Middle School Social Studies The United States Constitution as a Living Document
Nineteenth Century American History
SCoPE Site Lesson Plan
Title: Lesson 3 - A Convention of Compromises (SS080103)
Abstract
In this lesson students explore how the nation moved from a confederation to a constitutional government. Students begin by examining the need for a stronger national government by analyzing the causes and consequences of Shays’ Rebellion. After reading about the Constitutional Convention, they explore both the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise. Students adopt the perspective of delegates at the Constitutional Convention and engage in small group discussions about the issues facing the nation. After trying to resolve the issues, students examine how the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise resolved issues between the states in drafting the Constitution.
Subject Area: Social Studies
Grade Level and Course Title: Eighth Grade/Nineteenth Century American History
Unit of Study: The United States Constitution as a Living Document
Benchmark
· Engage each other in conversations, which attempt to clarify national issues faced by the Framers when they drafted the U.S. Constitution using primary and secondary sources (I.3.MS1, VI.2.MS.1).
Key Concepts
Articles of Confederation
federalism
popular sovereignty
Instructional Resources
Student Resource
Constitution: The Great Compromise. Congress for Kids. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_greatcompromise.htm>.
Davison, James West and Pedro Castillo. The American Nation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002.
The Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 reported by James Madison: June 18. The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. 15 Nov. 2006 <www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/debates/618.htm>.
The Making of the Constitution. Social Studies for Kids. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/makingoftheconstitution3.htm>.
Teacher Resource
Benedict, James A., Revolution and Constitution 1763-1791. Rocky River, OH: The Center for Learning, 2000. 53-55.
Cababe, Louise D., Alexander S. Frazier, Janet Stowell Garza, Howard M. Jacobs, and Jeanne M. Kish. U.S. History, Book 1: Beginnings to 1876. Rocky River, OH: Center for Learning, 1997. 81-87.
The Constitution and the Idea of Compromise: The Slavery Compromises. Rediscovering George Washington. The Claremont Institute. 2002. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/classroom/index3.html>.
Constitution of the United States: A History. National Archives and Records Administration. Charters of Freedom. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_history.html>.
Constitutional Topic: The Constitutional Convention. The United States Constitution Online. 25 Aug. 2006. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_ccon.html>.
The Great Compromise – A House Divided. The Dirksen Congressional Center. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_greatcompromise.htm>.
Heist, Melissa. Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc). Teacher-made material. Waterford, MI: Oakland Schools, 2007.
The New Jersey Plan. Northern State University. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://etech.northern.edu/blanchak/pols100b/4e_convention.htm>.
Shays’ Rebellion (1786-87) and the Constitution. Calliope Film Resources, Inc. 16 July 2006. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.calliope.org/shays/shays2.html>.
The Signing of the Constitution; September 17, 1787. U.S. Senate. Republican Policy Committee. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.senate.gov/~rpc/releases/1998/const-lo.htm>.
The Three-Fifths Compromise. Digital History. 2003. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=306>.
The Virginia Plan. Northern State University. 15 Nov. 2006 <http://etech.northern.edu/blanchak/pols100b/4e_convention.htm>.
Sequence of Activities
1. Begin the lesson by having students read about Shays’ Rebellion in their textbooks.
2. After students have completed the reading, ask them the following questions in a class discussion:
· What was Shays’ Rebellion?
· Why did the farmers revolt?
· Why was it important?
· How did Shays’ Rebellion advance the cause for a strong national government?
3. Make an overhead transparency of “Commentary on Shays’ Rebellion,” located in the Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc) and display it for the class. Read aloud each quote with the class. Ask students to explain the perspective of each comment. Reinforce with students that Shays’ Rebellion demonstrated the problems inherent with a weak central government. Also refer students to other problems inherent in The Articles of Confederation that were discussed in Lesson 2.
4. Explain to students that when the states met to resolve the problems they faced under The Articles of Confederation, some significant questions arose:
· How strong should the federal government be?
· How should representation in Congress be decided?
· Do slaves count in determining representation?
· What should be done about the importation of slaves?
· How should the executive power be vested?
Write the questions on the board or an overhead transparency to refer to them later on in this lesson.
5. Divide students into six groups. Assign each group the perspective of the states listed in the “Perspectives” reading, located in the Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc). The six different perspectives highlighted are: Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina. Have each group read the perspective for their respective state.
