The Road To The

Constitution
Unit Plan
~The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
that led to the creation of the constitution.

Emma Kowal
SST309-03 | Fall 2016

Table of Contents
Unit Calendar and Catalog
3
Unit Rationale and
Overview
7
Considering the
Learners
8
Stage I

.9
Stage
II
13
Formative
Assessment
.15
Performance Assessment Teaching Instructions ...
17
Performance Assessment Student
Instructions18
Performance Assessment
Rubric...19
Hooking Lesson Plan.
.2
0
Lesson
Materials
...22
Federalism Concept Formation Lesson
Plan......29
Lesson
Materials
...31
Shays Rebellion Working with Texts Lesson
Plan..32
Lesson
Materials
...35
Academic Vocabulary
Activity.39

Instructional
Resources
..
Reflection
.

Unit Calendar
Day 1:
Hooking
Lesson
Why did the
first
government of
the United
States fail?

Day 2:
Concept
Formation
Lesson

Day 3:
Working
with Texts
Lesson

Day 4:
Working
with Texts
Lesson

Day 5:
Concept
Formation
Lesson
Federalism

Rebellion

Shays
Rebellion

Constitutional
Convention

Day 6:
Bill of Rights
Lesson
Introduce
Performance
Assessment

Day 7:
Academic
Vocabulary
Activity
Pencil/Paper
Assessment:
5 True/False, 2
Short Answer

Day 8:
Unit Review
Lesson
From the
Articles of
Confederation
to the
Constitution

Day 9:
In class work
time for the
performance
assessment
Unit Closure

Day 1: Hooking Lesson: Why did the first government of

the United States fail? (75 minutes)
This lesson will allow for the students to understand first hand the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. They will participate in a
simulation where they are put into groups, each group representing a
different state. They will be given a packet with information about the
different resources that each state has. They will then have to solve a
problem as one unified country by each state offering money or available
troops. They will run into issues when each of the states has to debate who
will give up their money and troops. After the simulation, we will discuss as a
class the difficulties of the simulation and that the simulation was an
example of the Articles of Confederation which was the first government of
the United States. We will then go over the other weaknesses that the
Articles had and why they ultimately failed. *The Elaborated lesson plan
follows*

Day 2: Concept Formation Lesson- Rebellion (40 minutes)

In this lesson, students will take a closure look at the concept of
rebellion and they will be able to look at examples and non-examples as well
as common or key traits that make something a rebellion. This will help the
students when looking at Shays Rebellion in the next lesson plan as well as
comparing different types of rebellions from different time periods, such as
what Shays Rebellion looked like compared to a more recent uprising or
rebellion like Standing Rock or Black Lives Matter.

Day 3: Working with Texts Lesson-Shays Rebellion (75

minutes)
In this lesson, students will learn about Shays Rebellion and the
impact that it had on forcing the creation of the Constitution. They will be
4

able to watch a video along with class discussion that will help them to
understand the struggles of the American people under the Articles of
Confederation, especially the farmers. This will then be followed by an
activity where they will be able to get into groups and walk around the room
to three different historical documents about the rebellion. As a group they
will read each of the documents and write in a colored marker on the paper
provided what they learned from each of the documents. At the end of the
activity when each group visited all three documents, we will look at the
colorful pages that the groups created with their different colored markers
and work as a class to analyze the documents and understand the rebellion
from the information that we can pick out from the documents.
*The elaborated lesson plan follows*

Day 4: Working with Texts Lesson- Constitutional

Convention (50 minutes)
Students will learn about the Constitutional Convention throughout this
lesson by looking at different primary and secondary sources that will help
them to understand what the convention was and what they did at the
convention. The connection between Shays Rebellion and the other issues
that the nation was having under the Articles of Confederation and
understand that the Constitutional Convention was created to solve those
problems. There will be an opening activity where students will be introduced
to the conditions in which the convention was held and for how long they
held the convention.

Day 5: Concept Formation Lesson- Federalism (35-40

minutes)
In the lesson, students will be introduced to the concept of federalism
and will look at examples of different countries with federalist governments
along with identifying certain characteristics that they all have in common.
They will then create a class definition of the concept of federalism with the
help of the teacher, and test other examples and non-examples with the
definition and characteristics. *Elaborated lesson plan follows*

Day 6: Bill of Rights Lesson (50 minutes)

In this lesson, students will analyze the Bill of Rights and the causes of
its creation. It is important for them to realize the connection between the
tyranny of the English rule and the need for a Bill of Rights to prevent history
from repeating itself and the stronger government of the Constitution taking
away the rights of the people. Students will watch a TedEd video to help to
explain the reasoning behind the Bill of Rights and then it will be followed by
a pair and share activity and then class discussion of what they learned and
to list the reasons for having a Bill of Rights. After the lesson, the students
will be introduced to the performance activity which will involve them writing
5

a letter to their state senators explaining to them why they should not
transition back to the Articles of Confederation instead of the Constitution.
The teacher and student direction sheets for this performance assessment
are attached in the unit plan.

