7th Grade Social Studies
Mr. Liotta
Constitution and the Bill Of Rights
Name______
Class______
Directions: Circle the letter of the statement that best answers the question. (3 points)
1. Why is the separation of government powers needed for a free society?
(A) It allows for a way to keep people jealous of each other.
(B) It limits powers and gives citizens more of a voice.
(C) It creates jobs.
(D) It’s guaranteed to prevent a dictatorship.
2. After the Revolutionary War, what was the first created set of laws organizing a national government?
(A) Magna Carta
(B) Constitution
(C) Articles of Confederation
(D) Virginia Statute
3. Which of the following was a major weakness in the Articles of Confederation?
(A) They were not written properly.
(B) The national government had too much power.
(C) The states had too much power.
(D) They did not contain a Bill Of Rights.
4. Which of the following was not a cause for the new nation’s financial crisis?
(A) Tariffs
(B) Inflation
(C) Depression
(D) Government
5. Due to the over taxation of farmers ______led a rebellion by boycotting the Massachusetts’ courts.
(A) Daniel Bacon
(B) George Washington
(C) Thomas Jefferson
(D) Daniel Shay
6. This was held in 1787 in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall to improve the Articles of Confederation.
(A) Constitutional Convention
(B) Continental Congress
(C) Writing of the Federalist Papers
(D) Declaration of Independence
7. Which of the following was not discussed in the making of the constitution?
(A) State Powers
(B) Representation
(C) Economics
(D) Slavery
8. What two plans were considered in order to create a two-house legislation?
(A) Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan
(B) New Jersey Plan and Connecticut Plan
(C) New Jersey Plan and New York Plan
(D) Virginia Plan and New Hampshire Plan
9. Which of the following is an element of the Northwest Ordinance?
(A) It established a plan to include slavery in the U.S.
(B) It created Indian Reservations.
(C) It established no taxation without representation.
(D) It established territorial expansion.
10. Which of the following is not an element of the Northwest Ordinance?
(A) It established territorial expansion.
(B) It established public education
(C) It established the prohibition of slavery.
(D) It established a plan to include slavery in the U.S.
11. The Three-Fifths Compromise established that
(A) three-fifths of a population would be considered in representation for representatives.
(B) three-fifths of a slaves population would count when determining representation.
(C) three-fifths of slaves would be set free.
(D) None of the above
12. A major argument against ratification of the United States Constitution in 1787 was that it
(A) gave too much power to state governments.
(B) was not based on compromises.
(C) did not contain a Bill of Rights
(D) established a legislative branch of government.
13. The United States Constitution established a government based on the basic concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances. The authors of the Constitution included these two concepts because they
(A) give most of the power to the Executive Branch.
(B) were contained in the Articles of Confederation.
(C) prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
(D) ensure that government branches would operate without disagreement.
14. The elastic clause and the amending procedure in the United States Constitution have often been used to
(A) give more power to the president.
(B) limit the role of minorities in government.
(C) limit democracy in the U.S.
(D) allow the government to adjust to changing times.
15. Which action is the best example of checks and balances?
(A) voting in the electoral college.
(B) The president vetoing a bill.
(C) The Supreme Court passing a bill.
(D) Congress voting on a law.
16. Which group of people supported a national government?
(A) Antifederalists
(B) Federalists
(C) Congress
(D) Democrats
17. Which group of people supported state governments?
(A) Congress
(B) Democrats
(C) Antifederalists
(D) Federalists
18. Why did George Mason (Antifederalist) oppose the constitution of the United States?
(A) It supported the rights of state governments.
(B) It contained a Bill of Rights
(C) It did not contain guaranteed individual rights.
(D) He wanted a dictatorship instead of a democracy.
19. What kind of bill did several states demand to accompany the Constitution?
(A) A bill protecting state rights.
(B) A bill protecting national government rights.
(C) A bill protecting animal rights.
(D) A bill protecting individual rights.
20. The best teacher in Ditmas I.S. 62 is
(A) Mr. Liotta
(B) Mr. Liotta
(C) Mr. Liotta
(D) Mr. Liotta
(E) All of the above
Directions: Give a short answer response on the lines below the questions. (4 points)
21. What are the Five Freedoms in the First Amendment?
______
______
______
______
______
22. If the police or national government search or cease you or your belongings without a warrant or reasonable suspicion, they are violating what amendment?
______
23. Cutting off a hand for theft or burning someone at the stake would violate what amendment?
______
24. What are the four elements of the fifth Amendment?
______
______
______
______
25. Which amendment guarantees the right to a speedy and fair trial by an impartial jury?
______
Name______
Directions:
Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Include specific related outside information
Historical Context: Following their victory in the American Revolution, the colonies were organized under the Articles of Confederation. This document proved to be flawed, however. The delegates quickly decided that a new constitution should be written. This document, the US Constitution, was completed in September 1787 and approved by the states in June 1788.
Its approval was neither automatic nor unanimous (agreed on by everyone), and it was widely debated throughout the nation
Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of Social Studies, write an essay in which you:
Identify one major difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
Discuss two issues (problems) that Americans debated before ratifying the Constitution.
______
7th Grade Social Studies
Mr. Liotta
Constitution and Bill Of Rights-Review
Name______
Class______
1. Why is the separation of government powers needed for a free society?
2. After the Revolutionary War, what was the first created set of laws organizing a national government?
3. What was a major weakness in the Articles of Confederation?
4. What were four factors influencing the financial crisis after the nations independence?
5. Due to the over taxation of farmers ______led a rebellion by boycotting the Massachusetts’ courts.
6. What were the three issues discussed at the Constitutional Convention?
7. What were the Compromises at the Constitutional Convention and what did they establish?
8. What were the three elements of the Northwest Ordinance?
9. What did people want before the ratification of the constitution?
10. Why was the guarantee of individual rights important to the states?
11. What did the Federalists support?
12. What did the Antifederalists support?
13. Why did the framers of the constitution create a system of checks and balances and separation of powers?
14. Look up the term elastic clause and what does this mean in amending the constitution?
15. What are the rights protected in the Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments).
Directions:
Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Include specific related outside information
Historical Context: Following their victory in the American Revolution, the colonies were organized under the Articles of Confederation. This document proved to be flawed, however. The delegates quickly decided that a new constitution should be written. This document, the US Constitution, was completed in September 1787 and approved by the states in June 1788.
Its approval was neither automatic nor unanimous (agreed on by everyone), and it was widely debated throughout the nation
Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of Social Studies, write an essay in which you:
Identify one major difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
Discuss two issues (problems) that Americans debated before ratifying the Constitution.