students will analyze the original text of amendments 6–10 just as they did amendments 1–5 in the last lesson, through careful reading. They will study the exact language of the amendments in order to understand not only the intent of the Founding Fathers, but also the way that these words have been since been interpreted. At the teacher’s discretion this will be done either individually, as partners, or in small groups of three to four students.

• Graphic Organizer (Amendments 6-10)  (PDF)
• Review both the information in the introduction from the last lesson as well as the procedures from that lesson.
• Pass out the graphic organizer titled “Analyzing Amendments 6–10.”
• The teacher then “share reads” these amendments with the students. This is done by having the students follow along silently while the teacher begins reading aloud. The teacher models prosody, inflection, and punctuation. The teacher then asks the class to join in with the reading after a few sentences while the teacher continues to read along with the students, still serving as the model for the class. This technique will support struggling readers as well as English Language Learners (ELL).
• The task for the students is to be able to put these next five amendments into their own words. If the teacher thinks the students need to review the process, then model how this is done by putting the graphic organizer on an overhead or Elmo so that all students can see the form. Then, as a whole group, write a paraphrasing of the first part of the Sixth Amendment. In order to accomplish this the students are going to do a careful reading as they analyze the text and then restate the various parts of the amendment so that that it makes sense to them.
• The teacher now asks the students to continue with the rest of the amendments for today’s lesson. As students complete the amendments you can share out some of the best results so that the students know if they are on the right track and to acknowledge them for their critical-thinking skills.
• Depending on the class, you may choose to move forward with Lesson 3, or it can be very effective to partner this lesson with short video clips that show the impact of the next five amendments in the Bill of Rights. The following Gilder Lehrman videos may be helpful:
• Brown v. Board of Education and Its Effect on Civil Rights, Larry Kramer
• Arguing Cases in the Supreme Court, Jeff Fisher
• What are the legacies of the Civil Rights Movement, Jacquelyn Dowd Hall

Students will understand how decisions made by the Supreme Court are based on what is written in the Constitution and in the Bill of Rights. They will become aware of how these decisions, based on the Court’s interpretation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, have a great influence on American society.

In this lesson the students will be working with a partner or in small groups in order to read, analyze, discuss, and write about a Supreme Court case from 1968 called Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District . They will be drawing their own conclusions as to the Constitutional issues based on their study of the Bill of Rights, and then offering support for either the Supreme Court’s majority or minority opinion in the case.

• Graphic Organizer: Supreme Court Case 1: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District  (PDF)
• Supreme Court Case Handout A  (PDF)
• Supreme Court Case Handout B  (PDF)
• Supreme Court Case Handout C  (PDF)
• Give the students a brief overview of the introduction, covering the workings of the Supreme Court.
• Put the students into either partnerships or small groups of three to four students.
• Hand out the graphic organizer “Supreme Court Case #1 Handout A.”
• At the teacher’s discretion the text can be share read with the students as in the previous two lessons or the students can read it individually.
• The teacher then poses the question: “Were the petitioner’s Constitutional rights violated by the school district?”
• Hand out the graphic organizer “Supreme Court Case #1: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District .” The students will write their answer in the top section of the organizer.
• Let the students discuss their various views on the constitutional issues raised by this case.
• Hand out graphic organizers “Supreme Court Case #1 Handouts B and C.”
• The students will read both the majority and minority opinions in this case. The students should discuss these opinions with their partner or group.
• Using the graphic organizer the students will answer the following question: After reading both the majority and minority opinions, which do you agree with? Write a short analytical essay that addresses your own view of these two opinions. In the essay make certain to include at least three pieces of evidence directly from the text that support your choice and at least three examples taken from the text that undermine the other argument.
• You may choose to have students work together on this, or, if you are looking for a more individualized assessment, they can work by themselves.

In this lesson the students will be working with a partner or in small groups in order to read, analyze, discuss, and write about a Supreme Court case from 1987 called Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier . They will be drawing their own conclusions as to the constitutional issues based on their study of the Bill of Rights, and then comparing those issues to the ones raised in the last lesson’s case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District .

