1. Outlining the Constitution
Outline the important elements of the Constitution.
List the 6 basic principles of the Constitution.

2. Sets out the basic principles upon which government in the United States was built and how it operates today.
It begins with the Preamble and the balance of the original document is divided into 7 numbered sections called articles.
The first 3 articles deal with the 3 branches of the National Government.
Article IV deals with the place of the states in the American Union.
Article V explains how formal amendments may be added to the document.
Article VI declares that the Constitution is the nation’s supreme law.
Article VII provides for the ratification of the Constitution.
These articles are followed by 27 amendments.

3. 6 Basic Principles of
the Constitution

4. Popular Sovereignty – all political power resides in the people.
Limited Government – no government is all-powerful, a government may do only those things that the people have given it the power to do.
Separation of powers – these basic powers are distributed-separated-among 3 distinct and independent branches of government.
Checks and Balances – each branch of government is subject to a number of constitutional checks (restraints) by other branches.
Judicial Review – power of the courts to determine whether what government does in accord with what the constitution provides.
Has the power to declare unconstitutional (illegal, void)
Marbury V Madison (link)
Federalism – the division of power among a central government and several regional governments came to the constitution out of both experience and necessity.

5. Activity – 5 parts Mapping the Text
Mapping the text of the Constitution presents the national charter in a way that illustrates the attention the Founders gave to the structure and power of government. By counting the words in each article and calculating the percentage of the whole it represents, you can determine how much of the overall project was dedicated to each structure or power.
Fill out the table to determine the number of words contained in each Article of the Constitution and the percentage of the whole document that represents.
As a class, we will figure out how many words there are.

6. Individually, you will figure out the percentages
Individually, you will figure out the percentages. Using different colors for each of the Articles and the Preamble, color in the squares to represent the percentage of the whole Constitution that is dedicated to each article. Each square represents 1% of the document.

7. Which topics received the most attention in the Constitution?
Does the map suggest hypotheses about the relative importance to the Founders of the powers of the new government?
To what extent do the powers of each branch of government displayed in the map match how the federal government works today?

8. You will create a Founders’ Social Network using the handout.
You will draw from a hat to decide who your Founding Father will be.
When you complete the profile and likes section, you will pass them around the room to let people learn about your Founder. This will help you determine who you would likely be “friends” with and then fill out the Friends section of the handout.

9. Outlining the Constitution’s Six Big Ideas
You will analyze the text of the Constitution to identify specific examples of the Six Big ideas in action.
You will define each term (which we have already done)
Then, you will be divided into six groups with each group assigned a Big Idea.
You will have a copy of the Constitution and examine the text to identify two examples of your assigned Big Idea. You will now fill out the handout with the quote from the Constitution and its location. You will also have to rephrase the quote into your own words.
Example: Separation of Powers-Article II, Section 2, clause 2 says that the Executive "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur." This means that two branches, the President and Congress (the Senate), have to agree before a treaty goes into effect.

10. Analyzing Primary Resources
You will apply your understanding of the Big Ideas in Step 3 to actual documents which were created or received by the federal government as it was exercising its powers under the Constitution.
You will act as historians who must consider the source of each document, when it was created and its content to determine how it relates to the Big Ideas.
You will be paired up with someone and be given a copy of a primary source. You will read and inspect the document to determine which Big Idea is represented within it.
You will then post the document’s name under the corresponding Big Idea that I have posted on the wall.

11. Debating the Six Big Ideas
Different understandings of how the Big Ideas should be manifested in the actions of the federal government often engender debates over what government should be doing in the name of the people it serves.
You will obtain an understanding of these current disputes by taking sides in a debate featuring current issues.
Two teams will be assigned. You will choose a speaker to deliver the opening argument and a speaker for the closing argument. The rest of you will be giving supporting arguments.