United States Constitution Complete Unit Bundle

The U.S. Constitution Unit Bundle includes over 280 pages of resources to use in your classroom along with 17+ days of detailed lesson plans! Resources include a paper interactive notebook, a digital interactive notebook for Google Drive, video web quest, a variety of activities for the Articles of Confederation, Preamble and Bill of Rights, vocabulary activities, two review games, corresponding informational text for all, a word wall and an assessment!

I know how busy your teaching days are throughout the school year. The United States Constitution Complete Unit Bundle includes a file with 17+ days of detailed lesson plans already completed for you. This bundle is designed to save you valuable time, increase student engagement and bring history to life through a wide variety of activities that prompt students to think critically and creatively in their Social Studies class.

Articles of Confederation Activities

Are you looking for new ways to teach your students about the Articles of Confederation? Engage your students in learning about the development of America's first constitution, the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the events and impact of Shays' Rebellion on the young country.

This resource includes 7 different activities for students to learn about the Articles of Confederation, including three pages of informational text and corresponding guided notes activities, a video quest (access to YouTube required), a class debate topic, a writing activity in which students will write a letter to Congress with their recommendations on revising or replacing the Articles of Confederation and a mini assessment to check student knowledge of the content they've learned.

These activities are provided in a printable format, in Google Drive and in Easel by Teachers Pay Teachers! Whether you're ready to embrace digital activities or prefer to print and go, these resource has you covered.

Inside this resource you will find:

1. The Articles of Confederation Video Quest

This activity will take students to a video on YouTube which will introduce them to the Articles of Confederation, including the strengths and weaknesses of the document and the effect of Shays’s Rebellion on the American government. This is a great hook activity to engage and prepare your students for learning about the Articles of Confederation.

2. America’s First Constitution

This activity includes a one-page informational text and corresponding guided notes activity.

3. Strengths and Weaknesses

In this activity, students will read a one-page informational text about the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and complete a corresponding guided notes activity.

4. Shays’s Rebellion

In this activity, students will read a one-page informational text about Shays’s Rebellion and complete an activity to summarize the causes, event and effects of the rebellion.

5. Take a Side: Class Debate

This resource includes one debate topic: Should the Articles of Confederation be revised or replaced with a new plan for the United States government? Here are some ideas for using the debate in your classroom:

• Option 1: Split the class in half and assign each side of the room a different perspective. Groups can research their topic using the informational text included in this resource, or other resources of your choosing, and engage in a full class debate.
• Option 2: Use the debate topic as part of a writing activity or creative project. Students could create a poster for their own opinion or assigned perspective!

6. A Letter to Congress

For this activity, students will write a letter to Congress and explain which parts of the Articles of Confederation need to be altered, at the very least, and explain their reasoning. This is a great opportunity for students to use their critical thinking skills to brainstorm ways to strengthen the Articles of Confederation. Some may even think about the U.S. Constitution, if they have prior background knowledge, and begin making connections between the ideas in the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation!

7. Check Your Knowledge

This activity could be used as a quiz, exit slip or class assignment to check their knowledge of the Articles of Confederation.

Also included:

1. Answer Keys for all activities

U.S. Constitution Vocabulary Activities

Engage your students in content vocabulary for the United States Constitution unit with these four activities! This resource includes a matching game, crossword puzzle, matching one-page activity and a graphic organizer to define words and write a corresponding sentence for each term - a perfect resource for student binders!

Inside this resource you will find:

1. Matching Game

2. Matching Activity

3. Crossword Puzzle

4. Definitions and Sentences Graphic Organizer

Preamble to the United States Constitution Activities

Engage your students in learning about and analyzing the Preamble to the United States Constitution through seven different activities! Before your students dive into learning about the structure and characteristics of the U.S. Constitution in future lessons, it's important to understand the significance of the Preamble. This resource includes a page of informational text, vocabulary graphic organizer, vocabulary matching activity, crossword puzzle, Preamble excerpt analysis activity, a writing activity that prompts students to write their own Preamble for a Class Constitution, and a small assessment to check student knowledge.