• Graphic Organizer: Supreme Court Case 2: Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier  (PDF)
• Supreme Court Case Handout D  (PDF)
• Supreme Court Case Handout E  (PDF)
• Give the students a brief overview of the introduction.
• Put the students into the same partnership or small group as they were in the last lesson.
• Hand out the graphic organizer “Supreme Court Case #2 Handout D.”
• At the teacher’s discretion the text can be share read with the students as in the first two lessons or the students can read it individually.
• The teacher then poses the question: “Did the school’s principal violate the student’s Constitutional rights?”
• Hand out the graphic organizer “Supreme Court Case #2: Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier .” On this organizer they will use the top section to answer that question.
• Let the students discuss their various views on the Constitutional issues raised by this case.
• Hand out graphic organizer “Supreme Court Case #2 Handout E.”
• The students will read the decision in this case. The students should discuss this decision with their partner or group.
• Using the graphic organizer the students will do the following: Write a short analytical essay that compares this case with the Tinker v. Des Moines case. In what ways are they the same and in what ways are they different? How did these similarities and differences affect the Supreme Court’s decision? In the essay make certain to include textual evidence taken directly from the documents that support your argument.
• You may choose to have students work together on this or, if you are looking for a more individualized assessment, they can work by themselves.

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U.S. Constitution

Primary tabs, the constitution of the united states of america (see explanation ).

• Preamble ["We the people"] (see explanation )
• Section 1. [Legislative Power Vested] (see explanation )
• Section 2. [House of Representatives] (see explanation )
• Section 3. [Senate] (see explanation )
• Section 4. [Elections of Senators and Representatives] (see explanation )
• Section 5. [Rules of House and Senate] (see explanation )
• Section 6. [Compensation and Privileges of Members] (see explanation )
• Section 7. [Passage of Bills] (see explanation )
• Section 8. [Scope of Legislative Power] (see explanation )
• Section 9. [Limits on Legislative Power] (see explanation )
• Section 10. [Limits on States] (see explanation )
• Section 1. [Election, Installation, Removal] (see explanation )
• Section 2. [Presidential Power] (see explanation )
• Section 3. [State of the Union, Receive Ambassadors, Laws Faithfully Executed, Commission Officers] (see explanation )
• Section 4. [Impeachment] (see explanation )
• Section 1. [Judicial Power Vested] (see explanation )
• Section 2. [Scope of Judicial Power] (see explanation )
• Section 3. [Treason] (see explanation )
• Section 1. [Full Faith and Credit] (see explanation )
• Section 2. [Privileges and Immunities, Extradiction, Fugitive Slaves] (see explanation )
• Section 3. [Admission of States] (see explanation )
• Section 4. [Guarantees to States] (see explanation )
• Article V [The Amendment Process] (see explanation )
• Article VI [Legal Status of the Constitution] (see explanation )
• Article VII [Ratification] (see explanation )
• Amendment I [Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment II [Right to Bear Arms (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment III [Quartering of Troops (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment IV [Search and Seizure (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment V [Grand Jury, Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination, Due Process (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment VI [Criminal Prosecutions - Jury Trial, Right to Confront and to Counsel (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment VII [Common Law Suits - Jury Trial (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment VIII [Excess Bail or Fines, Cruel and Unusual Punishment (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment IX [Non-Enumerated Rights (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment X [Rights Reserved to States or People (1791)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XI [Suits Against a State (1795)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XII [Election of President and Vice-President (1804)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XIII [Abolition of Slavery (1865)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XIV [Privileges and Immunities, Due Process, Equal Protection, Apportionment of Representatives, Civil War Disqualification and Debt (1868)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XV [Rights Not to Be Denied on Account of Race (1870)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XVI [Income Tax (1913)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XVII [Election of Senators (1913)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XVIII [Prohibition (1919)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XIX [Women's Right to Vote (1920)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XX [Presidential Term and Succession (1933)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXI [Repeal of Prohibition (1933)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXII [Two Term Limit on President (1951)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXIII [Presidential Vote in D.C. (1961)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXIV [Poll Tax (1964)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXV [Presidential Succession (1967)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXVI [Right to Vote at Age 18 (1971)] (see explanation )
• Amendment XXVII [Compensation of Members of Congress (1992)] (see explanation )
• Article III
• Article VII
• Bill of Rights
• First Amendment
• Second Amendment
• Third Amendment
• Fourth Amendment
• Fifth Amendment
• Sixth Amendment
• forum selection clause
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• Eighth Amendment
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• Tenth Amendment
• 11th Amendment
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• 15th Amendment
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Constitution

