Unit 3 Writing the Constitution

Constitution

• The Articles and the Constitutional Convention

  • Student can explain the issues of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, including:

    • the Great Compromise

    • the Three-Fifths Compromise

• Student understands the:

  • impact of slavery on different sections of the U.S. during the writing of the Constitution

  • Articles of Confederation

  • strengths

  • weaknesses

Government/ Citizenship

• Student can explain the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

  • limited government

  • republicanism

  • checks and balances

  • federalism

  • separation of powers

  • popular sovereignty

  • individual rights

• Student understands the:

  • influence of ideas from historic documents on the U.S. system of government:

  • Magna Carta

  • English Bill of Rights

  • Mayflower Compact

  • purposes for amending the U.S. Constitution

  • origin of judicial review

  • responsible citizenship (obeying rules and laws, staying informed on public issues, voting, and serving on juries)

Ratification Debate

• Student can explain the arguments of the:

  • Federalists

  • Anti-Federalists

  • including those of Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, James Madison, and George Mason.

• Student understands the:

  • influence of ideas from historic documents on the U.S. system of government: Federalist Papers

Bill of Rights

• Student can summarize rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

• Student understands the:

  • colonial grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence and how they were addressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights

  • purposes for amending the U.S. Constitution

  • unalienable rights and can give examples

  • First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom on the American way of life

  • free speech and press in a constitutional republic

  • development of religious freedom in the U.S.