Race to Ratify
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Check out the OG!
Hip Hughes
Library of Congress
Federalist 51
A Song or Poem
A Movie Trailer
An Amendment
Instructions: Choose one activity from each column. The activity you choose from the 3rd column should demonstrate what you have learned about the Constitution from the first 2 columns.
Explore
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Where did the U.S. Constitution come from? What does it say? Why do we need it? Explore the Judicial Learning Center’s Student Center to learn the answers to these questions and more. After completing your research, be sure to test your knowledge with the Student Challenge. Click on the image if you’re ready to start the challenge!
Play
Ratifying a new constitution was a difficult process. Play this game to understand the perspectives, ideas, and key arguments that defined the debate and shape our nation’s system of federalism. Click on the image to join the debate!
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Research
The original signed constitution is on permanent display at the National Archives in Washington D.C. You may not be able to actually get there, but click on the image below to see high resolution images of the document, and read a transcript of the passages.
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Watch
Hip Hughes is going to teach you all about the disagreements that arose at the Constitutional Convention and how the framers resolved the debates to create what is now the U.S. Constitution..
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Listen
How did the Framers decide which branch of government would hold which power? Check out this podcast to learn more about their reasoning for giving certain responsibilities to one branch over another and what ideas they considered, but then threw out. Click on the image above to listen.
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Read
Not everyone was convinced that the Constitution was a great idea. Three men stepped forward to advocate for ratification, explaining the structure of the document and the reasoning behind it. Click on the image to read James Madison’s thoughts on preventing tyranny and protecting liberty.
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Compose
The shape of our government is the result of months of intense debates, extensive negotiations, and even some unsavory compromises.
Now that you’ve learned about these debates, it’s your job to compose a tribute to their efforts. Your tribute can be a song/rap or a poem.
You must identify two issues on the table, describe the arguments on both sides, and include the resolution. Make sure that you include references to your source material.
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Produce
What do you think actually happened in the Pennsylvania State House during that hot summer of 1787?
Take us back in time with a movie that describes the process of crafting the constitution… but you are only offering us a trailer.
Your movie trailer should be 2 minutes long, introduce us to at least two main characters and capture the tension between them that will drive the plot of your movie. Remember that a trailer is made to leave your audience wanting more!
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Write
Could you do any better? The Framers were trying to balance many competing priorities. They had to look for ways to include the perspectives of a geographically diverse group.
They included in their document a method of fixing what they had done. Now that you’ve explored the main disputes and considered some alternatives. Did they settle on the best option?
Imagine that you are in a position to propose a NEW amendment. Write it out and see how many of your classmates you can get to sign on to your amendment. Do you have enough to amend the Constitution?
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