The United States Constitution is this nation’s fundamental law. It is made up of three parts: the Preamble, the articles, and the amendments. The Constitution establishes the basic organization of the nation’s government and the powers of its various branches. The Bill of Rights was eventually added to safeguard individual liberties and rights. Additional amendments ended slavery, defined citizenship to include African Americans, guaranteed men their voting rights, provided the right of women to vote, and lowered the voting age.
Students will be able to:
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Identify the early forms of representative government that influenced the founding fathers.
Analyze what the founding fathers wanted in their government.
Explain what the Great Compromise was.
Identify and describe the principles contained in the Constitution and their importance.
Identify the strengths of the Constitution.
Explain the goals listed in the Preamble of the Constitution.
Identify that Congress makes up the Legislative Branch.
Discuss the qualifications to be in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.
Analyze the steps taken to get a law passed.
Identify the powers given to Congress.
Understand the powers that are denied to Congress and states.
Identify that the Executive Branch consists of the President, Vice-President and the Cabinet.
Analyze the qualifications to be President.
Discuss the powers that the President has.
Identify that the Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court and all lesser courts.
Analyze the authority of the federal courts.
Define what treason is.
Analyze Articles IV-VII.
Identify that the Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
Identify the Civil War Era amendments.
Identify that the Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court and all lesser courts.
Analyze the authority of the federal courts.
Define what treason is.
Analyze Articles IV-VII.
Identify that the Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
Identify the Civil War Era amendments.
Identify the most recent Constitutional amendments.