The Constitution was written in 1787 by a group of 55 men that we now call the Founding Fathers or Framers. They were worried about the way that the country was going with the loose federal control granted in the Articles of Confederation, but rather than re-write the Articles, they created a new Constitution.
These were the elite of American society. Many were rich, and some of the framers are still very famous, including George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.
During the hot summer of 1787 the Founding Fathers met in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The process of coming up with a document that they could all agree to was not easy. They had a lot of arguments, but in the end, they agreed to the words in the Constitution.
After the Framers wrote the Constitution, they needed the approval of the states. It took some time, but all of the states eventually signed, and a new government was created. The first order of business was to elect the nation’s first president, and George Washington was unanimously chosen by the electors.
In class activities 12-3-13:
- Enjoyed portions of "Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" by Jean Fritz. {affiliate link}
- Practiced active listening skills by "taking notes" on the book using clay
- Created our own Constitution out of clay
- Discussed the difficulties that the states had in deciding whether to relinquish control to a federal government
Optional lesson extension activities:
- Finish listening to "Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" - Free Audiobook with photos from the book available here.
- Test your knowledge. Try to identify the founding fathers based on historical clues.
- Watch a crash course on our Constution, and learn not only about how American government was founded, but how it works today.
Assignment:
There is no preparation needed for our Christmas event next week or for class on January 7th. Enjoy your holidays!
