The Constitution, created with enormous foresight, has withstood over 200 years. It’s astounding how few changes have been made to it.
But is it time to make a new one?
Students take on the role of advisors to the President as they research, decide, and support the position they believe the White House should take on a possible new amendment in this compelling PBL-styled research essay.
Each issue connects to the three branches’ key powers and structures and some of the biggest current political debates.
Each of the included 3 Research Project Kits includes:
Teacher Materials
- Project Overview with student outcomes, skills supported, step-by-step lesson plans, links to Google Doc files, and several ideas and tips for differentiating for all students
Student Materials
- Presidential Memo posing the challenge to students
- Mission Task Check-Off with step-by-step tasks for check-off for the entire project
- Background Readings of historical and modern context with short readings on how amendments are added & the debated issue at hand –complete with processing questions and links to audio recordings of texts
- Constitutional Excerpts of portions of Articles I, II, & III, as well as related Antifederalist Essays and Federalist Papers — complete with paraphrasing tasks and links to audio recordings of texts
- Select Sources of 4-7 color maps, charts, and other visuals essential to understanding the issue
- Additional Sources with links to 6 pre-vetted, high-quality, and varied sources for students to use to start their independent research
- Research Plan providing brainstorming to keywords use and evidence to find
- Research Home Base organizing and recording research findings
- Source Analysis Forms challenging students to assess sources deeply
- Report Outline Form organizing research into a cohesive and well-built argument before writing the essay
- Report Criteria Rubrics to seven broad research and argumentative writing standards
- How-To Skill Reference Handouts including Annotating a Text, Analyzing Sources, Finding Sources, Creating a Works Cited, Annotating a Citation, Deciding a Precise Position, Creating a Thesis, and Using Supporting Evidence
This resource is over 130 total PDF pages, plus Google files.
What grades is this intended for?
This was designed for high school.
What supports are included? How can I modify this?
Each guided notes sheet chunks episodes into manageable segments and skill sheet handouts are provided for the accompanying political cartoons and news articles analysis extension activities.
Can I use this in a homeschooling setting?
Sure! Everything in this kit can easily be used in a solo or a small-group setting.
Is this editable? What file types does this resource come in?
The main resource comes as a secured, non-editable PDF file intended to be printed.
Included are links to editable Google Doc files of student materials, to customize to your classroom needs and assign digitally if you choose. The skill sheet handouts are not editable.
What standards does this address?
Several! Standards vary, but this resource supports these from various states:
- Analyzes the structures and functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
- Applies critical thinking skills (summarizing, drawing inferences, concluding) to assessing a variety of valid sources, organizing information acquired
- Creates a product on a contemporary government issue using inquiry
- Analyzes/evaluates information, evidence, and counterarguments from primary and secondary sources
- Defends a point of view on a current political issue
- Creates a presentation of social studies information using effective communication, including proper grammar and conventions, proper citations, and methods to avoid plagiarism
What are the terms of use for this resource?
This resource, including all ancillary files, may be used as needed for regular, non-commercial single-classroom use between a teacher and their students.
This includes printing copies and sharing digital files with students through a secure platform, like Google Classroom or Canvas, email, or a classroom-only shared drive.
The using and sharing of any part of this resource in any manner outside the above-mentioned capacity is strictly prohibited. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to,
- posting files on the open internet or in a Facebook group
- emailing files to or sharing print copies with others (without purchasing additional licenses)
- uploading or storing files in a shared cloud drive accessible by anyone other than students
- including any part, or any derivative work, within any commercial endeavor like curriculum development, professional training, or for-profit teaching like Outschool, or selling this resource as your own in either print or digital formats
Doing so violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright law, and these terms.
By downloading this resource from Let’s Cultivate Greatness, the original user has been granted one license for a single teacher (or number of teachers matching the number of licenses purchased) and their students at any one time.
Let’s Cultivate Greatness retains the full copyright of this resource.
Reviews
Great resource for an end-of-the-semester activity. My honors students were very engaged! – fellow TPT seller
This was the perfect project to work on my student’s research ability. – Madeleine G.
This was a great end-of-class project that I loved watching the kids get into. Thank you. – fellow TPT seller