By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 28, 2023 | Original: October 27, 2009

The Constitution of the United States established America’s national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. 

It was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Under America’s first governing document, the Articles of Confederation, the national government was weak and states operated like independent countries. At the 1787 convention, delegates devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches—executive, legislative and judicial—along with a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch would have too much power. 

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

The Preamble outlines the Constitution's purpose and guiding principles. It reads:

The Bill of Rights were 10 amendments guaranteeing basic individual protections, such as freedom of speech and religion, that became part of the Constitution in 1791. To date, there are 27 constitutional amendments.

Articles of Confederation

America’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation , was ratified in 1781, a time when the nation was a loose confederation of states, each operating like independent countries. The national government was comprised of a single legislature, the Congress of the Confederation; there was no president or judicial branch.

The Articles of Confederation gave Congress the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war and regulate currency; however, in reality these powers were sharply limited because Congress had no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops.

Did you know? George Washington was initially reluctant to attend the Constitutional Convention. Although he saw the need for a stronger national government, he was busy managing his estate at Mount Vernon, suffering from rheumatism and worried that the convention wouldn't be successful in achieving its goals.

Soon after America won its independence from Great Britain with its 1783 victory in the American Revolution , it became increasingly evident that the young republic needed a stronger central government in order to remain stable.

In 1786, Alexander Hamilton , a lawyer and politician from New York , called for a constitutional convention to discuss the matter. The Confederation Congress, which in February 1787 endorsed the idea, invited all 13 states to send delegates to a meeting in Philadelphia.

Forming a More Perfect Union

On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence had been adopted 11 years earlier. There were 55 delegates in attendance, representing all 13 states except Rhode Island , which refused to send representatives because it did not want a powerful central government interfering in its economic business. George Washington , who’d become a national hero after leading the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolution, was selected as president of the convention by unanimous vote.

The delegates (who also became known as the “framers” of the Constitution) were a well-educated group that included merchants, farmers, bankers and lawyers. Many had served in the Continental Army, colonial legislatures or the Continental Congress (known as the Congress of the Confederation as of 1781). In terms of religious affiliation, most were Protestants. Eight delegates were signers of the Declaration of Independence, while six had signed the Articles of Confederation.

At age 81, Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) was the oldest delegate, while the majority of the delegates were in their 30s and 40s. Political leaders not in attendance at the convention included Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and John Adams (1735-1826), who were serving as U.S. ambassadors in Europe. John Jay (1745-1829), Samuel Adams (1722-1803) and John Hancock (1737-93) were also absent from the convention. Virginia’s Patrick Henry (1736-99) was chosen to be a delegate but refused to attend the convention because he didn’t want to give the central government more power, fearing it would endanger the rights of states and individuals.

Reporters and other visitors were barred from the convention sessions, which were held in secret to avoid outside pressures. However, Virginia’s James Madison (1751-1836) kept a detailed account of what transpired behind closed doors. (In 1837, Madison’s widow Dolley sold some of his papers, including his notes from the convention debates, to the federal government for $30,000.)

