Backward Design Template

The Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and Federalist Papers #10 and #51
U.S. History (Advanced) 10-11th grade
Identify Desired Results
What overarching understandings are
desired?

ODE Content Standards: American History

#7

Problems facing the national government under

the Articles of Confederation led to the drafting
of the Constitution of the United States. The
framers of the Constitution applied ideas of
Enlightenment in conceiving the new
government.

What are the overarching essential

questions?

#8

The Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist

Papers structured the national debate over the
ratification of the Constitution of the United
States.

#4

Historians analyze cause, effect, sequence and

correlation in historical events, including
multiple causation and long and short-term
causal relations

What will students understand as a result of

this unit?

Students will understand why the Articles of Confederation

failed and the need for the development of a stronger central
form of government.
Students will be able to recognize the important contributions
from the Enlightenment Era to the Constitution and how they
were influential in their formation of the document.
Students will be able to recognize the different opinions of both
Federalists and Anti-Federalist though the analysis of primary
texts. (Federalist Paper #10 and #51)
Students will be able to understand the relevance of the creation
of the constitution and the document itself to current events and
recent applications in society.

NCSS Strand #6
o Socialstudiesteachersshouldpossessthe
knowledge,capabilities,anddispositions
toorganizeandprovideinstructionatthe
appropriateschoollevelforthestudyof
Power,Authority,andGovernance.

Why and how was the Constitution of the

United States formed and what aspects
needed to be taken into consideration when
forming this system of government?
How much should personal freedom be
protected or violated for the sake of
establishing order in the state?
NCSS Strand #6
Socialstudiesteachersshouldpossessthe
knowledge,capabilities,anddispositionsto
organizeandprovideinstructionatthe
appropriateschoollevelforthestudyof
Power,Authority,andGovernance.

What essential and unit questions will

focus this unit?

Why did the Articles of Confederation fail,

and how did the Framers develop the
constitution?
What was the initial public opinion of the
Constitution?
Why is the development of the Constitution
important to learn about today? How is the
constitution relevant to society today?

Determine Acceptable Evidence

What evidence will show that students understand.
Performance Tasks, Projects

Exit Slips (2)

Cause and Effect (Graphic Organizer)
Close Reading of Federalist Papers #10 #51 (Guided Questions Included)
Court Case Project (Relation of the Constitution to Court Cases)

Quizzes, Tasks, Academic Prompts

End of Unit Multiple-Choice Exam

Essay (1) (DBQ structure)
Essay (1) (FRQ structure)

Other Evidence (eg observations, work

samples, dialogues)

Large Group Discussions (Close reading of the

texts)
Small Group Discussions (Close Reading and
Document Analysis)

Student Self-Assessment

Evaluation of performance on Essays (Utilizing

FCAs).

Plan Learning Experience and Instruction

Given the targeted understandings, other unit goals, and the assessment evidence
identified, what knowledge and skills are needed?
Students will need to know...

The main components of the Articles of

Confederation and why it created too
weak a central government.
How the framers went about developing
the constitution and how the ideas of
Enlightenment helped shape the
constitution.
The arguments of those who supported
and opposed the ratification of the
Constitution.
What the Federalist papers were and
specifically what were Federalist papers
#10 and #51 were about.
Analyse how the Constitution is
important today and the how
development of the constitution is
relevant to US politics and procedures.

Students will need to be able to.

Draw conclusions about the weaknesses of

the Articles and how this affected the
drafting of the New Constitution.
Use critical thinking skills to analyse the
arguments of the Federalists and AntiFederalists and specifically the Federalist
papers #10 and #51 in their relation to the
ratification of the Constitution.
Use evidence to explain how the
development of the Constitution affected
US politics today.

What teachings and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted
understandings?

The analysis of the specific readings of primary and secondary documents and the
application of cause and effects will help students to understand why and how the
constitution came to be.
The Court Case project will help students be able to connect the development of the
constitution to modern day US politics and procedures.

