Title: Understanding The Preamble

Subject area: US History

Date: August, 2000

Objectives: The students will

Warm Up Activity (Anticipatory Set):

Class Discussion: What makes learning easy in a Social Studies classroom?

A) Place this question on the chalk board or overhead.
B) Have groups of four develop a list of characteristics that make learning go well in a Social Studies classroom.
C) Allow each group to share their list orally.
D) Place student responses on the board and discuss aloud.

Main Activity (Instructional Input):

Write Your Own Preamble

A) Have students open their textbook or distribute copies of the Preamble of the Federal Constitution.

B) Discuss the conditions under which the Preamble was written (such as the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need to unify the 13 states into a federal union)

C) Post the following template on the board or overhead and have students copy it into their notes.

Write a Preamble

We the students of ________________________ class, in order to
_______________________ (Verb) a/an ____________________(adj)
________________________ (Noun), establish __________________ (Noun),
provide for a/an ________________________ (adj) _______________________ (Noun),
promote a/an/the ________________________ (adj) _______________________ (Noun),
and secure the __________________________ (plural noun) of __________________ (Noun)
for ourselves and all students during this school year, do ordain, establish,
and will follow this Constitution in accordance with the student handbook of 
________________________________ (the school's name).

Reinforcement (Choose One or More. Hold control key for multiple selections)

(Check For Understanding)

Wrap-Up Activity (Closure): Creating The Preamble to a State Constitution (Class Constitution)

A) Discuss the difference between federal and state by comparing the school (The US) and classrooms (The 50 states) with the class constitution and the students handbook as the federal constitution.

B) Have students debate, combine and approve the preamble elements that they like the best.

C) The debate and approval process should be compared to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

D) Have students read about (or learn about) the convention and compare their activities in developing the preamble with those of the Philadelphia Convention.

Evaluation: The lesson will be evaluated by:

The accuracy of student's written responses through a 5-point rubric.

Student's scores on future tests and quizzes.

Performance assessment such as skit, play, model, artwork, or speech.