Debating the Constitution

The delegates had been tasked by Congress with amending the Articles of Confederation; however, they soon began deliberating proposals for an entirely new form of government. After intensive debate, which continued throughout the summer of 1787 and at times threatened to derail the proceedings, they developed a plan that established three branches of national government–executive, legislative and judicial. A system of checks and balances was put into place so that no single branch would have too much authority. The specific powers and responsibilities of each branch were also laid out.

Among the more contentious issues was the question of state representation in the national legislature. Delegates from larger states wanted population to determine how many representatives a state could send to Congress, while small states called for equal representation. The issue was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation of the states in the lower house ( House of Representatives ) and equal representation in the upper house (Senate).

Another controversial topic was slavery. Although some northern states had already started to outlaw the practice, they went along with the southern states’ insistence that slavery was an issue for individual states to decide and should be kept out of the Constitution. Many northern delegates believed that without agreeing to this, the South wouldn’t join the Union. For the purposes of taxation and determining how many representatives a state could send to Congress, it was decided that enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person. Additionally, it was agreed that Congress wouldn’t be allowed to prohibit the slave trade before 1808, and states were required to return fugitive enslaved people to their owners.

Ratifying the Constitution

By September 1787, the convention’s five-member Committee of Style (Hamilton, Madison, William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut, Gouverneur Morris of New York, Rufus King of Massachusetts ) had drafted the final text of the Constitution, which consisted of some 4,200 words. On September 17, George Washington was the first to sign the document. Of the 55 delegates, a total of 39 signed; some had already left Philadelphia, and three–George Mason (1725-92) and Edmund Randolph (1753-1813) of Virginia , and Elbridge Gerry (1744-1813) of Massachusetts–refused to approve the document. In order for the Constitution to become law, it then had to be ratified by nine of the 13 states.

James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, with assistance from John Jay, wrote a series of essays to persuade people to ratify the Constitution. The 85 essays, known collectively as “The Federalist” (or “The Federalist Papers”), detailed how the new government would work, and were published under the pseudonym Publius (Latin for “public”) in newspapers across the states starting in the fall of 1787. (People who supported the Constitution became known as Federalists, while those opposed it because they thought it gave too much power to the national government were called Anti-Federalists.)

Beginning on December 7, 1787, five states– Delaware , Pennsylvania, New Jersey , Georgia and Connecticut–ratified the Constitution in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve un-delegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion and the press. 

In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina . On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. George Washington was inaugurated as America’s first president on April 30, 1789. In June of that same year, Virginia ratified the Constitution, and New York followed in July. On February 2, 1790, the U.S. Supreme Court held its first session, marking the date when the government was fully operative.

Rhode Island, the last holdout of the original 13 states, finally ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790.

The Bill of Rights

In 1789, Madison, then a member of the newly established U.S. House of Representatives , introduced 19 amendments to the Constitution. On September 25, 1789, Congress adopted 12 of the amendments and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights , were ratified and became part of the Constitution on December 10, 1791. The Bill of Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens, including freedom of speech, religion and the press; the right to bear and keep arms; the right to peaceably assemble; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. For his contributions to the drafting of the Constitution, as well as its ratification, Madison became known as “Father of the Constitution.”

To date, there have been thousands of proposed amendments to the Constitution. However, only 17 amendments have been ratified in addition to the Bill of Rights because the process isn’t easy–after a proposed amendment makes it through Congress, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. The most recent amendment to the Constitution, Article XXVII, which deals with congressional pay raises, was proposed in 1789 and ratified in 1992.

The Constitution Today

In the more than 200 years since the Constitution was created, America has stretched across an entire continent and its population and economy have expanded more than the document’s framers likely ever could have envisioned. Through all the changes, the Constitution has endured and adapted.

The framers knew it wasn’t a perfect document. However, as Benjamin Franklin said on the closing day of the convention in 1787: “I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such, because I think a central government is necessary for us… I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain may be able to make a better Constitution.” Today, the original Constitution is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Constitution Day is observed on September 17, to commemorate the date the document was signed.