Unit Calendar
Outline

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Week 1

Day 1
-Review of the
end of the
Revolutionary
war and the
current state of
the colonies.
-Cause and
Effect Analysis
(Graphic
Organizer)

Day 2
-Introduction
to Vocabulary
Project.
-Background
of the setting
of the
Constitutional
convention.
-Constitutional
Convention
Simulation
Day 1

Day 3
-Constitutional
Convention
Simulation Day
2
-Discussion of
Constitutional
Topics of Debate
-Constitutional
Compromises

Day 4
-Federalist
Paper #10
-Close Reading
with guided
Questions

Day 5
-FRQ #1
Over
Constitutional
topics of
debate
(Compromises)
and the
Articles of
Confederation
vs. The
Constitution)

Day 7
-Amendments
Process and
Bill of Rights
-National
Archives
Lesson Plan
(Exit Slip #2)
Day 12
-Vocabulary
Project Due
-Due Date for
Court Case
Project
-Present Court
Case Project in
Class and
Review for
End of Unit
Exam.

Day 8
-Review and
comparison of
Federalist and
Anti-Federalists.

Day 9
-Introduction
of Court Case
Project

Day 10
-Court Case
Project

Day 13
-DBQ #1

Day 14
End of Unit
Exam

Week 2

Day 6
-Federalist
Paper #51
-Close reading
-Guided
Questions

Week 3

Day 11
-Finish Court
Case Project

(Exit Slip #1)

Name:_______________________________________

Date:________

American Revolution and the Articles of Confederation

Use the Graphic Organizer Below to explain the development of the Articles of Confederation as
a result of the events of the American Revolution. Use the Supporting Article to help you fill out
the chart.
Cause
1. The necessity of an organized military force
during the American Revolution.

Effect
What needed to be created to insure this
organized military force?

2. Resistance against a strong central

government. The Enlightenment Movement
and the ideals of individualism and reason over
tradition.

What kind of government was created?

3. Individualized Colonies with differing

economies.

What threat does this pose to the Articles of

Confederation?

4. The necessity to be able to conduct foreign

policy and affairs.

How did this influence the Articles of

Confederation?

Supporting Article: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/articles

Vocabulary Lesson/Project
Goal: To have students understand the major vocabulary words related to the Constitution and its
ratification.
Materials: Vocabulary List (Given below), paper and pen, a Copy of the Constitution.
Total Time: (Completed over the course of the Unit [Approx. 2 Weeks])
Procedures:
-Give students the list of Vocabulary Words and have them find the definitions of the particular
words.
-Once students have found the definition of the word, they need to explain how the word is
applicable to the Constitution meaning how it is used in the constitution or is related to the
constitution. Students may use a copy of the constitution to support their answers. They should
also cite the specific location in the Constitution, should the word be referenced in the
Constitution.
Possible Adaptations:
-For students with reading and writing difficulties it may be beneficial to give the students
specific references from the Constitution in which they can find the vocabulary words and their
relevance to the Constitution. This focuses the students on a specific area to concentrate their
efforts to develop the application of the Constitution to the vocabulary word.

Vocabulary to Include Throughout the Unit:

The Enlightenment- The time when man began to use his reason to discover the world and rid of
the superstition and fear of the medieval world. Enlightenment thinkers rejected the authority of
church and state. The discover of the natural laws which govern the universe led to scientific,
political, and social advances.
Natural law/natural rights- A set of principles which govern human interacts as opposed to
being imposed by humans.
Separation of powers- Division of governmental power between the executive, legislative, and
judicial branch of government.
Antifederalists- A person who opposed the adoption of the United States Constitution.
Bicameral- Refers to a legislative that has two bodies.
Connecticut Plan/Compromise- A proposal by Roger Sherman, the Connecticut delegate, that
Congress be bicameral, composing of a Senate and a House of Representatives. There would be
equal number of representatives in the Senate and one representative to the House for each
30,000 citizens of the state.
Constitutional Convention- A method (not yet tried) by which the Constitution can be
amended. Two-thirds of all state legislatures must petition the federal government to call a
constitutional convention.
Direct democracy- A form of government in which all citizens votes on all matters of
government.
Federalism- A system in which the national government and the local/state governments share
powers.
Federalists- Supporters of the proposed Constitution.
Federalist Papers (The Federalist)- A series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton and John Jay describing the concerns and issues of the framers face as they created a
plan for the new government. These essays defended the Constitution and persuaded Americans
that it should be ratified.
Indirect/representative democracy- A system of government which gets its authority from the
people and governs according to the will of the majority. The people elect individuals to represent
their will.
New Jersey Plan- A proposal presented by New Jersey delegates at the Constitutional
Convention which recommended that Congress be unicameral (having a single legislative
chamber) and that all states be equally represented in Congress and Congress have the power to
force states to cooperate with the national government.
Republic- A state in which the body of citizens entitled to vote has the supreme power and that
power is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
Three-Fifths Clause- An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention between the North
and South states. The South wanted the slave population counted for voting purposes but not for