Inside this resource you will find:

1. Informational Text

2. Vocabulary Graphic Organizer

2. Matching Activity

3. Crossword Puzzle

4. Preamble Excerpt Analysis Activity

6. Write a Class Preamble writing activity

7. Check Your Knowledge assessment

8. Answer Keys

What words are included in this activity?

• union
• establish
• justice
• ensure
• domestic
• tranquility
• defense
• secure
• liberty
• posterity
• ordain
• constitution

Bill of Rights Activities

Engage your students in learning about and analyzing the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution through five different activities! The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments in the United States Constitution. This resource includes a page of informational text, Bill of Rights Notes Activity, a Bill of Rights Scavenger Hunt, a Bill of Rights - Decide the Case scenario activity and small assessment to check student knowledge. Digital versions for Google Drive and Easel by TpT are also included!

Inside this resource you will find:

1. Informational Text

2. Bill of Rights Notes Activity

3. Bill of Rights Scavenger Hunt

4. Bill of Rights - Decide the Case! Scenario Activity

5. Check Your Knowledge assessment

6. Answer Keys

This resource also includes links to digital version on Google Drive and Easel by TPT!

Here's a summary of each activity!

Informational Text: Understanding the Bill of Rights

This informational text introduces students to the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. In this activity, students will read the Bill of Rights and understand its significance in the historic document.

Activity: The Bill of Rights Scavenger Hunt

In the Bill of Rights Scavenger Hunt, students will use the informational text “Understanding the Bill of Rights” to search for answers to questions about the rights protected in the Bill of Rights.

Activity: Decide the Case!

In this activity, students will be presented with 5 scenarios. They will need to use their knowledge of the rights protected in the Bill of Rights to decide whether the person’s Constitutional rights have been violated and identify the amendment that applies to the scenario.

Activity: The Bill of Rights Notes

In this activity, students will describe the rights protected by each amendment in the Bill of Rights.

Activity: Check Your Knowledge

This activity could be used as a quiz, exit slip or class assignment to check their knowledge of the rights protected in the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution.

U.S. Constitution Interactive Notebook

These interactive notebook graphic organizers will help students organize information about the study of the U.S. Constitution. It's a must-do in my classroom for the week surrounding Constitution Day!

Interactive notebooks are an effective tool in the classroom. Not only can they assist students in keeping their work organized, but they are also an easy-to-access resource for reference throughout the year.

The United States Constitution Interactive Notebook graphic organizers resource is intended as a resource for late-elementary and middle school ages.

It does not include any types of informational text for students, but does include 10 different interactive activities to help students organize information and an answer key to use as a guide for each graphic organizer.

The file also includes pictures of every page in use!

1. Cover Page

2. A Vocabulary Activity

3. The Articles of Confederation (tabs to record information about the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation)

4. Plans and Compromises (tabs for the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, the Great Compromise, and the Three-Fifths Compromise)

5. Federalists and Anti-Federalists (compare and contrast these two groups)

6. Parts of the Constitution (a trifold with space to write about the Preamble, the articles, and the amendments)

7. The Articles (tabs to record facts about each article)

8. The Amendments (a matching game to help students identify the amendment number and proper description. Also includes a folder foldable to keep the game pieces organized!)

9. Comparing Documents (compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution)

10. Principles of Government (a multi-page flip book for a variety of government principles)

11. Types of Power (tabs for enumerated powers, concurrent powers, and reserved powers)

U.S. Constitution Digital Interactive Notebook for Google Drive

These Civics digital interactive notebook graphic organizers will help students organize information about the U.S. Constitution on Google Drive!

Why should you use a Google Interactive Product?

*No cutting, gluing or paper needed!

*Students work directly with their own copy of the file and their work is saved automatically

*Engage students and make history come alive in new ways

Interactive notebooks are an effective tool in the classroom. Not only can they assist students in keeping their work organized, but they are also an easy-to-access resource for reference throughout the year.

The United States Constitution Interactive Notebook is intended as a resource for late-elementary into middle school ages.

It includes 12 different digital interactive graphic organizers and an answer key to help students organize the information you teach! There are no types of informational text for students to read.