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The Preamble to the Constitution: A Close Reading Lesson

The first page of the United States Constitution, opening with the Preamble.

National Archives

"[T]he preamble of a statute is a key to open the mind of the makers, as to the mischiefs, which are to be remedied, and the objects, which are to be accomplished by the provisions of the statute." — Justice Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution

The Preamble is the introduction to the United States Constitution, and it serves two central purposes. First, it states the source from which the Constitution derives its authority: the sovereign people of the United States. Second, it sets forth the ends that the Constitution and the government that it establishes are meant to serve.

Gouverneur Morris, the man the Constitutional Convention entrusted with drafting the final version of the document, put into memorable language the principles of government negotiated and formulated at the Convention.

As Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story points out in the passage quoted above, the Preamble captures some of the hopes and fears of the framers for the American republic. By reading their words closely and comparing them with those of the Articles of Confederation, students can in turn access “the mind of the makers” as to “mischiefs” to be “remedied” and “objects” to be accomplished.

In this lesson, students will practice close reading of the Preamble and of related historic documents, illuminating the ideas that the framers of the Constitution set forth about the foundation and the aims of government.

Guiding Questions

How does the language of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution reflect historical circumstances and ideas about government?

To what extent is the U.S. Constitution a finished document?

Learning Objectives

Compare the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution with the statement of purposes included in the Articles of Confederation.

Explain the source of authority and the goals of the U.S. Constitution as identified in the Preamble.

Evaluate the fundamental values and principles expressed in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

Lesson Plan Details

The Articles of Confederation was established in 1781 as the nation’s “first constitution.” Each state governed itself through elected representatives, and the state representatives in turn elected a central government. But the national government was so feeble and its powers so limited that this system proved unworkable. Congress could not impose taxes to cover national expenses, which meant the Confederation was ineffectual. And because all 13 colonies had to ratify amendments, one state’s refusal prevented any reform. By 1786 many far-sighted American leaders saw the need for a more powerful central authority; a convention was called to meet in Philadelphia in May 1787.

The Constitutional Convention met for four months. Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government and then, how to balance and check that power to prevent government abuse.

As debate at the Philadelphia Convention drew to a close, Gouverneur Morris was assigned to the Committee of Style and given the task of wording the Constitution by the committee’s members. Through thoughtful word choice, Morris attempted to put the fundamental principles agreed on by the framers into memorable language.

By looking carefully at the words of the Preamble, comparing it with the similar passages in the opening of the Articles of Confederation, and relating them to historical circumstances as well as widely shared political principles such as those found in the Declaration of Independence, students can see how the Preamble reflects the hope and fears of the Framers.

For background information about the history and interpretation of the Constitution, see the following resources:

• A basic and conveniently organized introduction to the historical context is “ To Form a More Perfect Union ,” available in Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774–1789 from the Library of Congress .
• Another historical summary is " Constitution of the United States—A History ," available in America's Founding Documents from the National Archives .
• The Interactive Constitution , a digital resource that incorporates commentary from constitutional scholars, is available from the National Constitution Center .
• The American Constitution: A Documentary Record , available via  The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School , offers an extensive archive of documents critical to the development of the Constitution.

This lesson is one of a series of complementary EDSITEment lesson plans for intermediate-level students about the foundations of our government. Consider adapting them for your class in the following order:

• The Argument of the Declaration of Independence
• (Present lesson plan)
• Balancing Three Branches at Once: Our System of Checks and Balances:
• The First Amendment: What's Fair in a Free Country

NCSS. D2.Civ.3.9-12. Analyze the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements on the maintenance of national and international order.

NCSS.D2.Civ.4.9-12. Explain how the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of government that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed over time and that are still contested.

NCSS. D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.

NCSS. D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.

NCSS. D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.

NCSS. D2.His.6.9-12. Analyze the ways in which the perspectives of those writing history shaped the history that they produced.

NCSS. D2.His.14.9-12. Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

The following resources are included with this lesson plan to be used in conjunction with the student activities and for teacher preparation.