tax purposes but the North wanted the opposite. The two sides agreed that three-fifths of the slave
population would be counted for both purposes.
Virginia Plan- Proposal presented by Virginia delegates at the Constitution Convention which
recommended that Congress be bicameral (composed of two legislative chambers) and the
population of the states be the basis of their representation.
Checks and balances- The system that prevents any branch of government from having too
much power by requiring the approval of one or more branch for important acts.
Elastic Clause ("necessary and proper")- The section of the Constitution that allows Congress
to pass necessary laws for the performance of its duties. It allows Congress to stretch its powers
beyond those that are specifically enumerated (granted to it) by the Constitution.
Implied powers- Powers claimed by Congress which are not specifically given to it by the
Constitution but are implied in its elastic clause ("necessary and proper").
Majority- Subset of a group containing more than half of its members.
Majority rule- The idea that all the people in a group or society should be held to the rules and
decisions made by more than half of the people.
Popular sovereignty- Supreme and final authority in a government, which rests with the people
of the United States.
Supremacy Clause-The section of the Constitutions that requires conflicts between federal and
state law to be resolved in favor of federal law. State constitutions and laws that violate the U.S.
Constitution, federal laws, or international treaties can be invalidated through the supremacy
clause. It declares that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land."
Amendment- A change or addition made to the Constitution after its original ratification in 1788
Ratification- The Constitutional process by which the states must approve amendments to the
Constitution. Three-quarters of the states must approve an amendment before it is ratified and
officially becomes part of the Constitution
Implied powers- Powers claimed by Congress which are not specifically given to it by the
Constitution but are implied in its elastic clause ("necessary and proper").
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)- Supreme Court decided that the states do not have the power to
tax a federal bank. In this case the Constitutions necessary and proper clause permits the
federal government to have a federal bank, though it is not stated in the Constitution, because it
was a necessary and proper exercise of the governments right to borrow money.
states' "rights"- powers reserved for the state governments rather than federal government,
reinforced by the 10th Amendment.

Constitutional Convention Simulation/Debate:

Goal: Have students represent various colonies within the United States who were present at the
Constitutional Convention. Have them be presented with the various issues facing the
development of the constitution and the compromises that were discussed at the conventions.
Materials: Students will need paper to gather and organize their thoughts as well a method to
gather research and information regarding the various states in the early United States.
Total Time: Approx. 2 Days
Procedures:
-Groups of either 4-5 Students will take various states to represent in the class in the
Constitutional Convention.
-States to be represented: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina, and
Georgia
-Student Roles
-Scribe
-Speaker (presents the demands of the state)
-Researcher(2)
-Debater (defends the demands of the state)
-Students are given the following issues to debate: Representation, Slavery, and Taxation
-Students should try to come up with a system of government that effectively appeases all of the
states in regards to these three topics. Students will need to research their specific state and the
stance they should take as it relates to the demographics and individuality of the state.
-After Students have debated, present the students with the compromises reached in the
Constitutional Convention, and discuss as a large group how they relate to the compromises
drawn up by the students.
Compromises to Discuss:
- Connecticut Plan/Compromise, New Jersey Plan, Three-Fifths Clause and Virginia Plan.
Possible Adaptations:
- Make sure all of the higher-achieving students are not paired together, and possible pair up
struggling students with higher-achieving students to encourage growth and support for these
struggling students.
Exit Slip #1: Have students answer the following question on a separate sheet of paper before
leaving class.
-What did you find difficult during the debate?
-How did the class compromises resemble the actual compromises reached during the
Constitutional Convention?