Day 7: Academic Vocabulary Activity (60 minutes)

This vocabulary activity will look at five different vocabulary words
imperative to the unit plan: convention, weak, revolution, constitution, and
union. The lesson will begin by introducing the words to the students by first
having the students write out their own definitions, compare those
definitions, and then write one together as a class. After being introduced to
the words and their meanings, the students will be asked questions and they
will have to decide which key word they learned goes with each of the
association words or phrases. The students will then be asked different
questions that make them put the word meanings that they learned in use.
For the closing of this activity the students will write out different sentences
using the five words which will help to solidify the usage of the words in
different contexts. *Elaborated lesson plan follows* After the
vocabulary activity, students will be given the pencil and paper assessment
which is five true and false questions followed by two short answer
questions.

Day 8: Unit Review Lesson (60 minutes)

During this final lesson plan of the unit, students will have the
opportunity to review the entire unit content in a cause and effect manner.
As a class we will discuss the unit beginning with the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation and then moving towards the problems of the
people under the Articles and finally on to the Constitution. Students will
create a concept map with a partner in order to show the movement from
one form of government to another. This lesson will help the students to
prepare for their performance assessment where they need to list many
different reasons as to why the Articles of Confederation would again fail if it
was reenacted as the government of the United States.

Day 9: In class work day for performance assessment (75

minutes)
On the final day of the unit plan, students will complete the in class
portion of their performance assessment where they will use their homework
brainstorming sheet to write a letter to their senators. The letter will be
graded based off of the attached performance assessment rubric. After they
are able to finish their writing assignment, there will be a lesson closure
activity where they will play a game with the information that they have
learned throughout the unit.

Unit Overview
This unit takes the students on a journey through the Articles of
Confederation and the necessary transition to the Constitution. It will begin
after the students have learned about the American revolution and the first,
weak government that the country established to prevent the tyranny that
they experienced with England. The Students will be able to see first hand
the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation through a simulation and will
then be able to apply those weaknesses to the rest of the unit to understand
the problems of the American people and eventually why the Constitution
had to be created. Throughout the unit we will also work on concept
formation skills and the vocabulary that is important for students to know for
the unit such as federalism, rebellion, and convention. We will also be able to
look at primary and secondary sources in lessons throughout the unit to help
paint a picture in the minds of the students by hearing the different
perspectives of events such as Shays Rebellion, which we will be discussing
in the unit.
Unit Rationale:
By the end of the unit, I expect the students to know why the change
from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution was imperative to the
survival of the new nation. It is important that they learn this information
because it is the history that founded the country in which they live in. This
unit contributes to the development of responsible citizenship in each
student by helping them to understand how our country and the democratic

government they know came to be. At this time, the content of the unit will
be meaningful to them because it is what the rest of their history education
will be based upon. Each of the units following this will support this unit by
showcasing the strengths of the constitution and how it allowed for the
United States to become the world power that it is currently.

Considering the Learners:

Students at this grade level know some things about government at the
local, state, and national levels but they probably dont know much about
how this government system was created. They also may know little if
anything about the first government of the United States that was prior to
the Constitution, so that could be a challenge to their understanding
throughout the unit. Most of what they know about government most likely
originated from their parents or other adults and older children in their lives.
They might be able to connect their learning to their lives beyond school
through their parents as they can discuss actions of a citizen that their
parents partake in, such as voting and other protected rights under the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Students could be engaged about the
topic by creating government simulations that give them the opportunities to
become the framers and to understand at a more personal level the rights
they wanted to protect and what government would be best for the nation,
and this will be done in a lesson discussing the Bill of Rights.

Enduring Understanding/Big Idea:

The Constitution of the United States was a controversial document that
attempted to resolve the flaws of the Articles of Confederation and
established the democratic system that we have in place today.
Compelling Question
(first dimension of C3
arch):
Why did the first
government of the
United States fail?

Supporting Questions: (narrowing)

What type of government did England
have?
What rights did the colonists have?
Did the colonists agree with the rights
they were given?
Why did the framers of the constitution
choose to include those concepts and
ideas?
Did the Articles of Confederation work in
America? What were its flaws?
What ideas needed to be changed and
included in the constitution?
What is federalism? How is federalism
applied in division of the state and
national powers of the country?
What rights did the people want to be
protected by a new government?

Behavioral Objectives:
Students will be able to (say I CAN):
1. Students will explain the different powers that were divided between
the national and state governments under the Articles of
Confederation. (5-U3.3.1)
2. Students will list the problems America faced under the Articles of
Confederation. (5-U3.3.2)
9

