Civics – Articles of the Constitution

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The National Archives takes its role as the guardian of the U.S. Constitution very seriously, employing state-of-the-art preservation techniques and security measures to protect this iconic document.

• Did you know there was another document before the Constitution that established the United States government?

The Articles of Confederation was the first written Constitution of the United States, ratified (approved) in 1781. The states remained independent under the Articles of Confederation.

It soon became clear that the United States would need a strong central government to levy taxes and negotiate with large foreign powers.

In 1787, twelve of the thirteen states gathered in secrecy in Philadelphia to write a new constitution. This Constitutional Convention lasted 55 days. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest member at the age of 81.

The United States Constitution is still the oldest one in use. Its three major components are the Preamble, the Articles, and the Bill of Rights. The Articles of the Constitution established the government of the United States.

Watch the following video to learn some history about the Constitution.

Explore each of the Articles of the Constitution with the following video. As you watch, complete the Articles of the Constitution Note-Taking Guide found in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. Pause the video if necessary.

Use the resources below to fill in details about each article on the Articles of the Constitution Note-Taking Guide.

• Constitution of the United States
• The 7 Articles of the U.S. Constitution

Continue to the Got It? section to study the Constitution in more detail.