Federalist Paper Close Reading #10 link and Guiding Questions:

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed10.asp
GuidingQuestions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Whatisafaction?
Whyarefactionsaproblemingovernment?
Whatarethetwomethodsforcuringthemischiefsoffaction?
Whatarethetwomethodsforremovingthecausesoffaction?
WhatdoesMadisonarguethatthecausesoffactioncannotberemoved?
Whydoespuredemocracyhavenocureforthemischiefsoffaction?Ismadisonarguing
againstasystemofmajorityrule?WhyorWhynot?
7. Towhatextentwillenlightenedleadershipsolvetheproblemsoffactions?
8. WhydoesMadisonhavemoretrustintheleadersthaninthepeople?
9. Whatisarepublic?Whydoesarepublicdoabetterjobofcontrollingtheeffectsof
factionthanapuredemocracy?Whydoesalargerepublicdoabetterjobofthisthana
smallrepublic?
QuestionsTakenFrom:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6423061/Federalist-10-Reading-questions#scribd

FRQ #1

ThedevelopmentoftheConstitutionwastheresultofthescrappingoftheArticlesof
Confederationforadifferentformofgovernment.Inaddition,theUnitedStates
Constitutionsratificationresultedfromapoliticalprocessthatrequiredcompromise
betweenvariousstatesatthetime.
(a)ExplainthedebateofRepresentationthroughtheanalysisoftheConnecticut
CompromiseorVirginiaPlan.
(b)DescribetwoweaknessesoftheArticlesofConfederationandhowthatledtothe
developmentoftheConstitution.
Rubrics for Grading:
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=774846

Federalist Paper #51 Close Reading Link and Guided Questions:

http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa51.htm
Guided Questions:
1. 1.Does Madison believe that there is much to fear from the broad powers proposed by the
new Constitution? Why or why not?
2. What are the institutional safeguards he says will prevent tyranny? What are the
specific ones he mentions?
3. What is essential to the preservation of liberty? How should this be so constituted?
4. Explain the following: A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control
on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary
precautions.
5. In a republican government, which branch is the strongest? Identify three ways of
remedying this inconveniency.
6. List two ways in which the federal system of the U.S. places that system in a very
interesting point of view, i.e., protects against tyranny.
7. What are your thoughts and reflections on this essay? What is the most moving or
persuasive passage in the essay? Would you be persuaded by the argument and have
voted for ratification or not? Explain.
Questions taken from: http://www.jamesmadison.gov/lessons/Fed-Anti-Fed-Guided-Reading.pdf

Bill of Rights and Amendments Lesson/Activity: Courtesy of The Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/bill-of-rights/
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will examine a copy of twelve possible amendments to the United States
Constitution as originally sent to the states for their ratification in September of 1789. Students
will debate and vote on which of these amendments they would ratify and compare their resulting
Bill of Rights to the ten amendments ratified by ten states that have since been known by this
name.
Students will (goals):

Analyze a document as a primary source;

Develop persuasive arguments;
Gain insight into the process by which the Bill of Rights came to be.

Materials:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/bill-of-rights/pdf/beckley.pdf
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/bill-of-rights/pdf/billofrights.pdf
(A copy of each for each student)
A pen/pencil for annotation (pen preferred)
Procedures:
1. Working with the entire class, discuss students understanding of a document.
2. Now take a close look at an important historical document. Distribute copies and engage
students with John Beckleys copy of the Bill of Rights 1789 as sent to the states (Note:
Do not identify the document).
o Ask students to examine the document. (Give students time here to really analyze
the document on their own 5- 10 min).
o Once students have finished reading have them discuss the following questions
with their elbow-partners:
Where does your eye go first?
How would you describe what youre seeing? What do you notice about
the physical condition?
Which words or phrases can you read? Has the document been altered in
any way?
o Come together as a group to discuss the above questions and the questions below:
Are there any indications (e.g., names, dates) of ownership or time period?
Who do you think wrote this?
What do you think this document is about? What words or phrases give
clues?
What about language, its tone and style? Type of print?
Do you think this is a public or private document? What might have been
the authors purpose in writing this?
Who might have been the intended readers?
Do you think this is the complete document or are pages missing?
o Help students to think about their personal responses to the document. Possible
questions include:

What surprises you about what youre seeing?