3. Students will describe why the Constitutional Convention came

together and why they needed to create the constitution. (5 U3.3.3)
4. Students will provide examples of why the Framers of the
constitution wanted the national government to have limited powers.
(5-U3.3.5)
5. Students will define federalism and its principles as well as explain
how it is used in the constitution through the sharing and separation
of powers. (5-U3.3.6)
6. Students will explain why many people wanted their individual rights
to be protected in the constitution with the Bill of Rights before it
would be ratified. (5-U3.3.7)
7. Determine the true meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing word parts, and
using reference materials, if necessary. (CCSS.ELALITERACY.CCRA.L.4)
8. Demonstrate ability and understanding of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. (CCSS.ELALITERACY.CCRA.L.2)
9. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations
with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their
own ideas clearly. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1)
10.
Produce clear and coherent writing where the development,
organization, and style are appropriate for the assignment.
(CCSS.ELALITERACY.CCRA.W.4)
11.
Describe how peoples perspectives shape the historical
sources they create. (D2. His.6.3-5.)
12.
Compare information given in different historical sources about
the past. (D2.His,10.3-5.)
13.
Infer the intended audience and purpose of a historical
document from information found within the source. (D2.His.11.3-5.)
14.
Explain how different forms of government are created, the
10

structure of those governments, and the functions of different

systems of government, including those created by the U.S. and
state constitutions. (D2.Civ.5.3-5.)
15.
. Explain how groups of people make rules to create
responsibilities and protect freedoms. (D2.Civ.4.3-5)

Key Concepts/Vocab:
Revolution: a
replacement of an
established government
by the people that were
governed.
Democracy: government
run by the people either
directly or by their elected
people.
Creating a new
government: the
creation of the
constitution from the
Articles of Confederation
Federalism: The idea of
shared powers between
state and national
governments to provide
balance.
Articles of
Confederation: the
original constitution of the
US which was ratified in
1781 and was replaced by
the US Constitution.
The Constitution: A
document created by the
Framers that established a
federal government
system to run the United

Important
Knowledge:
Students will learn the
strengths and
weaknesses of the
Articles of
Confederation.
1. Congress did not
have the power to
tax.
2. Congress did not
have the power to
enforce laws.
3. There was no
national form of
currency.
4. There was no
system of national
courts.
5. There was no
national army or
navy.
6. No interstate
trade because of
high tariffs.

Important Skills:
-Understand and
analyze graphic
data
- Ability to argue for
a certain position
with the use of
sources
-Reading ability
-Writing

Students will learn

about the differences
between a confederacy
which is an alliance or
association between
states or parties for a
purpose and a
democracy which is a
government by the

11

States of America and

replaced the Articles of
Confederation.
Rebellion: resistance or
uprising against the
orders of an established
government or authority.
Convention: A meeting
of delegates representing
political, church, or social
organizations to discuss
legislation.
Weak: Lacking the power
to perform demanding
tasks.
Union: The action of fact
of joining together,
especially in a political
context.

people.
Students will learn
about the separation of
powers in the Articles
and the Constitution.
Within the Articles of
Confederation, the
states held most of the
power which left the
central government
weak and powerless.
The constitution allowed
for the idea of
federalism which is
shared powers between
the federal and state
governments.
Students will learn
about the importance of
Shays Rebellion and
how it influenced the
Framers to form the
Constitution because
the weaknesses in the
Articles of
Confederation were
causing rebellions and
other issues such as
increased debt.
Students will learn
about the Constitutional
Convention and why is
came together.
It came together to
solve the issues of
the Articles of
Confederation. It
took over three
months to complete
and they ended up
drafting a completely
new government
system which we
12

Description of Informal
Assessments:
1. Think-Puzzle-Explore

Overview and Rationale for

Paper and Pencil Quiz/Test
(see attached test/quiz):

This informal assessment will

be used on the first day of the unit
The paper and pencil quiz that
as an introduction to discover the
I created
for this unit is a
know
as the
prior knowledge and
combination
Constitution. of
It true or false (5)
misconceptions the students might
and short answer
attempted
to solve(2) questions.
have about the topic. With this
Throughout
the quiz, the students
activity, students will be introduced many of the issues of
will Articles
be tested
on information from
the
and
to the enduring understanding or
each
of
the
unit
objectives.
This
helped to establish
a
the big idea for the unit. The
type of formative
stronger
central assessment will
teacher can begin to ask short
provide
quick
feedback to the
questions about the Articles of
government that
Confederation and the Constitution, they
teacher
to check was
the students
understood
such as have you heard about the
understanding
of
necessary to run athe material
Articles of Confederation before?
being country.
presented about the Articles
large
They can also be asked why they
of Confederation and the reasons
think a new government system
for thewill
creation
Students
learn of
thethe
had to be created. After this first
constitution.
importance of the Bill of
section when students share
Rights to protect the
everything they might already know
about the topic, they can begin to individual rights of the
Explain
werethe
notdifferent powers
share different questions or puzzlespeople1.that
that
were
divided between
that they might have and then
respected under English
national and state
explore different tools they could rule. Withthe
a stronger
use to solve those puzzles.
governments
under the
central government

2. Concept Map Creation

(Generate, Sort, Connect,
Elaborate)

of Confederation.
under theArticles
Constitution,
(5-U3.3.1)
many Americans were
List
therights
problems America
afraid 2.
that
their
This informal assessment will would again
faced
under
the Articles of
be
be done about halfway through theinfringed Confederation.
upon. The Bill (5-U3.3.2)
unit plan so that the students are
3.
Provide
examples of why the
of Rights includes
exposed to the information and can
Framers of the constitution wanted
recall the different key terms and protection of speech,
the national
religion, press,
etc.government to have
vocabulary about the Articles of
limited powers. (5-U3.3.5)
Confederation, the weaknesses that
it had, why the constitution had to
be created, and the ideas it needed
to include. With a partner, each
student will generate a list of the
terms related to the unit topic and
draw lines between the concepts
that relate to one another. This
assessment would be useful to
check understanding of the
connections between the events
that led up to the creation of the
constitution, to help correct any
errors in their understanding, and
also for the teacher to check that
the unit is being taught effectively.

