Mcerino's List: Teaching The Constitutional Convention to 6th Grade

• The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States
• Under these articles, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes.

  • Ask students what sovereign means and what problems that could cause. Analogy: What would they do if they were left alone for a week without anyone telling them what to do? …eat junk food, play video games, watch TV, etc… CHAOS. Same with the states, they were in Chaos.

• • Review the Article of Confederation with the students.
• Articles of  Confederation,
• • Have the students define in their own words prior to this article
• the word "liberty" has many  meanings
• • Ask students WHY?
• Among the  first orders of business was electing George  Washington president of  the Convention and establishing the  rules
• • Primary Document???
• "Virginia Plan"
• Questions for Class  Discussion    1. Did the Convention exceed its authority?  How to  you begin to  answer such a question?
    2.  If the Convention did exceed its authority,  should it have  anyway?  Does it matter whether the Convention acted  beyond the  powers given to it?
    3.  Would the United States have been better off if  the Virginia  Plan had been adopted as presented?  If the New  Jersey Plan had  been adopted?
    4.   Has our constitutional system worked more  or less as  Madison hoped it would?  In what respects, if any, do  you think  Madison would be disappointed?
    5.  What was the greatest failing of the  Constitutional  Convention?  Why?

7 more annotations...

• By 1774, Philadelphia had become the second largest English-speaking city in   the world, after London
• Because Philadelphia was the principal port of entry for most new arrivals   to the colonies (until 1820 when New York City came to prominence), the "Philadelphia   Plan" was soon replicated in settlements
• In 1787, the U.S. Constitution was written and signed by 37 of the 42   representatives present in the same room, below.
• Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts, the 15th child   in a family of 17 children. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1723 after an argument   with his publisher brother, James.  In 1727 he founded the American Philosophical   Society, and in 1729 (at 23 years old) he bought the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper.    In 1731 he founded the Philadelphia Library, the first public library in the   US.   In 1737 he appointed deputy postmaster and was in charge of   the Philadelphia Post Office (below)
• His house once stood behind the post office.  It is no longer there, although   you can see its foundations, and a museum dedicated to his life is adjacent   to the site.  Among his other accomplishments were:

3 more annotations...

• • Wool…imagine Philly in the summer time--hot and humid. Those poor delegates must have been sweating (and stinky) with so many layers and WOOL.
• Their clothing would usually be made of wool

• Delegates to the Constitutional Convention The Work Begins Writing the Constitution The Great Compromise Signing the Constitution Ratifying the Constitution
• Bill of Rights Powers of the Federal Government The Three Branches of Government Checks and Balances Amendments Women - The Right to Vote

• Show What You Know

  • students can take a little quiz after reading each section