What do you want to know about this document?
Ask students to draw conclusions about what this document was for, who created it, and
why. Reveal (or confirm) the documents identity as John Beckleys copy of the Bill of
Rights 1789 as sent to the states. Probe students about their prior knowledge.
o Ask students to summarize what they know about the Bill of Rights. Possible
questions include:
Why do you think Congress felt the need for specific rights to be clearly
articulated?
Why attach these rights as appendages rather than incorporate them into
the body of the Constitution?
How many amendments did the states ratify of these twelve sent to them in
1789? How many amendments to the Constitution do we have now?
Encourage students to think about the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
How might states have determined which amendments to ratify?
What debates might have taken place regarding each amendment?
o Ask students how they would select which amendments to ratify. Discuss how an
analysis and debate of each amendment should inform their decisions.
Model the analysis process using one of the twelve amendments from John Beckleys
copy of the Bill of Rights 1789 as sent to the states. (See step five below for process.)
Assign students (working in pairs ) specific amendments to analyze and present to their
classmates for ratification.
o Ask students to first identify unfamiliar vocabulary. (Explain the meaning of
difficult vocabulary words, should the students need clarification.)
o Encourage students to analyze the amendments wording by making notes on a
separate piece of paper.
o Ask students to respond to the following question on another piece of paper:
Do you think this amendment should be included in the Bill of Rights?
Why or why not?
Working with the entire class, have students present and debate their analyses, by
amendment, to the questions above. Conclude by holding a secret ballot on which of the
twelve amendments should be ratified. Compare the students Bill of Rights to the Bill
of Rights.

3.

4.
5.

6.

Exit Slip #2 : Have the students complete an exit slip before they leave the classroom, evaluating
what they have learned today.
-What is the specific right articulated in this amendment in your own words? How does it
compare to the real Bill of Rights?
Total Time: One, 45- min class period
Adaptations: For students with reading and writing difficulties the students may receive the
readings and questions ahead of time so they are more prepared to discuss in class and can read at
their own pace.

Court Case Project:

Goal: Students will be able to take their knowledge of the Constitution and Constitutional
Amendments and apply it to a historical or Current Supreme Court Case. Students will write a
paper developing a thesis statement about how the specific Supreme Court Case exemplifies an
aspect or Amendment of the Constitution. Students will create and present a poster that contains
information from all three parts of the Essay.
Materials: Computer or other research tool (media center / readings), Paper and pen, Poster
board and markers/ coloring utensils.
Procedure:
-Students will choose either a historical court case or a recent court case to analyse and study.
Part 1:
Students will research the Supreme Court Case they chose and give a summary about the main
points:
Students will answer the following questions.
1. What is the court case about and when did it occur?
2. Who are the key players?
3. What was the ruling?
Part 2:
1. What Aspect of Amendment of the Constitution is exemplified in this Court Case?
2. What were the opposing sides of the Court Case and how do they relate to the Aspect of
Amendment of the Constitution?
Part 3:
1. How has the ruling affected U.S. Government policy today? (For example: was another
law/ amendment ratified to protect or prevent any future policies? Has this Court Case
been referenced at any other time?)
-Students will compile this evidence into a 5-paragraph essay that supports their thesis on how
this particular Court Case exemplified some aspect of the Constitution.
-Students will also create a poster that displays the information from all three parts.
-On the day the projects are due, for half of the class period have half of the students have their
poster on display. The other half of the students should go to at least 5 other students and examine
their posters. For the second half of the class, have the students who were examiners be the ones
with their posters on display. As the students mill around have them ask each of the five students
they encounter the following two questions:
-Why did you choose this Court Case?
-Do you think the ruling on this court case is still relevant today?
Evaluation: Students will be evaluation on their essays. However, participation in the poster
presentations and creativity should be taken into consideration as separate or included grades.

Name:______________________________________

Date:_________

DBQ: In 1787, several states met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. This
meeting changed the face of the United States forever. The writers of the Constitution reworked
the whole idea of what a government is supposed to be.
Identify and discuss reasons to support ratification of the Constitution.
Discuss why the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances are
necessary in order to create a government with limited power.
Use the documents (at least three) to support your answer.
Write in an Essay format with paragraphs of 3-5 sentences to support your answers. Be
sure to include a thesis!
Document #1

Document #2

Document #3

Document #4

Document #5

Rubrics for Grading

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=774846