• Activity 1. Student Worksheet
• Activity 2. Teachers Guide to the Preamble
• Activity 2. Graphic Organizer

Review the Graphic Organizer for Activity 2, which contains the Preamble to the Constitution along with the opening passages of the Articles of Confederation and the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence (both from OurDocuments.gov ), and make copies for the class.

Activity 1. Why Government?

To help students understand the enormous task facing the Americans, pose a hypothetical situation to the class:

Imagine that on a field trip to a wilderness area or sailing trip to a small, remote island, you all became stranded without any communication with parents, the school, or other adults and had little hope of being rescued in the foreseeable future. The area where you’re marooned can provide the basic necessities of food, shelter, and water, but you will have to work together to survive.

Encourage students to think about the next steps they need to take with a general discussion about such matters as:

• Are you better working together or alone? (Be open to their ideas, but point out reasons why they have a better chance at survival if they work together.)
• How will you work together?
• How will you create rules?
• Who will be responsible for leading the group to help all survive?
• How will they be chosen?
• How will you deal with people in the group who may not be following the rules?

Distribute the Student Worksheet handout , which contains the seven questions below. [ Note: These questions are related to the seven phrases from the Preamble but this relationship in not given on the handout. ]

Divide students into small groups and have each group brainstorm a list of things they would have to consider in developing its own government. [ Note: You can have all groups answer all seven questions or assign one question for each group.] Ask students to be detailed in their answers and be able to support their recommendations.

• How will you make sure everyone sticks together and works towards the common goal of getting rescued? (form a more perfect union)
• How will you make sure that anyone who feels unfairly treated will have a place to air complaints? (establishing justice) 
• How will you make sure that people can have peace and quiet? (ensuring domestic tranquility) 
• How will you make sure that group members will help if outsiders arrive who threaten your group? (providing for the common defense)
• How will you make sure that the improvements you make on the island (such as shelters, fireplaces and the like) will be used fairly? (promoting the general welfare) 
• How will you make sure that group members will be free to do what they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else? (securing the blessing of liberty to ourselves) 
• How will you make sure that the rules and organizations you develop protect future generations? (securing the blessing of liberty to our posterity) 

While students are working in their groups, write or project the following seven headers on the front board in this order:

• Secure the Blessings of Liberty for our Posterity,
• Promote the General Welfare,
• Establish Justice,
• Form a more perfect Union,
• Insure Domestic Tranquility,
• Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves, and
• Provide for the Common Defense

After the groups have finished discussing their questions, have them meet as a class. First ask them to identify which question (by number) from their handout goes with which section of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution you’ve listed on the front board. Next, have students share their recommendations to the questions and allow other groups to comment, add, or disagree with the recommendations made.

Exit Ticket:

Encourage class discussion of the following questions:

• Having just released themselves from Britain's monarchy, what would the colonists fear most?
• Judging from some of the complaints the colonists had against Britain, what might be some of their concerns for any future government?

As in the hypothetical situation described above, what decisions would the colonists have to make about forming a new government out of 13 colonies which, until 1776, had basically been running themselves independently?

Activity 2. What the Preamble Says

Review the Teachers' Guide to the Preamble , which parses each of the phrases of the Preamble and contrasts them with the equivalent passages in the Articles and the Declaration. Teachers can use this guide as a source for a short lecture before the activity and as a kind of answer sheet for the activity.

In this activity, students investigate the Preamble to the Constitution by comparing and contrasting it with the opening language of the Articles of Confederation. They will:

• understand how the Preamble of the Constitution (in outlining the goals of the new government under the Constitution) was written with the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation in mind, aiming to create “a more perfect union,” and
• understand how the Preamble drew its justification from the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

The aim of this activity is to show students, through a close reading of the Preamble, how its style and content reflect some of the aspirations of the framers for the future of republican government in America. 