4. Define federalism and its

principles as well as explain
how it is used in the
constitution through the
sharing and separation of
powers. (5-U3.3.6)
5. Explain why many people wanted
their individual rights to be
protected in the constitution with
the Bill of Rights before it would
be ratified. (5-U3.3.7)

3. Exit Tickets

The teacher will provide five

minutes, at the closing of the social
studies discipline for that day, for
the students to answer a question
based on the content that they
learned in that class period. An
example of this could be having
students explain how the powers

13

Formative Assessment:
Part 1: True/False
For this section of the quiz read each statement and decide if the statement
is true or false. Place the true or false answer in the shortest line underneath
the question. If the answer is false, please fix the statement to make
it true in the longer line space.
1. In the Articles of Confederation, state governments had the majority of
power.

2. After the revolution, American people feared a weak central government.

3. The Constitution was formed at the Constitutional Convention in

Philadelphia.

4. Many states would not ratify the constitution without the Bill of Rights.

5. Under a federalist government, state governments have more powers

than the federal governments.

Part 2: Short Answers

For this section of the quiz read each of the questions and respond to the
best of your ability.
1. List three different problems that Americans had with the Articles of
Confederation.
1)
2)
3)
2. Explain, in two complete sentences, why the framers of the
Constitution wanted the national government to have limited powers.

14

Performance Assessment
Teacher Directions:
1. Read the scenario and related assignment to the students.
2. Explain to them their role as the historian and the audience that they
are trying to reach with their letter.
3. The brainstorming for the letter will be done at home. The students
should then bring their ideas back to school the following day to write
the letter in class.
4. Give the students 50 minutes to compose their letter in class with the
use of their brainstorming sheet.
Imagine that you are a historian and the national government is planning
to bring back the Articles of Confederation to replace the Constitution. As a
historian, you know all of the steps in American history that led from the
Articles of Confederation to the creation of the Constitution and why this was
a necessary change. Write a letter to Michigans senators and explain to
them why you think that the Constitution should remain.
The letter should include some of the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation, why the Constitution was created, how the constitution
provides a balance of powers, and the individual rights that the constitution
protects. Use each of these pieces of information as evidence to convince the
senators that the Articles of Confederation would fail again in the United
States.

15

Name:
Bringing Back the Articles of Confederation
Imagine that you are a historian and the national government is
planning to bring back the Articles of Confederation to replace the
Constitution. As a historian, you know all of the steps in American history
that led from the Articles of Confederation to the creation of the Constitution
and why this was a necessary change. Write a letter to Michigans senators
and explain to them why you think that the Constitution should remain.
The letter should include some of the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation, why the Constitution was created, how the constitution
provides a balance of powers, and the individual rights that the constitution
protects. Use each of these pieces of information as evidence to convince the
senators that the Articles of Confederation would fail again in the United
States.
Homework: On the bottom half of this sheet, brainstorm the different ideas
that you want to talk about in your letter to the senators.
Think about the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the
different things that the Framers of the Constitution thought were
necessary.
Bring this brainstorming sheet back to school tomorrow to use while
you write your letter in class.

16

Performance Assessment Rubric~

Attributes

4
Exemplary

3
Good

2
Adequate

1
Inadequate

Use of
evidence

The student
uses a lot of
evidence to
support their
ideas in the
letter.

The student
uses some
evidence to
support their
ideas in the
letter.

The student
uses little
evidence to
support their
ideas in the
letter.

The student
does not use
any evidence to
support their
ideas in the
letter.

Organizatio
n

The letter is
written
clearly, is
organized
very well.

The letter is
written clearly,
but lacks some
organization of
ideas.

The letter is
not well
organized and
some of the
ideas are not
connected.

The letter is not

organized and
the ideas are
random and not
relevant.

Accuracy of
Information
Provided

The
information
provided in
the letter is
historically
accurate.

Most of the
information in
the letter is
historically
accurate.

Few pieces of
information in
the letter are
historically
accurate.

The information
provided in the
letter is not
historically
accurate or
relevant to the
topic.

Brainstormi
ng Handout

It is clear that
the student
put a lot of
effort into the
assignment.
It is neat and
addresses the
main points
of the topic.

The student
put some effort
into the
assignment,
and addresses
most of the
main points for
the topic.

The student
put little effort
into the
assignment,
and addresses
few of the
main points for
the topic.

The student did

not complete
this section of
the assignment.

