AP U.S. Government and Politics

Online Lessons for Chapter Two

Required Reading: Edwards, et al, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, 11th Edition (PearsonLongman publishers), Chapter 2: The Constitution.

Lesson 3: Documents from the Revolution and Beyond

Lesson 4: Constitution Building

Lesson 5: The Constitution

Lesson 6: The Bill of Rights

Lesson 3: Documents from the Revolution and Beyond

Topic 1: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”

  1. Open up this URL in your Web browser: Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.
  2. Listen to and view the presentation regarding Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  1. Click on the hyperlink to “The Crisis, No. 1,” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Text.” Read this excerpt from “The Crisis, No. 1,” written in 1776. Answer the multiple choice question regarding happiness in America, according to Thomas Paine.

Topic 2: The Declaration of Independence

  1. Click on the hyperlink to the Declaration of Independence (see the navigation bar at the top of the page). Listen to and view the presentation regarding The Declaration of Independence, then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  2. Click on the hyperlink to “Thomas Jefferson” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Biography.” Read this short biographical sketch of Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, a vice president and president of the United States.
  3. Click on the hyperlink to “Thomas Paine” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Biography.” Read this short biographical sketch of Thomas Paine, revolutionary firebrand and creator of the term “The United States of America,” as well as author of the famous pamphlet titled Common Sense.
  1. Use the “roll-over” cursor function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

Lesson 4: Constitution Building

Topic 1: The Articles of Confederation

Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

  1. Listen to and view the presentation on The Articles of Confederation (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  2. Click on the hyperlink to “Benjamin Franklin” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Biography.” Read this short biographical sketch of Benjamin Franklin, politician, statesman, printer, co-author of the Declaration of Independence. Answer the multiple choice question regarding Franklin’s many positions of responsibility in the American Colonies.
  3. Click on the hyperlink to “The Articles of Confederation” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Text.” Read this short excerpt from this first constitution of the United States of America. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the reading you have just completed.

Topic 2: The State Constitutions

  1. Listen to and view the presentation on The State Constitutions (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  1. Click on the hyperlink to “Virginia Constitution” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Text.” Read this short excerpt from the Virginia Constitution. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the reading you have just completed.

Topic 3: The U.S. Constitution

  1. Listen to and view the presentation on The U.S. Constitution (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  1. Click on the hyperlink to “James Madison” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Biography.” Read this short biographical sketch of the man who has come to be known by historians as the “Father of the Constitution.” Answer the multiple choice question regarding Madison’s belief in a strong central government.
  2. Click on the hyperlink to “Charles A. Beard” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Biography.” Read this short biographical sketch of this famous historian.
  3. Click on the hyperlink to “Congress Hall, Philadelphia” in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Photograph.” Use the “roll-over” mouse function to view the descriptive text in the blue rectangles on the photo.
  1. Use the “roll-over” cursorfunction in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

Lesson 5: The Constitution

Topic 1: Constitutional Principles

  1. Open up this URL in your Web browser: Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.
  2. Listen to and view the presentation regarding Constitutional Principles (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  1. Click on the hyperlink to the “Checks and Balances” presentation in the Explore section at the right, click on “View the Chart” and use the “roll-over” function to explore this explanation of basic checks and balances written into the U.S. Constitution. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the checks and balances created between the president, Congress and the Supreme Court.

Topic 2: Structure of the Constitution

  1. Listen to and view the presentation regarding Structure of the Constitution (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  2. Click on the hyperlink to the “Habeas Corpus Act of 1679” presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Excerpt from the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679” and read this short excerpt from this English law. Click on the link to “View Excerpt from the U.S. Constitution” and read this very short excerpt from the Constitution. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the writ of Habeas Corpus.
  3. Click on the hyperlink to “Preamble of the U.S. Constitution” presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read over the introductory paragraph, and click on the link to “View Image” and use the “roll-over” mouse function to view the text explanation within the blue rectangles in the image. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the Preamble of the Constitution.
  4. Use the “roll-over”cursor function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

Lesson 6: The Bill of Rights

Topic 1: The Purpose and Intent of the Founders

  1. Open up this URL in your Web browser: Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.
  2. Listen to and view the presentation regarding The Purpose and Intent of the Founders (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  3. Click on the hyperlink to the “Barron v. Baltimore” presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Case” and read this overview of this very important Supreme Court case.
  4. Click on the hyperlink to the “Gitlow v. New York” presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Case,” and read this overview of this very important Supreme Court case. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the legal principle established by the Court in their ruling on the Gitlow case.
  5. Click on the hyperlink to the “James Madison” presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, then answer this question to your own satisfaction: What were Madison’s views on human nature and the power of government, and how did his views eventually impact the creation of the new government under the Constitution?

Topic 2: The Bill of Rights

  1. Listen to and view the presentation regarding The Bill of Rights(see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXTthat has been prepared for you.
  1. Click on the hyperlink to the “English Bill of Rights” presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Text” and read this short selection from the English Bill of Rights of 1689 (note especially the blue text that summarizes the reading). Answer the multiple choice question regarding the differences between the English version of 1689 and the U.S. version of 1789.

Topic 3: Amendments After the Bill of Rights

  1. Listen to and view the presentation regarding the Amendments After the Bill of Rights (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then READ THE TEXT that has been prepared for you.
  1. Click on the hyperlink to the “Constitutional Amendments After the Bill of Rights” presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Timeline” and use the “roll-over” mouse function to look over the timeline of amendments since the first ten were ratified as the Bill of Rights. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the only amendment that was repealed by another.
  1. Use the “roll-over” cursorfunction in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

Take the online test over these lessons (your teacher will “unlock” the test for you), and feel free to check the accuracy of your answers by looking back over the information you learned in Lessons 3, 4, 5 and 6, above.