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THE MAKING. OF THE. CONSTITUTION. Hello, I’m Ben Franklin and I will be your tour guide while you travel to the past and find out just what we did during the Constitutional Convention. NEXT.
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THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION
Hello, I’m Ben Franklin and I will be your tour guide while you travel to the past and find out just what we did during the Constitutional Convention. NEXT
You will be traveling back in time as a reporter for a newspaper in a state of your choice. Your editor is sending you to Philadelphia to find out what is going on at this secret meeting. Like any good reporter you need to find out who, what, when, where, why, and how. NEXT
When you return you must prepare a report for your readers to inform them of what you found. Your assignment pad with questions and suggested ways of presenting your information to your readers and your teacher’s rubric should be printed before you begin. Click on the broadside below to view the assignment and the suggested presentations. When you have finished click back to return here. NEXT
At any time during your journey if you would like to hear any of the slides you have already heard, click on home at the top of the page. This will bring you to a listing of the slides. Just click on the slide you would like to review. Then return to the map to click on the slide you want to begin again. NEXT
To really have your readers understand your report you need to begin with background material. What was the reason for the Constitutional Convention? Let’s start our journey back in time to 1783. NEXT
After 8 long years the Americans have won the revolution!!! All is well with the new nation. Or is it? Let’s find out what is going on in the new nation. The following slide contains a map of the new country. There are 7 different pictures there. Click on each of the pictures to learn more about the events that led to the Constitutional Convention. Start with the title of the page. To return to the map click back. NEXT
United States of America ??? When you are finished click here to continue. Owned by Spain
BACK Since the young country had no central navy, pirates at sea caught American citizens and put them into slavery. The country had no way to stop this. Come and get me! HA! HA! HA!
BACK There was no agreement among the states as to what would be done about the Indians in the West or what to do with the western territories. What about the Indians? Should we let people settle out west? James Madison Thomas Jefferson
BACK STOP Spain owned the land at the mouth of the Mississippi River. They would not allow the American ships to use it. This made it very difficult to ship goods from the west. It also made trade with other nations difficult. America Spain
BACK Even though the Americans won the revolution, England refused to leave the forts in the West. The Americans had no way to remove them. NO! Please leave!
BACK When the war ended the troops went home. Since there was no strong central government to raise money, there were no armed forces. Each state had its own militia. The new country was very much in danger of being taken over by another country since we had no way to defend ourselves. Help!
BACK Why didn’t the original states become a real nation after the American Revolution? The states fought the American Revolution so that they would not be ruled by a country far away. The country was so big – actually 10 times bigger than most countries that it took weeks for people to get news from one state to another – almost like being ruled by a country far away. When William Houston, pictured below, left Georgia to go to New York he said, I left my country “to go to a strange land amongst strangers”
BACK Because there was no strong central government, coining money was a problem. Each state had its own money so trade even between states was difficult. That will be 80 schlotts! Schlotts? I have cubes. How many cubes equal 1 schlott? New Jersey New York
BACK Most Americans were farmers. After the war prices on everything went up. These farmers began to owe a lot of money. At that time if a person couldn’t pay the debts he owed he was put in jail. Many farmers were sent to jail. Daniel Shays who fought bravely in the Revolution decided to do something about this. He led a revolt against the state of Massachusetts so the farmers could keep their farms and get help to pay their debts. His men were defeated and 4 farmers were killed. This event scared people. They thought that this revolt would spread. The new government had no way to help Massachusetts.
Now that you have all of the background information you need. Let’s try a quiz to see how much you know. Click on the quiz below. When you are finished click here to continue. QUIZ
After a few tries the delegates finally began their meeting on May 25, 1787 in Philadelphia with 2 important rules. One was they must keep whatever they talked about a secret and the other was that they could change their minds at any time with no questions asked and revote. Click on Independence Hall for a tour of the rooms the delegates used. NEXT
Each delegate was very different and brought different experiences to the convention. Choose at least 5 delegates from 3different states to see what they contributed to the writing of the constitution. Click on the link below, scroll down to the picture and click on the delegates of your choice. When you are finished just X out of the delegate information and then X out of the picture of the delegate. DELEGATES NEXT
United States of America Vermont Massachusetts New York Rhode Island Connecticut Pennsylvania For more information about your delegates click on the states. New Jersey Delaware Maryland Virginia North Carolina South Carolina NEXT Georgia
James Madison who was called the “Father of the Constitution” was from Virginia. He kept a journal of all that was happening at the convention. Click on the journal below to read a summary of this journal See if you can find something about at least one of your delegates. NEXT
The constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. It is one of the shortest constitutions in the world. It has only been amended (changed) 27 times in over 200 years.
The signing of the U.S. Constitution by 39 members of the Constitutional Congress on September 17, 1787; painting by Helen Clark Chandler To see a picture of one of the original copies of the constitution, click here NEXT
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Now you know all there is to know about the Constitutional Convention. Do your parents? Take the quiz below. Make sure you take part 2. Keep score. Have an adult take it and see if they are smarter than a 5th grader! When you are finished click here to continue. QUIZ
The first part of the Constitution is called the preamble and tells what those founding fathers set out to do. THE PREAMBLE We the people In order to form a more perfect union, Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,Provide for the common defense,Promote the general welfare andSecure the blessings of libertyTo ourselves and our posterityDo ordain and establish this Constitutionfor the United States of America.
