TODAY’S PLAN HOOK PPT over 6 Principles of the

Constitution Principles Activity Translating the Preamble Free Time!!

HOOK Have you ever belonged to an

organization such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Sport Teams, Dance, and Ballet. Explain the basic principles, or rules of these organizations. Have a short discussion on the values of such principles. In this section, students will learn about the basic principles of the Constitution.

6 Basic Principles of the Constitution

Popular Sovereignty In the United States, all political

power resides in the people. The people are Sovereign. Government can govern only with the

consent of the governed

Limited Government No government is all-powerful, that a

government may do only those things that the people have given it the power to do.

Separation of Powers Basic American powers are

distributed, separated among 3 distinct and independent branches of Government.

The Constitution distributes the powers of the National Government among the Congress (the legislative branch), the President (the executive branch), and the courts (the judicial branch).

Checks and Balances Each branch is subject to a number of

constitutional checks (restraints) by the other branches.

In other words, each branch has certain powers with which it can check the operations of the other two.

Judicial Review The power of courts to determine

whether what government does is in accord with what the Constitution provides.

It is the power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Federalism The division of power among a

central government and several regional governments.

What is the Constitution The Constitution is a fairly brief document, little more than 7,000

words. This brief document has successfully guided this nation through two centuries of tremendous growth and change. It begins with a short, noteworthy introduction, the Preamble, and the balance of the original document is divided into seven numbered sections called articles. The first 3 articles deal with the three branches of the National Government: Congress, the presidency, and the federal court system. Article IV deals mostly with the place of the States in the American Union and with their relationship with the National Government and with one another. Article V explains how formal amendments may be added to the document. Article VI declares that the Constitution is the nation’s supreme law. Finally, Article VII states the requirements for ratification. The seven articles of the original document are followed by 27 amendments, printed in the order in which they were adopted.

ACTIVITY! Assign the class into groups of 6. Each person in the

group will look in the book to define one of the six basic principles. Provide each group with 5-6 index cards. Have group members write the definition of their principle on one card, and examples of the principle or terms associated with it on the rest of the cards. Put what principle it is on the back. Cards from all of the groups should be placed in a box and shuffled. After the teacher has listed the six principles on the whiteboard, students should alternate turns picking a card and placing it under the appropriate principle on the board. Groups earn one point for each member’s correct response.

PREAMBLE to the Constitution We the people of the United States, in Order

to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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.

Now, underline any words that you don’t know what they mean/are not comfortable with.