17

Hooking Lesson
Emma Kowal
Length of lesson: 75 minutes
Compelling Question: Why did the first government of the United States fail?
Overview: This lesson will begin to address the compelling question by running
a simulation of the Articles of Confederation in the classroom. Students will be
grouped into each of the 13 states and they will be told the different powers that
are reserved to the congress and the powers that are given to the states. They
will then have to address three different problems that will test the strengths
and most importantly weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, so that the
students can understand first hand why they failed in America.
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain the different powers that were divided
between national and state governments under the Articles of Confederation
(5-U3.3.1).
Students will explain the origins, functions, and structure of different
governments, including those created in the United States (D2.Civ.5.3-5).

Students will prepare for and participate effectively in a range of

conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively (CCSS.ELALITERACY.CCRA.SL.1).

Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding: Some

students may have preconceptions about the Articles of Confederation, while
others may not have any idea that there was a previous government before the
Constitution.
Materials/Evidence/Sources:
Packet of simulation materials for each student
o Powers of Government Chart (state and national)
o Information on each State: available money, number of troops available
o Problem sheet (3 problems)

18

Assessment: During the lesson, students will be assessed on their participation

in the simulation. After the simulation is complete, they will be formally
assessed by writing a paragraph about their experiences in that lesson and why
they believe that this form of government did not work in the united states.
Instructional Sequence:
1. At the beginning of the lesson, tap into the prior knowledge of the students
and ask them if they remember the previous units on the colonies, the
revolutionary war, and the establishment of the colonies as a separate free
nation. As an entrance ticket warm-up, the students will respond to the following
question: What are three qualities that you think make up a good
government? (10 minutes)
2. After they write for five minutes, have a few of the students share what they
came up with. (5 minutes)
3. At the beginning of the activity, the teacher will discuss that today they will
be going through a government simulation. Then begin preparation for the
simulation. Hand out the simulation packet to each student and explain the
overview of the activity. (See step 4)
4. The students will be put into groups that signify each of the 13 states, 2-3
students per group depending on the class size. (3 minutes)
5. Each group will be assigned a state and they will be given five minutes to look
at the different state and national government powers, as well as the amount of
money and troops available from their state and for the other states. (5
minutes)
6. The simulation will then begin with the introduction to the problem. The
students will review the problem with their group members and they will decide
the amount of resources they are willing to give to congress to solve the
problem. (5 minutes)
7. The states will all then contribute to a discussion to decide how many
resources will be given from each state. This debate will prove to be difficult
which will show the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. (20 minutes)
8. At the closing of the problem debate, explain that the simulation that was
done today in class was actually a simulation of the Articles of Confederation,
the first government of the United States, and that the 13 states that were
represented, were the first 13 states of America under the Articles of
Confederation. (2 minutes)
10. Have students volunteer opinions on why they thought this activity was
difficult. Write on the board each of the weaknesses that the students present.
(10 minutes)

19

11. Use their ideas and explain why the Articles of Confederation failed in the
United States. (10 minutes)
12. As an exit ticket, have the students write a paragraph for the last five
minutes of the lesson and explain their experiences in the simulation and why
they believe the Articles of Confederation failed. (5 minutes)

20

Government Simulation Materials

Includes:
-Chart explaining the powers reserved to the state and national governments
-Number of troops and money available for each of the 13 states
-Potential problem for the government to solve

Overview:
In this activity, we will be separating into groups representing the first
thirteen states of the United States. Each group will have 2-3 people and you
will discuss the number of troops and the available money for your state, as
well as the other states. You will be presented with a problem and all of the
states will have to work together, based on the rules and powers of the
government, to solve the problem.

21

State Government
Powers
States get one vote in
Congress
States can tax their
citizens
States can create
taxes on trade with
other states
States do not have to
follow the orders of
Congress
States can give money
and troops to
Congress if they
choose
States cannot wage
war without the
agreement of
Congress

National Government
Powers
To pass a law or make
a decision 9/13 votes
are required
To change the Articles
of Confederation 13/13
votes are required
Congress can declare
war
Congress can raise an
army
Congress cannot tax
citizens
Can allow creation of
new states with 9/13
votes

22

North
Carolina
Available Troops:
200
Available Money:
$2,000

New Jersey
Available Troops:
150
Available Money:
$3,000

Delaware
Available Troops:
50
Available Money:
$750

South Carolina
Available Troops:
350
Available Money:
$1,500

New York
Available Troops:
250
Massachuset
New
Available Money:
Virginia
Rhode
ts
$3,500
Hampshire

Connecticut
Maryland
Island

Available Troops:
Available
Available Troops:
Troops:
400
75 Troops:
Available
Georgia
Available
Troops:
50
Available
Money:
Available
100
75
50Money:
Available
Money:
$3,000
Available
Available
Money:
Pennsylvania
Available
Troops:
AvailableMoney:
Money:
$1,000
$750
350
Available
Troops:
Available
Money:
175 $1,750
23
Available Money:
$3,500

Problem
#1
Massachusetts is in extreme debt. In order to keep their
government operating, they have imposed very high
taxes on farmland. Farmers have rebelled against the
24

government and fighting has taken place. Massachusetts

has a small state militia, but they are losing control of the
situation.
Congress is asking for:
-The ability to send troops to help control the situation
(Necessary 9/13 vote)
-To raise a force of 1000 troops and $2000 (each state
decides what to send)