1. Cover Page

2. A Vocabulary Activity (a blank vocab page is included as well for customization)

3. The Articles of Confederation (tabs to record information about the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation)

4. Plans for the Nation (tabs for the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan)

5. Reaching a Compromise (tabs for the Great Compromise, and the Three-Fifths Compromise)

6. Federalists and Anti-Federalists (compare and contrast these two groups)

7. Parts of the Constitution (space to write about the Preamble, the articles, and the amendments)

8. The Articles (tabs to record facts about each article)

9. The Amendments (a matching game to help students identify the amendment number and proper description. The pieces are moveable!)

10. Comparing Documents (compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution)

11. Principles of Government

12. Types of Power (tabs for enumerated powers, concurrent powers, and reserved powers)

13. My Pictures of the U.S. Constitution (a page for students to place images relevant to their study of the Constitution)

U.S. Constitution Interactive PowerPoint Notes

Interactive PowerPoint Notes are a great way to engage your students in content related to your curriculum. This resource is aligned with the Constitution unit in The Teacher's Prep store but can be used independently, as well.

When using this interactive PowerPoint, students can click on elements of the slides to reveal important information about a variety of topics related to the United States Constitution. (See a comprehensive list of topics included below!)

There's also a version compatible with Google Slides included! It's not interactive, due to the way Google Slides is designed, but has all the information that your students need to complete the interactive notebooks.

The Constitution Interactive PowerPoint is intended as a resource for late-elementary and middle school ages. It is not editable.

The file was created using PowerPoint 2013. The animations may not play properly on older versions.

Topics Included:

1. Vocabulary

2. The Articles of Confederation (strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation)

3. Plans and Compromises (the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, the Great Compromise, and the Three-Fifths Compromise)

4. Federalists and Anti-Federalists (comparison of the viewpoints of these two groups)

5. Parts of the Constitution (notes about the Preamble, the articles, and the amendments)

6. The Articles (a brief summary of each Article of the Constitution)

7. The Amendments (brief summaries about each Amendment in the Constitution)

8. Comparing Documents (compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution)

9. Principles of Government (popular sovereignty, limited government, rule of law, checks and balances, separation of powers)

10. Types of Power (enumerated powers, concurrent powers, and reserved powers)

U.S. Constitution Review Games for Civics and U.S. History

Engage your students in the study of the U.S. Constitution through TWO fun review games! These review games can be used before a test as a final review or throughout the unit to gauge understanding.

Battle for the Bill of Rights Game

In this battle of wits, two teams will go head-to-head to answer questions as they work together to reveal all seven hidden pictures on their game board! Each team has 25 unique questions to answer while the teacher uses an interactive PowerPoint game board to help students review over 50 questions total for the Bill of Rights.

Included:

Directions, trivia questions and answer key

Interactive PowerPoint game board

Constitution Trivia Challenge

Students will compete in small teams (recommended) to answer trivia questions related to the U.S. Constitution. Each team receives their own game board and collaborates to answer 20 questions. Teams will decide how many points to gain/risk throughout the game while the teacher logs points on a digital spreadsheet that automatically calculates point totals, or uses a paper version to keep track of points by hand. Students will love the fun and competitive aspect of the game while they review important content.

Included:

Paper game board

Directions, trivia questions and answer key

Digital and paper versions of a score sheet

U.S. Constitution Word Wall

Reinforce the United States Constitution Unit content vocabulary by building a word wall in your classroom! This resource makes it easy to give students an opportunity to visually review vocabulary terms and definitions every time they walk into your classroom. Just print and go!

What words are included in this resource?

• constitution
• confederation
• federalism
• articles
• amendment
• ratify
• Preamble
• legislative branch
• executive branch
• judicial branch
• checks and balances
• separation of powers
• popular sovereignty
• rule of law
• limited government
• supremacy clause
• enumerated powers
• concurrent powers
• reserved powers

U.S. Constitution Test

Assess your students' knowledge of the United States Constitution with a test that includes multiple question types.

The test includes:

• 7 vocabulary matching items
• 5 multiple choice questions
• 5 true/false questions
• 6 significant battles matching questions
• 7 fill in the blank questions
• 5 written short response questions

Total: 35 questions

Answer key included!

If you enjoyed using this resource, please let me know by leaving feedback! Thank you!

If you have any questions or concerns, the best way to reach me is through email at theteachersprep@gmail.com

Happy Teaching!

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