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Articles of Confederation & Constitution
America Is Building a New Nation
Planning this mini-unit
Articles of Confederation and the Constitution is the first mini-unit of Unit 3: new Nation. This mini-unit is taught after “American Revolution,” the last mini-unit in Unit 2: The American Revolution and before “New Nation: Federalist Presidents” the second mini-unit of Unit 3: New Nation. Click 
HERE to get a copy of my pacing guide.
Pacing
Teachers should plan three to five days to teach this unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for 2-3 days. An effective way to structure this unit includes:
Openers
- The Articles of Confederation
- Ratifying the Constitution
- Abigail Adams
- The Great Compromise
- Thomas Jefferson
This FREE resource includes 5 openers to use in order to supplement this unit. Begin each class with an opener question. Opener questions can be found on this webpage as an image (see “opener questions” at the bottom of this webpage) or free on TpT (see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion. Instead of openers, teachers may use this as an end of class check for understanding.
see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion. Instead of openers, teachers may use this as an end of class check for understanding. 
Lessons
After the opener, begin the Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides).
- TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. To do this, click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide.
- TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
- TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their students’ needs and individual learning targets.
- After teaching a concept, take a break from the lecture and show a quick review video to reinforce the concepts. Suggested videos to enhance the lesson are on this webpage.
- Mix up your unit by having the students complete the PROP (Point, Reason to lie or distort, Other sources, Public/private) analysis. For a free resource that reviews PROP, click HERE.
- TIP TEACHER: Group students together to complete this activity. This strategy sparks conversation and encourages critical analysis. Discussed as a class.
- Review additional suggested activities found on this webpage:
- FREE: Abigail Adams: Remember the Ladies from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Ancient Republics and European Charters from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Alexander Hamilton from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Federalism from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: The Legislative Process from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Self Interest or Republicanism from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Compromises in the Constitution from Bill of Rights Institute
- FREE: Shays’ Rebellion from Stanford History Education Group
- FREE: Federalists and Anti-Federalists from Stanford History Education Group
- FREE: Slavery in the Constitution from Stanford History Education Group
- FREE: Hamilton v. Jefferson from Stanford History Education Group
5. Print the Prove It activity included in the Google Slides lesson at the end of the unit. Students read statements and determine if they are true or false. If the statement is false, they correct it. This lesson encourages students to review their note-taking guide.
key terms to know
People to Know
- Daniel Shays
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
- Alexander Hamilton
- Richard Henry Lee
Key Terms
- Articles of Confederation
- Unicameral
- Bicameral
- Congress
- Land Ordinance of 1785
- Northwest Ordinance of 1787
- Great Compromise
- Virginia Plan
- New Jersey Plan
- 3/5th Compromise
- Bill of Rights
- Anti-federalists
- Federalists
- Federalist Papers
- The Constitution
- Article I: Legislative Branch
- House of Representatives
- Senate
- Article II: Executive Branch
- Article III: Judicial Branch
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Circuit Courts
- District Courts
- Ratify
Events
- Second Continental Convention
- Shays’ Rebellion
- Constitutional Convention
Essential Questions
1. Describe the achievements and challenges of the Articles of Confederation.
2. Explore the causes and consequences of Shays’ Rebellion.
3. Why did delegates meet at the Constitutional Convention? What was the original goal, did the convention achieve that goal?
4. Describe the series of compromises made at the Constitutional Convention. Outline the arguments for such compromises.
5. Compare and contrast the central arguments of the Anti-Federalists and the Federalists in writing the Constitution.
6. Outline the Legislative Branch’s role as written in Article I of the Constitution.
7. Outline the Executive Branch’s role as written in Article II of the Constitution.
8. Outline the Judicial Branch’s role as written in Article III of the Constitution.
7. What are the arguments for and against including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution? Which amendment in the Bill of Rights is most significant, in your opinion? Justify your reasoning.
37 Slides (editable) with graphic organizer note-taking guide and summative assessment worksheet. This Google Slides reviews the Articles of Confederation, Constitution and the arguments surrounding the division of power.
This Google Slides:
- Editable
- Has checks for understanding/thinking questions throughout the Google Slides
- Interesting and varied graphic design
- A variety of different sources to catch your students’ attention and engage them with the content: maps, charts, primary sources, quotes, timelines, etc.
- Major Concepts Reviewed:
- The Articles of Confederation:
- Congressional responsibilities and limits
- The Land Ordinance of 1785
- Northwest Ordinance of 1787
- Challenges of the Articles of Confederation
- Shays’ Rebellion
- Constitutional Convention
- The Great Compromise
- The 3/5 Compromise
- The debate over the Bill of Rights
- The birth of political parties:
- Federalists
- Anti-Federalists
- Constitution: Article I, II, III
- Road to Ratification
- The Bill of Rights
- The Articles of Confederation:
Note-Taking Guide with a Teacher’s Key:
- Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document, or handwrite)
- Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
- Great for IEP, 504, EL students or students who need modifications
- Helps students be accountable for information during lecture
- Comes with print and digital notetaking guides.
Post-Notes Analysis Worksheet with a Teacher’s Key:
- Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document or handwrite)
- Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
- Has a True/False checking for understanding
- Includes a document that connects to information from the slides.
- Comes with print and digital post-notes analysis guides.
- Students are asked to ” Prove It,” “Analyze It” “Personalize It” and “Explore Limitations.”
Helpful Videos for Your Students
Unit Activities
Click on the images below to access these suggested resources
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
Benedict Arnold’s Treason
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary Leadership and Purpose
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
The Process of Compromise
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
Federalism
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
The Legislative Process
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
Self-Interest or Republicanism
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
Alexander Hamilton
BRI: Bill of Rights Institute
Shays’ Rebellion
SHEG: Stanford History Education Group
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
SHEG: Stanford History Education Group
American Revolution
SHEG: Stanford History Education Group
Slavery in the Constitution
SHEG: Stanford History Education Group
quick links
hey there
Thank you for stopping by Teacher Bistro. I created this place as a resource for educators who wanted a easy way to find resources. In my first ten years of teaching I can’t tell you how many hours I spent gathering lesson plans, video guides and lectures. Hopefully, you have added this site to your bookmarks, and this place can make teaching a little bit easier.