Concept Formation Lesson Plan

Emma Kowal
Length of lesson: 35-40 minutes
Title of lesson: Federalism Concept Formation
Overview: In the lesson, students will be introduced to the concept of
federalism and will look at examples of different countries with federalist
governments along with identifying certain characteristics that they all have in
common. They will then create a class definition of the concept of federalism

25

with the help of the teacher, and test other examples and non-examples with
the definition and characteristics.
Objectives:
Students will define federalism and its principles as well as explain how it is
used in the constitution through the sharing and separation of powers. (5U3.3.6)
Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding:
Students could possibly have difficulty understanding federalism and how it
works within a countrys government. I would address this challenge by going
over many examples of federalist governments as well as looking at the
separation of powers between the states and national governments that a
federalist system creates in the United States specifically.
Materials/Evidence/Sources:
-PowerPoint slides (included)
Assessment:
During the lesson, I will informally assess the students through their discussion
and involvement in the lesson. After the instruction of the lesson, I will have the
students complete an exit ticket explaining the attributes that are associated
with federalism, the definition that we created as a class, and an explained
example of a federalist government that we discussed other than the United
States.
Instructional Sequence:
1. Introduce the lesson by using the PowerPoint slides and asking questions
reminding them of the Articles of Confederation, why it was created, and
ultimately why it failed. Ask them to think about the framers of the
Constitution and what they were thinking about when they were
establishing set powers. Should state governments have more powers?
Should the national government hold the most powers? (5 minutes)
2. Then move through each of the examples provided in the power point for
the different countries. Give them a few minutes to look over the
information provided for each country and then bring the class back
together to ask about anything that stood out to them and anything that
is similar between the examples. (5 minutes each)
3. After discussing each of the countries, write out the similarities that the
class comes up with on the board. (2 minutes)
4. Discuss the three key attributes in the PowerPoint and see if they are
similar to the characteristics that the students came up with. (3 minutes)
5. Have the students talk to their neighbors and come up with a possible
definition of Federalism using the attributes they created. (5 minutes)
6. Have some students share their possible definitions and then compare
with the definition that you have. (5 minutes)

26

7. Then go over the next two examples with the students making the
decisions of whether or not they can be considered a federalist
government, with the use of the attributes. (5 minutes)
8. Explain the exit ticket assignment, and have them complete it to be
turned in as an assessment of the lesson. (5-10 minutes)

Working with Texts Lesson Plan

Emma Kowal
What caused Shays Rebellion? Why was it so significant?
Length of Lesson: 75 minutes
Overview: In this lesson, students will look at Shays Rebellion and how the
Articles of Confederation led up to this event by using three different resources.

27

We will then discuss why the rebellion was so significant and how it led the
government to create the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention.
Objectives:
Students will list the problems America faced under the Articles of
Confederation. (5-U3.3.2)
Students will describe why the Constitutional Convention came together
and why they needed to create the constitution. (5 U3.3.3)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context
clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and
specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
D2. His.6.3-5. Describe how peoples perspectives shaped the historical
sources they created.
D2.His,10.3-5. Compare information provided by different historical
sources about the past.
D2.His.11.3-5. Infer the intended audience and purpose of a historical
source from information within the source itself.
Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding:
Students may have previous misconceptions or gaps in understanding from the
previous lesson that introduced the unit with the Articles of Confederation
simulation to demonstrate its weaknesses. I plan to address these by providing
the students with more information about the American people and how the
Articles of Confederation impacted them on a personal level. This will help them
to picture the weaknesses beyond the national and state levels and to
understand that the lives of Americans in the post-war America were filled with
complications. The texts that were chosen for this lesson will help paint a picture
in the minds of the students from personal accounts about Shays Rebellion and
how it impacted the country as a whole. Students may struggle to interpret the
documents, so they will need to be appropriately scaffolded and discussed as a
class in addition to small groups.
Materials/Evidence/Sources:
Letter from Major General Shepard about the Springfield Arsenal
Attack (copy for each student)
Address to the People, Daniel Gray (copy for each student)
Springfield Arsenal Battle Image (copy for each student)
PowerPoint Document
Shays Rebellion TedEd Video
(http://ed.ted.com/on/0rLLLnvY#watch )

