Democracy: A Big Challenge

By Tracey Roudez

The United States Constitution Comes to Life!

Introduce students to the drafting and signing of the Constitution as they develop interviewing and persuasive writing skills.

OBJECTIVE
Students will:

Work together in cooperative groups
Understand the following keywords: Constitution, signers, reporter, newspaper, interview
Understand the contributions these Founding Fathers: Washington, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton
Understand the purpose for the United States Constitution
Use research skills
Write a persuasive letter to achieve a desired outcome

LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: U.S. Constitution Roll Call
Lesson 2: The Art of Persuasion

REPRODUCIBLES
Interview a Founding Father Printable (PDF)
Powerful Words Printable (PDF)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

Students will participate in a mock question-and-answer session where “newspaper reporters” will interview four “Founding Fathers.”

SUPPORTING BOOKS

Books for Teaching About the Constitution

Teacher Store

The Teacher Store

Decisions, Decisions: On the Campaign Trail

The next election is right around the corner. Are your students ready? This simulation puts your class right in the thick of a presidential election. Role-playing a bold third party candidate, they rocket into the limelight and are immediately pressed for their positions on everything from the economy to health care to crime. Every move is critical!

Your class will also get a thorough grounding in the electoral process, party politics, campaign finance, the role of PACS and the press -- from

$149.00
CD-ROM | Grades 5-10

Decisions, Decisions: On the Campaign Trail

Grades 5-10 $149.00

Teacher Store

The Teacher Store

Decisions, Decisions: Town Government

When the residents of a small American town face a large and unforeseen dilemma, how do they resolve the problem? Decisions, Decisions: Town Government transports students into the middle of a typical town conflict.

The dynamics of local government reveal themselves at every twist and turn of the story. In the process, students learn about town meetings, town services, the structure of local governments, and the rights and responsibilities of local residents. They also discover how much aut

$149.00
CD-ROM | Grades 5-10

Decisions, Decisions: Town Government

Grades 5-10 $149.00

ARTICLE	Ideas on How to Act: Be Informed, Speak Up, Act Lesson Plan (Grades 9–12) Show students how to act on their opinions about important political issues. Encourage them to write letters to newspaper editors, draw political cartoons, take surveys, record podcasts, and more.

LESSON PLAN	May the Best Character Win Presents a lesson in which students learn about presidential campaigns, including how to budget and run one and how to write a speech.

ONLINE ACTIVITY	Election 2008: Kid Reporters Blog the Debates Scholastic Kid Reporters blog the 2008 presidential and vice presidential debates.