8th grade U.S. Constitution
Objectives of this series of lessons:
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the keyboard layout.
• Describe the expansion of the nation and the development of state governments.
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
• Evaluate the importance of the Northwest Ordinance.
• Identify the causes and effects of Shay’s Rebellion.
• Take the keyboard test
• Go over class rules and expectations
Guided reading questions:
What issues divided the Continental Congress as it developed a plan for a national government?
What were the structure and powers of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
How did state claims to western lands affect the acceptance of the Articles of Confederation?
How did the Land Ordinance of 1785 state that the western lands should be divided?
How were the western territories governed under the Northwest Ordinance?
Why was the Northwest Ordinance important to the growth of the United States?
Why was debt a critical problem for the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
Why did the national government get little financial support from the states?
How did Shay’s Rebellion point out the weaknesses of government under the Articles of Confederation?
Modeling:
Classroom presentations
Keyboard jeapardy game
Formative assessment:
Exit tickets -
What were the objectives of todays lesson?
Why was the information in todays lesson important?
Formal assessment:
Create a Webquest.
Keyboard test.
Here is a link to the syllabus
September 13th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
DQ question 7&8
7.] The Constitution provides that the Senate should have the power to accept or reject presidential appointees to the executive and judicial branches. This provision, like many others in the Constitution, was born of compromise. In debating the issue, the framers addressed concerns that entrusting the appointment power exclusively to the president would encourage monarchical tendencies. As the Senate was to represent each state equally, its role offered security to the small states, whose delegates feared they would be overwhelmed by appointees sympathetic to the larger states.
The House is often considered to be the “lower house,” with the Senate as the “upper house,” although the United States Constitution does not use this. Both houses’ approval is necessary for the passage of legislation. The Virginia Plan drew the support of delegates from large states such as Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, as it called for representation based on population. The smaller states, however, favored the New Jersey Plan, which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states
8.] If I was alive in 1787, I would rather be a Federallist because they were much more organized than the Anti-federallist. the anti-federallist basically aruged that the executive brach had too much power, and the constiution gave too much power to the national government at the expense of the state governments. Of these complaints, the lack of a bill of rights was the most effective. The American people had just fought a war to defend their rights, and they did not want a intimidating national government taking those rights away again. The lack of a bill of rights was the focus of the Anti-Federalist campaign against ratification. the federallist on the otherhand, had answers to all thier complaints. Overall, the Federalists were more organized. By June of 1788, the Constitution was close to ratification. Nine states had ratified it, and only one more (New Hampshire) was needed. To achieve this, the Federalists agreed that once Congress met, it would draft a bill of rights. Finally, New York and Virginia approved, and the Constitution was a reality. Interestingly, the Bill of Rights was not originally a part of the Constitution, and yet it has proved to be highly important to protecting the rights of the people.
[Reply]
14pmcclure Reply:
September 20th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
7.) The senate is the is the upper house of the United States Congress, the lower house is the House of Representatives. Each United States Senate is represented by two senators reguardless of poupluation. This is equal representation in each state in the senate. Senators serve six year terms. They are located in the north wing of the Capitol building in Washington D.C. The senate is more well organized than the house of Representives. The senate is smaller and their people serve longer terms. The senate is consiedered a more prestigious body than the House of Representatives because of its longer terms,smaller membership, and larger constituencies.
The house of representives is considered the lower branch of government. With the house of representives it is based on the poupulation of the states, but is intitled to at least one representive. The most poupular state right now is calaforina and it has fifty three representives the current number of voting representives is currently four hundred and thirty five. Each representive is a representive for about two years. The speaker is elected by the members of the house. The house has one exclusive power they get to renue bills.
8.) In 1787, i would rather be a federalist because they were way more put together than the anti-federlist. The anti-federalist argued that there was no bill of rights, the constitution gave too much power to the national government at the expense of state governments, the national government could have a army at any time, and the excutive branch had way too much power. i got this from the website http://library.thinkquest.org/11572/creation/framing/feds.html
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September 27th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
9.) A bill is an idea for a new idea or an idea to change or get rid of an existing law. First the bill is introduced by a member of the house of representives or the senate. It is refered by the house of representives speaker or the seanate president. The committee consideres the bill. The committee reports the bill to a member of the hose of represintaves or the senate. It is read a first time, ammended then read a second time. Then it is read a third time and the members debate the bill and then they vote on it. If passed it is sent to the second chamber where the process repeats, with the speaker or the president..the committee, and auction by the house or the senate. If passed the bill is signed as a law or vetoed by the govenor. Legslishare may vote to overwrit the veto and the bill becomes a law without the govenors approvial.
10.)The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;–And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
Article IV, Section 3
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/congpowers.htm
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October 4th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
11.)At the time of the Civil War, this clause was one of the provisions upon which the Court relied in holding that the Confederation formed by the seceding States could not be recognized as having any legal existence.1894 Today, its practical significance lies in the limitations which it implies upon the power of the States to deal with matters having a bearing upon international relations. In the early case of Holmes v. Jennison,1895 Chief Justice Taney invoked it as a reason for holding that a State had no power to deliver up a fugitive from justice to a foreign State. More recently, the kindred idea that the responsibility for the conduct of foreign relations rests exclusively with the Federal Government prompted the Court to hold that, since the oil under the three mile marginal belt along the California coast might well become the subject of international dispute and since the ocean, including this three mile belt, is of vital consequence to the nation in its desire to engage in commerce and to live in peace with the world, the Federal Government has paramount rights in and power over that belt, including full dominion over the resources of the soil under the water area.1896 In Skiriotes v. Florida,1897 the Court, on the other hand, ruled that this clause did not disable Florida from regulating the manner in which its own citizens may engage in sponge fishing outside its territorial waters. Speaking for a unanimous Court, Chief Justice Hughes declared; “When its action does not conflict with federal legislation, the sovereign authority of the State over the conduct of its citizens upon the high seas is analogous to the sovereign authority of the United States over its citizens in like circumstances.”1898
12.)states that Congress can enact anything “necessary and proper” to achieve the goals of the Constitution.
The proponents of the Bank of the United States argued that the bank was necessary to create a sound financial situation in the country. In that case, the bank was Constitutional.
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
DQ question 11: answer:
* May not violate the Bill of Rights
* May not impose export taxes among states
* May not use money from the Treasury without the passage and approval of an appropriations bill
* May not change state boundaries
* May not enter into treaties with other countries
* May not print money
* May not tax imports or exports
* May not impair obligations of contracts
* May not suspend a person’s rights without due process
In addition, neither the national government nor state governments may:
Grant titles of nobility
Permit slavery (13th Amendment)
Deny citizens the right to vote due to race, color, or previous servitude (15th Amendment)
Deny citizens the right to vote because of gender (19th Amendment)
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