2.1.3 The United States Consitution

The United States Constitution

Learners can: 

• identify at least one important idea about government outlined in the Constitution

Vocabulary: Amendment-A change or addition

​Engage

In 1620, settlers from England arrived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on a ship called the Mayflower.

They were a group of pilgrims who wanted the ability to practice their own religion and to break away from the Church of England. Pilgrims are people who travel on long journeys to find religious freedom.
Before they got off the ship, the pilgrims signed an agreement called the Mayflower Compact. It was a document that established new rules to help them live together and survive.

This important document remained the law of the colonies in New England for 71 years.
The Mayflower Compact was one of the first constitutions ever made on American land. At the time, the land was only newly settled and under the control of British rule.
In 1787, over 150 years later, delegates from the 13 established states gathered to create a new constitution. This time, the United States of America was an independent nation, free from British control.

The writers of the Constitution wanted a stronger, united government that represented the people of the United States. After many debates and compromises, the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it remains the plan for government that the United States still uses today.

Today, you will learn more about the United States Constitution. Press on to the next page to learn an important word that you will need to know for today's lesson. EDIO VIDEO PAGE 2

Multiple Select

Why was the Mayflower Compact an important document?

• 
  It was the first written constitution in American history

• 
  It granted the Pilgrims complete independence from England.

• 
  It was a trade agreement between the Pilgrims and Native Americans.

• It inspired the Founding Fathers when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Discover

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitution was written at a gathering called the Constitutional Convention. The convention was held from May 1787 until September 1787.

It was a secret gathering that included 55 delegates, who represented different states and who were all white men who were well-educated, wealthy slave owners.
With George Washington as their leader, the delegates' goal was to strengthen their newly formed independent government.

They spent months debating and compromising on a document that would establish new rules for the government.
Without a compromise, the Founding Fathers may not have found a way to create a stronger government that represents the people of the United States. EDIO VIDEO PAGE 4

Audio Response

Why was it important that the Founding Fathers compromised while writing the United States Constitution?

Open Audio Recorder

The Constitution has an introduction and seven Articles. Articles is another word for written rules.

The introduction is called the Preamble. It is a short paragraph, but it has a very important purpose.

Its job is to introduce the Constitution, explain what the document is meant to do, and describe the purpose of the new government.

​The Preamble to the Constitution differs from the Preamble to the Articles of Confederation.

• The Articles stated an agreement between states.

• The Preamble to the Constitution states an agreement between the national government and the people of the United States.

The Preamble is the introduction to the Constitution, and it has a very important purpose. It clearly states the goals that the government has for the people of the United States of America.

Even though the Preamble was written over 200 years ago, the goals presented by the Founding Fathers remain the same vision of the government today.

The Preamble

Match

Match the following

• The government will help to keep the United States a peaceful place to live.

• The government will be ruled by the people, not by a king.

• The states will be united better than before.

“ensure domestic Tranquility"

“We the People"

“form a more perfect Union"

• 
  

  “ensure domestic Tranquility"

• 
  
  

  “We the People"

• 
  

  “form a more perfect Union"

Branches of Government

After the Preamble, the Constitution has seven parts called Articles. Each Article, or written rule, outlines how the Founding Fathers wanted the government to run the country. 
The first three Articles outline the three branches of government.

• Article 1 explains the legislative branch.

• Article 2 explains the executive branch.

• Article 3 explains the judicial branch.

Before the Constitution was written, the Articles of Confederation only supported one ruling body of government, which was the legislative branch, or Congress.

The Constitution provides for three ruling bodies of the government. They are the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own responsibilities, which balances the powers, or control, within the national government. 

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Article 1: The Legislative Branch

The first Article in the Constitution describes the job of the legislative branch.

Legislative means law-making. Members of the legislature, or law-making body, are called Congress. They are responsible for creating laws.

Congress is made up of two groups: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Article 2: The Executive Branch

The second Article of the Constitution describes the job of the executive branch.

This branch carries out the laws.

The president is the leader of the executive branch.!

Article 3: The Judicial Branch

The third Article outlines the roles and responsibilities of the judicial branch.

The judicial branch works to understand the laws and decides if they have been followed in court cases.

This branch represents the national court system called the Supreme Court.

Match

Match the following

• Supreme Court

• President

• Congress

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Executive Branch

• Legislative Branch

Articles 4 Through 7

The last four Articles of the Constitution explain:

• the State's rights;

• how the Constitution can be changed;

• how the national government is the law of the land; and

• how the Constitution was officially approved.

Great job learning about Articles 4 through 7 of the Constitution!

You learned that:

• the states have their own responsibilities and power;

• the Constitution can be changed, or amended;

• the national government is the “supreme law of the land"; and

• to ratify, or approve, the Constitution, nine out of 13 states had to agree to it.

In 1788, nine out of 13 states agreed to the Constitution, and it became the official system of government of the United States of America.

In 1791, a Bill of Rights that lists individual freedoms and rights to people was added as the first 10 amendments of the Constitution.

For over 200 years, with only 27 changes, the Constitution remains the document that guides the United States government today!

​Article 4
States have the power to create and enforce their own laws. Each state has to respect the laws of other states. All states must have people, such a governor, to represent their state.

Article 5
Describes how the constitution can be changed. A change or addition to the Constitution is called an amendment.

Article 6
Federalism is the idea that the national government shares power with the states. If a state law disagrees with a national law, Article 6 states that the law of the national government are the "Supreme law of the land"

Article 7
The Constitution should not be official until 9 out of 13 states approved it.

Match

Match the following

• 
  

  Nine out of 13 states needed to approve the Constitution for it to become the “Law of the Land."

• The states have the power to create their own laws.

• The law of the national government will always win over the laws of the state.

• 
  

  Changes can be made to the Constitution.

Article 7

Article 4

Article 6

Article 5

• 
  

  Article 7

• Article 4

• Article 6

• Article 5

Oath of Office
VIDEO EDIO PAGE7

Word Cloud

One important idea about government that is outlined in the Constitution