teaching 6 big ideas in the constitution with resources from the national archives & the center...
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Teaching 6 Big Ideas in the Constitution with Resources fromThe National Archives &The Center for Legislative Archives
http:// www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education/constitution/
We teach about:
What Congress DoesAnd
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
we open their eyes to history as a living set of choices and unfinished revolutions.
Through active learning with primary sources,
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
Idea Significance Why he likes this idea or not
The Great Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Constitution (Did he sign it?)
Likes
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
Analyze historic documentsDetermine which of the 6 Big Ideas each matches
Rela
te th
e 6
Big
Idea
s to
H
istor
y
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.