28

Assessment: Student understanding will be assessed by having them do a 3 W

activity, where students will write out what? So what? And Now what? They will
explain first what they learned in class today (what?), the relevance and
importance of what they learned (so what?), and finally how they think that this
lesson fits into what they have been learning and where they think we are
headed next (now what?). These will then be collected to be reviewed by the
teacher to assess the understanding of the lesson.
Instructional Sequence:
1. The lesson will first be introduced by discussing the previous lesson about
the Articles of Confederation and the simulation that they did to better
understand the problems that the Articles of Confederation had on a
larger level between the states. Ask the students to provide some of the
weaknesses that they learned were within the Articles of Confederation.
Use slide 2 of the PowerPoint document. (5 minutes)
2. Slide 3/4 of the PP document. Discuss on a more individual level how the
Articles of Confederation affected the people of the United States in the
post-war times. (5 minutes)
3. The students will next learn about the farmers specifically and their
struggles to survive in the post-war country. High taxes left them unable
to keep their farms, use slide 3/ 4 of the PP document. (6 minutes) Watch
the video of Shays Rebellion until 1:27. This explains the problems of the
American people as well as the farmers.
4. Introduce Shays Rebellion by discussing that all of the issues that the
American people were having, especially the farmers, led up to the
rebellion because they felt there was nothing left for them to do. What
was Shays Rebellion? Slide 5 of the PP document. (10 minutes) Watch the
remainder of the video.
5. Have the students then get into 6 groups in different areas of the room.
They can be numbered off 1-6 or be instructed to get into even groups, it
is up to the teacher of the lesson. Slide 6. (2 minutes)
6. Pass out the document packet to each student. Have them get into their
groups and pick a document spot in the room to begin the activity. (3
Minutes)
7. Each of the groups will start at a document that is posted around the
room. They will read the document in their packets, discuss the main
points, and write down key points of each document on the large paper on
the wall in the colored marker of their group. The groups will then rotate
two times to visit each of the 3 documents and to write their thoughts on
the large paper in the different colors of their groups. There will be two
sets of each document located around the room so each of the 6 groups
will have documents to discuss and write about. (20 minutes)
8. Then bring the entire class back together to talk about each of the
documents and how they help them to understand the biggest battle of
the rebellion at the Springfield Arsenal. Slides 7-9. (15 minutes)
o Document 1: General William Shepard (Modified and Shortened)

29

After the students have the opportunity to look at this

document. Ask them what information they think this
document provided for them to better understand the
rebellion. Then ask about possible difficulties while
interpreting the letter, and clear up any confusion. Help them
walk through step by step the positions of each of the groups
of men, who fired the first shots, etc. Finally ask them why
they think this document matters and how it helped them in
the lesson
While discussing the document, refer to the large papers from
the document activity, where each group analyzed the
document and wrote down their thoughts and findings.
o Document 2: Daniel Gray Letter (Modified)
Ask the students: What was the purpose of this document?
Who was the intended audience for this document? Can
anyone tell me a few reasons talked about in the letter why
the uprising or rebellion was occurring?
Discuss any bias that could have been found within the letter.
Compare to the bias that could be found in the letter written
by the general and introduce the idea that bias can be found
in any document based on the perspective of the individual
that created it. The bias in the letter written by General
William Shepard would be different than the bias in the
document created by Daniel Gray because they supported
opposing sides of the rebellion.
While discussing the document, refer to the large papers from
the document activity, where each group analyzed the
document and wrote down their thoughts and findings.
o Document 3: Springfield Arsenal Battle Painting
Ask the students: According to the first document created by
General Shepard, who are each of the groups of people in the
image? Who is protecting the arsenal? Who is advancing
towards it? What else do you see in the image? Were shots
fired? Who fired them?
While discussing the document, refer to the large papers from
the document activity, where each group analyzed the
document and wrote down their thoughts and findings.
9. Finally discuss with the students the reaction that the rebellion caused,
which ultimately led to the bringing together of the Constitutional
Convention to create the Constitution, a document that would more
properly run such a large nation. Slide 10. (5 minutes)
10.
As a closing to the lesson and an assessment, the students will
complete an exit ticket with the 3 Ws. They will respond to three different
W questions in relation to the lesson. What? What have they learned
today. So What? Explain the importance and relevance of this information.
And now what? Where they will explain where they think the unit will be

30

going next and how the lesson fits into what we are learning about. Slide
11. (10 minutes)

Document 1
Letter from Major General Shepard (Modified)
Record of what happened at the Springfield Arsenal
Springfield Jan. 26. 1787
Sir,
The sad time has come when we have been forced to shed blood.
Shays, who was at the head of about twelve hundred men, marched
yesterday afternoon about four oclock, towards the public buildings in battle formation.
I sent one of my aids to him to find out what he was after, or what he wanted.
He still proceeded on his march until he was within two hundred & fifty yards of the
arsenal.
He then stopped. I immediately sent Major Lyman, one of my aids, & Capt. Buffington to inform
himnot to march his troops any nearer the Arsenal, as I was stationed here by order of your
Excellency & the Secretary of War, for the defense of the public property.
In case he did I would fire on him & his men. A Mr. Wheeler, who appeared to be one of Shays'
aids, met Mr. Lyman, after he had delivered my order.
Shays immediately put his troops in motion, & marched on rapidly near one hundred yards of
the arsenal.
I then ordered Major Stephens, who commanded the Artillery, to fire
upon them and he did.
The two first shot he used to overshoot them, in hopes they would be warned without firing
among them, but it had no effect on them.
Major Stephens then directed his shot through the center of Shays men.
The fourth or fifth shot put them into confusion. Shays made
an attempt to continue marching, but it didnt work.
If I was trying to destroy them, I
might have charged from behind them & to the sides with my Infantry
& the two field pieces & could have killed the greater part of
his whole army within twenty-five minutes.
There was not a single musket fired on either side.
I found three men dead
on the the spot & one wounded, who is now dead.
Three muskets were taken up with the dead, which were all loaded.
I have received no reinforcement yet, & expect to be attacked this day
by their whole force combined.
I am Sir, with great respect, Your Excellency's most
obedient & humble Servant.

