Format
1. Introduction to the National Archives
2. Document Analysis with the National Archives
3. Full class discussion of discoveries from pre-program activity group work. Students will answer the question: How is the Constitution relevant to the daily lives of Americans?
4. Conclusion
Objectives
By completing this program, students will be better able to:
-Understand the relevance of the U.S. Constitution to the daily lives of American citizens
-Identify specific responsibilities of each branch of government
-Gain an understanding of how the Founders implemented a checks and balances system into the government
-Analyze primary sources
Standards Alignment
National Standards
National Center for History in the Schools History Standards
Standards for Grades K-4 Topic 3 Standard 4A
The student demonstrates an understanding of how the United States government was formed and of the nation’s basic democratic principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Explain the importance of the basic principles of American democracy that unify us as a nation; our individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; responsibility for the common good; equality of opportunity and equal protection of the law; freedom of speech and religion; majority rule with protection for minority rights; and limitations on government, with power held by the people and delegated by them to their elected officials who are responsible to those who elected them to office.
United States History Content Standards for Grades 5-12 United States Era 3 Standard 3A
The student understands the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new government it established.
National Standards for Civics and Government
NSS.C.K-4.C.1
Necessity and purposes of government. Explain probable consequences of the absence of government and of rules and laws. Explain that the basic purposes of government in the United States are to protect the rights of individuals and to promote the common good.
NSS-C.5-8.1.C.2
Students should be able to explain the various purposes constitutions serve. To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain how constitutions set forth the purposes of government describe the way a government is organized and how power is allocated define the relationship between a people and their government.
NSS-C.5-8.1.D.1
Shared powers and parliamentary systems. Students should be able to describe the major characteristics of systems of shared powers and of parliamentary systems. To achieve this standard, students should be able to describe the major characteristics of systems of shared powers, e.g., in the United States the president and members of the Cabinet cannot be members of Congress powers are separated among branches, each branch has primary responsibility for certain functions, e.g., legislative, executive, and judicial each branch also shares the powers and functions of the other branches, e.g., Congress may pass laws, but the president may veto them, the president nominates certain public officials, but the Senate needs to approve them, Congress may pass laws, but the Supreme Court may declare them unconstitutional
NSS-C.5-8.1.D.2
Confederal, federal, and unitary systems. To achieve this standard, students should be able to define federal system—a system in which power is divided and shared between national and state governments.
NSS-C.5-8.2.A.1
Students should be able to explain the essential ideas of American constitutional government. To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain essential ideas of American constitutional government as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other writings, e.g., the people are sovereign; they are the ultimate source of power. The Constitution is a higher law that authorizes a government of limited powers.
NSS-C.5-8.2.D.1
Students should be able to explain the meaning and importance of the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy. To achieve this standard, students should be able to identify fundamental values and principles as expressed in basic documents, e.g., Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution.
NSS-C.5-8.3.A.1
Students should be able to explain how the powers of the national government are distributed, shared, and limited. To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain how legislative, executive, and judicial powers are distributed and shared among the three branches of the national government. Explain how each branch of government can check the powers of the other branches.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI3.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL3.3
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL4.3
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL5.3
Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.