Bibliography:
Ransom, C. F. (2011). Who wrote the U.S. Constitution?: and other questions about the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications.
Ransom, C. F. (2011). Who wrote the U.S. Constitution?: and other questions about the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications.
Reading Level: An AR rating of 5.9 (5th/6th grade) with an interest level of middle grades (4th-8th grade).
Suggested Delivery: Shared reading
Summary:
Get ready to learn all you'll ever need to know about the United States Constitution. Written in textbook style, this informative book on the United States Constitution provides a chronological view of the constitution's creation. Starting with an introduction wrought with mystery to encourage readers on the book moves on to a brief background on the cause for the Constitutional Convention. From there readers will learn the location of the convention, key legislators, and compromises legislators made.
Get ready to learn all you'll ever need to know about the United States Constitution. Written in textbook style, this informative book on the United States Constitution provides a chronological view of the constitution's creation. Starting with an introduction wrought with mystery to encourage readers on the book moves on to a brief background on the cause for the Constitutional Convention. From there readers will learn the location of the convention, key legislators, and compromises legislators made.
Key Vocabulary:
Independence (page 4): to not be controlled by someone else or a government
Representatives (page 4): a person who is chosen to speak for the good of a state
Colonists (page 6): the people living in an area governed by another country
Federal Government (page 7): a government where the power is mainly focused in one place; for example, in the United States Congress and the President are the main sources of power
Delegates (page 8): a person who is chosen to perform a specific task for a group of people
Convention (page 8): a large, formal assembly
Rebel (page 20): someone who fights against authority
Legislature (page 22): a group of people who make, fix, or reject laws
The basis for these definitions comes from http://dictionary.kids.net.au.
Independence (page 4): to not be controlled by someone else or a government
Representatives (page 4): a person who is chosen to speak for the good of a state
Colonists (page 6): the people living in an area governed by another country
Federal Government (page 7): a government where the power is mainly focused in one place; for example, in the United States Congress and the President are the main sources of power
Delegates (page 8): a person who is chosen to perform a specific task for a group of people
Convention (page 8): a large, formal assembly
Rebel (page 20): someone who fights against authority
Legislature (page 22): a group of people who make, fix, or reject laws
The basis for these definitions comes from http://dictionary.kids.net.au.
Before Reading Strategy:
K-W-L Chart:
For this activity, you can only fill out the first two columns before reading. Note that the second/middle column is written in the form of questions. After reading, fill in the third column. When filling out the third column, try to answer the questions from the second column. However, do not limit your class to only that information.
K-W-L Chart:
For this activity, you can only fill out the first two columns before reading. Note that the second/middle column is written in the form of questions. After reading, fill in the third column. When filling out the third column, try to answer the questions from the second column. However, do not limit your class to only that information.
During Reading Strategy:
Use the graphic organizer “On the Road to the Future” from The Big Book of Reproducible Graphic Organizers: 50 Great Templates to Help Kids Get More Out Of Reading, Writing, and Social Studies & More have students write down the key events from the book about the creation of the constitution. |
After Reading Strategy:
Complete a Word Scavenger Hunt. | |
Inferential Comprehension Writing Activity:
Have the students work in groups to come up with a list of ideas they would include in the constitution. Use the worksheet included on this webpage. Some examples would be: The right to not have homework or The right to say what we want. | |
Electronic Resources:
This website goes into detail about various aspects of the Constitution and its creation. Some of the information that it goes into detail about are the Bill of Rights, how the Constitution works, and information about the Articles of Confederation. This site can be used by the teacher to brush up on the constitution before reading the book, or to provide further details on the constitution. This site is geared towards 4th through 7th grade. However, at the top of the page there is a link for both kindergarten through 3rd and 8th through 12th grade.
http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html
This website goes into detail about various aspects of the Constitution and its creation. Some of the information that it goes into detail about are the Bill of Rights, how the Constitution works, and information about the Articles of Confederation. This site can be used by the teacher to brush up on the constitution before reading the book, or to provide further details on the constitution. This site is geared towards 4th through 7th grade. However, at the top of the page there is a link for both kindergarten through 3rd and 8th through 12th grade.
http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html
This video is a great way to introduce the constitution and the book. It is a segment from School House Rock, which has a lot of segments that can be used for many different topics and subjects like math, parts of speech, and the Boston Tea Party. This particular segment is focused around the preamble, but also gives information about the constitution. For example, the video gives the year of the constitution and shows where the constitution is housed today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XMzIExVT5M | |
Resources:
Dictionary. (n.d.). Kids.Au.Net. Retrieved July 17, 2013 from http://dictionary.kids.net.au.
Jacobson, Jennifer and Dottie Raymer. The big book of reproducible graphic organizers: 50 great templates to help kids get more out of reading, writing, social studies & more, 37. New York City: Scholastic Professional Books, 1999.
Preamble to the Constitution (for the children) - Schoolhouse Rock - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved July 17, 2013 from http://www. youtube.com/ watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2XMzIExVT5.
The Constitution for Kids (4th-7th Grade) - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. (n.d.). Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Retrieved July 17, 2013 from http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html.
Dictionary. (n.d.). Kids.Au.Net. Retrieved July 17, 2013 from http://dictionary.kids.net.au.
Jacobson, Jennifer and Dottie Raymer. The big book of reproducible graphic organizers: 50 great templates to help kids get more out of reading, writing, social studies & more, 37. New York City: Scholastic Professional Books, 1999.
Preamble to the Constitution (for the children) - Schoolhouse Rock - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved July 17, 2013 from http://www. youtube.com/ watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2XMzIExVT5.
The Constitution for Kids (4th-7th Grade) - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. (n.d.). Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Retrieved July 17, 2013 from http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html.