[ Note: teachers should define “diction,” “connotation,” and “denotation” to the students before beginning to ask students to differentiate between language in the two documents. ]

Distribute copies of the Graphic Organizer and questions to all students and have them complete it in their small groups (or individually as a homework assignment).

Have one or two students or groups of students summarize their conclusions concerning the critical differences between the Articles and the Preamble, citing the sources of these documents as referents.

Have students answer the following in a brief, well-constructed essay:

Using the ideas and information presented in this lesson, explain how the wording and structure of the Preamble demonstrate that the Constitution is different from the Articles of Confederation.

Note: For an excellent example of what can be inferred from the language and structure of the Preamble, teachers should review and model this passage by Professor Garret Epps from “ The Poetry of the Preamble ” on the Oxford University Press blog (2013):

“Form, establish, insure, provide, promote, secure”: these are strong verbs that signify governmental power, not restraint. “We the people” are to be bound—into a stronger union. We will be protected against internal disorder—that is, against ourselves—and against foreign enemies. The “defence” to be provided is “common,” general, spread across the country. The Constitution will establish justice; it will promote the “general” welfare; it will secure our liberties. The new government, it would appear, is not the enemy of liberty but its chief agent and protector.

Students could be asked whether they agree or disagree with the above interpretation. They should be expected to provide evidence-based arguments for their position.

The aspirational rhetoric of the Preamble has inspired various social movements throughout our nation’s history. In particular, two 19th-century developments come to mind: the struggles for abolitionism and women's suffrage. Examples of oratory from each movement are provided below. In response to one of these excerpts, students can write a short essay about how the words of the Preamble affected the relevant movement.

• Students should ascertain what the Preamble meant to the movement and how it was used to make an appeal to the nation. The essay might address the question of how and why those such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, who at their time were excluded from the full range of rights and liberties ensured by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, responded to the principles expressed in the Preamble.
• Students should then argue either for or against the interpretation of the Preamble advanced in the excerpt, drawing from the knowledge gained in this lesson.

Be sure that the essay has a strong thesis (a non-obvious, debatable proposition about the Preamble) that students support with evidence from the texts used in this lesson.

Example 1. Frederick Douglass, “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July ?” (1852)

Fellow-citizens! there is no matter in respect to which, the people of the North have allowed themselves to be so ruinously imposed upon, as that of the pro-slavery character of the Constitution. In that instrument I hold there is neither warrant, license, nor sanction of the hateful thing; but, interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT. Read its preamble, consider its purposes. Is slavery among them? Is it at the gateway? or is it in the temple? It is neither.

Example 2. Susan B. Anthony, “ Is It a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote? ” ( 1873)

It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people—women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government—the ballot.

Materials & Media

Preamble close reading: activity 1 student worksheet, preamble close reading: activity 2 graphic organizer, preamble close reading: activity 2 teachers guide, related on edsitement, a day for the constitution, commemorating constitution day, the constitutional convention of 1787.

Mr and Mrs Social Studies

A Teaching Blog

How to Teach the US Constitution

Constitution activities, teaching constitution.

If you find yourself teaching the Constitution this year, these US Constitution activities can help! Whether you are looking for Constitution Day activities for high school students or need inspiration for teaching the Constitution middle school, we’ve got you covered! The following list of ideas comes from our own teaching experiences and worked great in the secondary social studies classroom. 

Constitution Activities Middle School

I-Civics: This might be my all-time favorite resource for a Constitution unit. There are several games that help students understand civic concepts; and the students genuinely enjoy the games. Our favorite game is include Win the White House and Do I Have a Right? Check out I-Civics here.

Scavenger Hunt: It may be fun to start your Constitution Unit with a scavenger hunt. Several versions are available for free online, or you could make your own. This can provide a competitive atmosphere for students to be interacting with the Constitution and identifying different parts of it.

