Celebrating the Constitution! Educational Resources K12 Learning, United States, United States, History Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

When the first state delegates met in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, they had no idea the task before them would take an entire summer to complete!

Nor did they realize the heat of the summer sun would barely compare to the heated debate before them regarding the establishment of a better system of government.

the Second Continental Congress

The Articles of Confederation were out, but would they ever be able to agree on how to govern this fledgling nation?

Thankfully, yes!

It was a long and complex process, but the United States Constitution was established on September 17, 1787.

How did the delegates finally arrive at a plan all could agree was a sound and solid one, balancing the federal government's and state governments' powers and ensuring the rights of individual people?

Well, it all began with looking at the lessons learned from America's first attempt, initiated after the nation had achieved independence: The Articles of Confederation.

The Constitutional Convention was held from May through September 1787.

Read Constitution of the United States—A History for a thorough overview of the process and challenges faced in drafting the new Constitution, as well as an overview of some of the prominent historical figures involved.

After reading, write a summary of what you learned. Be sure to identify the key arguments that need to be resolved by those in attendance.