31

William Shepard

Document 2

Address to the People by Daniel Gray (Modified)

Worcester December 7, 1786.

An ADDRESS to the PEOPLE of the several Towns in Massachusetts,
from the Body of people now in rebellion.
Gentlemen,
We thought that we should inform you of some of the causes of the recent
rebellions of the people.
1st: The method of debt collection will fill the jails with debtors because of the
lack of money that the people have. Those people will then be unable to help
themselves or be a part of the community.
2nd: The money raised by the taxes are imposed by the state to help pay off debt
accumulated by the revolutionary war.
3rd: A suspension of Habeas Corpus, which allowed men to be arrested and
detained without fair treatment. The rights of the people have been taken and
they have been subjected to unjust punishment.
4th: The unlimited power granted to Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Sheriffs by
the Riot Act, allowed them to be safe from legal punishment if they killed any
rioters who didnt listen to their orders to stop protesting. Even though the killing
could have come from a place of hatred and desire for revenge.
5th: be assured, that this group now in rebellion, with take measures to discharge
or remove both our foreign and domestic debt.
Per Order,
DANIEL GRAY, Chairman of a Com. for the above purpose.

32

Document 3

Painting of the Battle at the Springfield Arsenal

33

Unit Plan Vocabulary Activity

Part 1: Students will first be introduced to and taught the words that were
chosen as well as their definitions so that they can begin forming
connections with those words. Have the students write out their own
definition first, compare each of their definitions, and create one together.
Then compare the group definition to the definition that the teacher has for
that word.
1. Revolution: an attempt by a lot of people to change from a form of
government that they dont like to a different form of government.
2. Constitution: a system of beliefs and laws that a country, state, or
organization follow and is governed by.
3. Convention: A large meeting of people who come to a place for usually
several days to meet and talk about their shared work and to make
decisions as a group.
4. Weak: Having little power or force, likely to break or stop working
properly.
5. Union: joining two or more things together. (Combination, link)
Part 2: After being introduced to the words and their meanings, the students
will be asked questions and they will have to decide which key word they
learned goes with each of the association words or phrases.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Which word goes

Which word goes
Which word goes
Which word goes
something?
5. Which word goes

with
with
with
with

a document that establishes rules?

combination?
not strong?
a group of people that make decisions about

with new government?

Part 3: The students will then be asked different questions that make them
put the word meanings that they learned in use. With this task, really push
the students to continue on with their conversations so they can make as
many connections as possible.
1. What might be the opposite of something that is weak? Give an
example of something that would be weak and strong.

34

2. Why might someone be at a convention?

3. Why might people start a revolution against their old government?
4. Why might two or more things be combined or linked together? What is
it called when that happens?
5. Why might you want to form a constitution? What might you include in
that constitution?
Part 4: For the final task of this vocabulary activity, have them write out
sentences using each of the words. Help them to explore different
contexts to use the words in. After the students are finished writing, have
students volunteer or call on students to share the sentences that they
wrote, moving through each word one by one.

35

The Road to the Constitution Vocabulary Activity

Part 1: Write out a definition in your own words for each of the following
words.
1. Revolution

2. Constitution

3. Convention

4. Weak

5. Union
Part 4: Create one sentence for each of the five vocabulary words we have
discussed.
1. Revolution

2. Constitution

3. Convention

36

4. Weak

5. Union

Instructional Resources

37

Reflection
When I started the unit I felt like I knew a relatively good amount
of the content that should be included. I loved history and social studies in
general throughout my K-12 educational career so I paid a lot of attention to
detail and the material was reviewed many times. I did need to learn the
specific details that needed to be included in the unit such as Shays
Rebellion and the many weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Throughout the unit building process we were able to receive a lot of peer
feedback and it was extremely helpful in creating lessons that had the
necessary sections and information that was required. I really tried to take
the feedback very constructively and I used it to better my lesson plans to
create a cohesive and understandable unit. I struggled at the beginning with
providing enough information that would allow anyone to pick up the lesson
plan and teach the lesson. With the use of the peer feedback I was able to
use their advice to create more detailed instructions.
I plan on using the information that I have learned while planning this
unit in future unit planning by understanding that practice makes perfect. I
learned this especially through the whole group rehearsal teaching because

38

sometimes a lesson that you think is absolutely perfect may not actually run
smoothly in a classroom. I need to be better at expecting those speed bumps
during lessons and learning ways to problem-solve in the middle of a lesson.
I am most proud of being able to actually create a solid lesson plan. This
semester was my first exposure to lesson planning and it went very smoothly
and I am also very proud of being able to put multiple lessons together to
form a cohesive unit plan. Now that I have practice with lesson and unit
planning, I have so much more respect for teachers and the extra work that
they have to put in behind the scenes. I have many teachers in my family so
I was aware of the lesson and unit plans but actually taking the time to
create them was very eye-opening.

39