The constitution is the law of the land. Here is a brief explanation of what it contains. Click on Article I, II, and III for further explanation. Article I. Explains the Congress, its powers and responsibilities. Article. II. Explains the election of the president and vice president and the powers and responsibilities of the executive branch. Article. III.Explains the Supreme Court with its powers and responsibilities Article. IV. Explains the relationship between the state and the federal government and the relationship of the states to each other. NEXT
Article. V. Explains how the constitution can be changed or amended. Article. VI. Explains that the government is responsible for all debts of the nation, that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and that all government officials must take an oath of office. Article. VII. Explains that for the Constitution to go into effect, nine states must approve it. NEXT
BILL OF RIGHTS The Bill of Rights was the first 10 amendments to the constitution. Without them, the constitution would not have been ratified. These are guarantees of personal rights that had been violated by England when America was a colony. Many people felt very strongly that these had to be part of the constitution. NEXT
Amendment I Congress cannot interfere with religion, free speech, free press or the right to assemble peacefully. Amendment II The right to have weapons. Amendment III Cannot force citizens to house soldiers without their permission. Amendment IV There will be no search or seizure of persons, their home, property or papers without a warrant. Amendment V There will be no trial of a serious offense without a grand jury indictment, there will be no second trial for the same crime. No citizen can be forced to be a witness against himself. Property cannot be taken for public use without offering a fair price. NEXT
Amendment VI Guarantees a speedy trial in public for crimes, a trial where the crime was committed, a fair jury, an accusation, a lawyer and all witnesses must testify in front of the accused. Amendment VII Guarantees the right of a trial by jury. Amendment VIII Cannot give too large a bail or fine or cruel or unusual punishment. Amendment IX Any right not stated in the Constitution cannot be taken away. Amendment X Any power not given to the federal government or forbidden by the Constitution to the states are the powers of the state or the people. GAME NEXT
Slide 1 – Title Slide 2 – Introduction of Ben Franklin Slide 3 – Your assignment during your time travel. Slide 4 - Your assignment on your return along with a link to the forms to use during and after the trip. Slide 5 – Explanation of the map Slide 6 – Ben’s explanation for background material Slide 7 – Enter the time machine. Slide 8 – Hurrah Slide 9 – Why was the Constitution written? Slide 10 - Interactive information map of background material. MAP NEXT
Slide 11 – Pirate attacks Slide 12 – Westward expansion Slide 13 – Spain in the US Slide 14 - England in the West Slide 15 – No armed forces Slide 16 – Why was there no central government before? Slide 17 – Money Slide 18 – Shay’s rebellion Slide 19 – Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Slide 20 - Independence Hall tour. NEXT
Slide 21 – Link to interactive delegate picture Slide 22 – Interactive delegate map Slide 23 – Link to summary of James Madison’s journal Slide 24 - Date of signing of the Constitution Slide 25 – Picture of the signing of the Constitution Slide 26 – Preamble and song Slide 27 – First 4 articles with links Slide 28 – Last 3 articles Slide 29 – Explanation of the reason for the Bill of Rights Slide 30 - Amendments 1-5 NEXT
Slide 31 – Amendments 6-10 and game Slide 32 – 35 Map Slide 36 – Virtual field trips to Capitol, Supreme Court and White House Slide 37 – Puzzles Slide 38 – For more information Slide 39&40 - Credits Slide 41 – Assignment Slide 42 – Suggested products
FUN THINGS TO DO!!! TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF : WHITE HOUSE http://www.whitehouse.org/tours/virtual.asp CAPITOL http://www.senate.gov/vtour/index.html SUPREME COURT http://www.oyez.org/tour/courtroom/North_Frieze_movie/ NEXT
Puzzles: http://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/ForKids/ConstitutionalPuzzles/asset_upload_file117_5165.shtml http://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/ForKids/ConstitutionalPuzzles/asset_upload_file14_5165.htm http://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/ForKids/ConstitutionalPuzzles/asset_upload_file787_5165.shtml NEXT
FOR MORE INFORMATION More biographies of the delegates: http://www.americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/FATHERS.HTM http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/B/index.htm After clicking the link, click OK then scroll down to the delegates. http://www.lawrelatededucation.org/Resources/Elementary_Manual/Framers%20of%20the%20Constitution.pdf More information on the constitution and our form of government: http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/3branches.asp NEXT
http://bestanimations.com/ http://www.barbspics.com/clipart/american/_american_index.html http://www.webdeveloper.com/animations/ http://www.animationfactory.com/en/search/index.mc?nc=1&q=quill http://school.discovery.com/clipart/category/new.html Credits for clip art and animation NEXT
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/FoundingFathers/index.shtmlhttp://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/FoundingFathers/index.shtml http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/13mapnew.htm http://www.americanrevolution.com/WilliamHouston.htm http://www.ushistory.org/tour/gifs/independencehall.jpg http://www.smhill.net/.../images/scott_the_pirate.png http://www.50states.com/maps/new_jersey.htm http://www.50states.com/maps/new_york.htm http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/christy/ NEXT
WHO? Which delegates did you choose? WHAT? What did they do at the convention? WHEN? When were they there? WHERE? Which states are they from? WHY? Why did they go to the convention? HOW? How did they vote? Assignment NEXT
Write a broadside either in newspaper format using Publisher or as a poster. Do a video taped interview of a delegate. Oral in the form of a soapbox description. Please see the teachers with other ideas. BACK Presentations
This Virtual Field Trip was created for the course “Virtual Field Trips for the Elementary School” by Sharon Marigliano. To report errors, broken links, or to ask a question; email me at smarigliano@sau61.com