Students will be introduced to the goals set out for the Constitution, and to the resolutions arrived at to resolve three major conflicts which arose during the writing of the Constitution.
Paraphrasing the Preamble
1. Student read aloud, and then in pairs paraphrase the Preamble to the Constitution.
2. The whole class should then review, with a common class version on the blackboard or overhead projector.
3. Ask students to discuss or write down a one-sentence summary of what goals the Preamble sets out for the Constitution. Read these aloud, emphasizing versions you think act as particularly effective summaries.
Evaluating Constitutional Compromises
Students will understand several conflicts which played themselves out in the writing of the Constitution. Most textbooks explain these conflicts adequately, but this unit would seek to have students locate the “compromises” we always hear about within the text of the Constitution, rather than memorizing it out of their textbook. This lesson could supplement, or possibly replace, the section in most U.S. history textbooks on the compromises in the Constitution.
1. Introduce the following conflicts, which arose as the framers attempted to hammer out how to deliver on the promises of the Preamble:
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1. Representation by person or by state
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2. Division of authority between the national government and the states
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3. Compromises over slavery
2. Ask students to refer to their textbooks and take notes on each conflict. In their notes, they should divide their papers in half and record both who was on each side, and what reasons those groups used to defend their position. You can make a two-column chart on the blackboard or overhead transparency to demonstrate for them:
CONSTITUTIONAL CONFLICT: ________________________________
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SIDE A:
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SIDE B:
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WHO WAS ON THIS SIDE:
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WHO WAS ON THIS SIDE:
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_________________________
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________________________
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_________________________
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________________________
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WHY THEY WERE ON THIS SIDE:
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WHY THEY WERE ON THIS SIDE:
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___________________________
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________________________
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___________________________
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________________________
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________________________________________________________
REASONS THEY USED TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE THEY WERE RIGHT:
3. Students will have an opportunity to refer to the passages in the Constitution which articulate a compromise of some kind between the two sides in each conflict. If you have time, all students can work on all three compromises. If you are pressed for time, assign pairs of students to work on one compromise, then share with the class and compare with other groups what they got from the text. You could also jigsaw your groups (Groups of three work on one compromise each; groups swap members so that each new group of three contains one “expert” member on each compromise; the “experts” then teach each other about their own compromise.) if you have a class which is confident with the material.
Compromises are explained in the Constitution as follows:
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1. Representation by person or by state
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Article I: Section 1
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Article I: Section 2, Clauses 1, 3
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Article I: Section 3, Clause 1
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Article II: Section 1, Clauses 2, 3, 4
2. Division of authority between the national government and the states
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Article I: Section 4, Clause 1
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Article I: Section 8, 9, 10
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Article II: Section 2, Clause 1
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Article IV
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Article V
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3. Compromises over slavery
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Article I: Section 2, Clause 3
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Article I: Section 9, Clause 1
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Article IV: Section 2, Clause 3
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Article V
4. Students will paraphrase the compromise so that it makes sense, breaking it down into as many parts as they feel necessary to make it clear.
5. Students evaluate the compromise reached, in writing. Is this compromise fair? Can they think of a better compromise?
6. Now that they have examined three compromises which address representation in the Constitution, ask students to discuss whether or not the Constitution delivers on the promises of the Preamble.