Test Prep and Mini-Quizzes: Assuming you have to provide a high-stakes Constitution Test to your students at the end of the unit, I know that it is something my students felt nervous or anxious about. To help my students with ongoing studying and test preparation, I created mini-quizzes each day (or every few days) during the unit. These mini-quizzes were typically about five multiple-choice questions that reviewed what we learned in the class the previous day(s) and encourage students to study in smaller sections and not wait until right before the test to start studying. You could pull sample questions from this test , or create your own.

Celebrity Eligibility Activity: When you are covering the basic eligibility requirements of who can be the President, a Senator or Representative, it is fun to select several celebrities your students may be interested in and ask them to figure out what offices that person could hold.

School House Rock Video: The Preamble: If your students need to know or memorize the Preamble of the Constitution, the School House Rock version is well done and quite catchy!

Who’s Who in Congress Challenge: After you have taught students about Congress and the Legislative Branch using our Constitution Slideshow , consider this creative activity. To help students understand who makes up the current Congress, you can look up the average age, length of service, the number of women or people of color, etc. and have students guess this information. My students were surprised by the lack of diversity and old age of those in Congress, but doing this activity can be a great way to emphasize how important it is to have people step up to run for office and to include other perspectives.

A Constitution Word Wall can be a helpful way to reinforce Constitution vocabulary words!

Gerrymandering Challenge: Sketch out a sample state (or have students do their own) and label it with an equal number of Ds and Rs (for Democrats and Republicans). Make two copies for each student (perhaps on the front and back of a sheet). Then, provide an overview of how counties are formed and talk about gerrymandering. Students can then practice gerrymandering in a way that will allow the Democrats to have more seats on one page and Republicans on the other.

Vocabulary Activities: Vocabulary activities can be helpful tools to make learning vocabulary fun, and these Constitution Vocabulary Activities for Google Drive are no exception! We love using Google Forms with our students because they are self-grading, and websites like Quizlet are always a meaningful option. This resource features a word sort/Semantic Map, a matching challenge with synonyms and antonyms, vocabulary bingo, several Google Forms, a Frayer Model vocabulary chart, and more!

You can learn more about some helpful vocabulary activities and vocabulary teaching ideas in this blog post .

Debates and/or Mock Elections: Debates and mock elections can be great ways to get students involved in Constitutional issues, especially for older students. Perhaps students can debate about issues pertaining to the amendments or evaluate Supreme Court Cases. Also, to illustrate and explain how the election system works, you can have several students ”run for office” and participate in an election.

Constitutional Convention: While this would require more planning, you might consider hosting a Constitutional Convention. Assign roles to your students and have them debate and discuss some of the key parts of the Constitution or differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. For this, I recommend using teachingamericanhistory.org, or s pecifically go here . 

Constitution Lesson Plans

If you liked these Constitution activities, you will love our Constitution bundle! This United States Constitution bundle is designed to simplify your US Constitution unit and give you all of the resources you need to be successful. All files are 100% editable, so you can add any additional information that your state or district requires or change things as you wish. We have also added some Google Drive files for your convenience! Check out this epic resource here.

Constitution Day Online Activities

Do you need a digital activity to use for Constitution Day only? If so, you might like this Constitution Day Amendment Analysis Activity ! This Constitution Day Activity will challenge your students and help them make connections between the amendments in the Bill of Rights and current events. This no-prep activity consists of a Google Slideshow with a slide for each of the 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights.

Are you looking for some new teaching ideas to engage your students in your social studies class? If so, you’ll love our FREE guide: 5 Creative Projects to Ignite Student Engagement in Your Social Studies Class . These activities have both printable and digital options and can work for any social studies subject!

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A New Nation

Assignment: the constitution.

In a paragraph or two, explain how the U.S. Constitution and its first 10 amendments represents a compromise between the different regional and political differences of the late 18th century in America. Support your answer with reference to the different parts of the Constitution. The finished product should be about 200 words.

• The Constitution Assignment. Authored by : Thomas deMayo. Provided by : Reynolds Community College. Located at : http://www.reynolds.edu . License : CC BY: Attribution