6. Have students work with their groups from Step 5 to discuss the questions in Step 4. Explain to students that they will be negotiating with students representing other states to resolve some of the issues listed in Step 4.
7. After students have had an opportunity to discuss the perspective of the state they represent, divide students into small groups of six where each state has a representative in each group. For instance, if 24 students were in the class, there would be four groups with six students in each group. Distribute copies of “Negotiating the Constitution” located in the Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc) to each student. Allow groups twenty minutes to discuss the issues raised. Instruct groups to try to arrive at a compromise of the issues, keeping in mind their respective perspective.
8. Have each group report the results of their discussion to the whole class. Discuss each issue and the difficulties the delegates to the Constitutional Convention faced in resolving them.
9. Make copies and distribute to each student “The Plans Proposed at the Constitutional Convention,” located in the Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc). Also make an overhead transparency of “The Plans Proposed at the Constitutional Convention.” As a class, discuss each question listed on the transparency. Engage students in a substantive discussion regarding the last question. Encourage students to view the issue from the perspective of several different states. As students discuss the question, emphasize to students that both plans called for the federal government to have supremacy over state governments. They also gave the federal government the power to tax as well as the power to tax commerce between the states. The Virginia Plan, however, called for a bicameral or two-house legislature with representation in each house based upon population. Under the New Jersey Plan, there was a unicameral or one-house legislature with each state having the same vote as any other (one state/one vote). Ask students which states would have favored one plan over the other. The states that had a larger population wanted more than just one representative in Congress to reflect the population. The small states did not want the larger states to rule the union, so they wanted to keep one vote per state, no matter the size of the state’s population.
10. Make an overhead transparency of “Exploring the Representation Issue,” located in the Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc). Use the transparency to demonstrate the difficulty in settling this issue. Discuss how this issue relates to the core democratic value of popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty is the idea that people hold the ultimate authority over public officials and their policies. The citizens collectively are the sovereign or rulers of the government. They exercise this authority by voting in elections. Make an overhead transparency of “Exploring the Compromises,” located in the Supplemental Materials (SS08010301.doc). Use the transparency to demonstrate how the Constitutional Convention resolved the representation issue through the Great Compromise, also called the Connecticut Compromise.
11. Explain to students that another question facing the members of the Constitutional Convention was how to count slaves in terms of representation. Have students discuss the following issues as a class:
· What would the slave states want? Why?
· What argument do you think the slave states would make?
· What would the non-slave states want? Why?
· What arguments do you think the non-slave states would make?
12. Discuss with students the Three-Fifths Compromise. Explain to students that because representation in the House of Representatives was based on population, the question arose as to how to count the slaves. Although many of the Founding Fathers saw slavery as inconsistent with the ideas of the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence, there was little chance of abolishing slavery at that time and keeping the union intact. Ask students, “What would probably have happened if the opponents of slavery insisted on abolition at the Constitutional Convention.” Elicit students’ responses. Guide students to understand that many people feared that the slave states would have left the convention and formed their own nation.
13. Use the overhead transparency of “Exploring the Compromises,” from Step 10 to review both compromises with the class. Have students discuss which compromise was more significant. Note that the Three-Fifths Compromise was a significant blow to abolitionists. Answers may vary depending on whether students view the influence of the compromises contemporaneously or historically.
Assessment
Have students compose a letter describing The Great Compromise or the Three-Fifths Compromise from the point of view of a small state or large state, or a slave state or non-slave state. The letters should contain the following elements:
· Identification of the type of state of the writer;
· A description of the issue;
· Their position on the issue;
· The details of the compromise;
· An explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of the compromise from their perspective.
Application Beyond School
Understanding the compromises made at the convention allows students to examine how compromises can mutually benefit all involved. Students can also recognize that when people compromise, they accede to some of their own wishes for the common good of all involved.
Connections
English Language Arts
When students read informational text, they use a variety of literacy skills.
When students share and discuss answers, they develop listening and speaking skills.
When students analyze primary sources, they use context clues to discern meaning.
When students write a letter explaining one of the compromises of the convention, they identify a perspective and engage in the writing process.
January 22, 2007 SCoPE SS080103 Page 1 of 5