LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

The Preamble to the Constitution: How do you make a more perfect union?

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=233

A lesson plan for Grade 5 Information Skills, English Language Arts, and Social Studies

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities

About this resource

Appropriate grades
5
Subjects
social studies (civics and government)
Provider
National Endowment for the Humanities

Legal

Creative Commons License

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This page contains five EDSITEment lessons in which students will become familiar with the Preamble to the Constitution. They will study fundamental values and principles, as well as investigate the purposes of the U.S. Constitution, as expressed in the Preamble. Students will investigate how its meaning and how its language reflects both historical events and the goals the Founders had for the future. They will consider the responsibilities of independence and explore problems inherent in the Articles of Confederation.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Information Skills (2000)

Grade 5

  • Goal 5: The learner will COMMUNICATE reading, listening, and viewing experiences.
    • Objective 5.01: Respond to reading, listening, viewing experiences orally, artistically, dramatically, through various formats (e.g., print, multimedia).
    • Objective 5.02: Produce media in various formats (print, graphical, audio, video, multimedia) appropriate to audience and purpose.
    • Objective 5.03: Collaborate with others, both in person and through technologies, to identify information problems and to design, develop and evaluate information products and solutions.
    • Objective 5.04: Credit sources in all print, non-print, and electronic products.
    • Objective 5.05: Apply fair use copyright guidelines (Copyright Law, P. L. 94-553) in all projects.

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 5

  • Goal 2: The learner will analyze political and social institutions in North America and examine how these institutions respond to human needs, structure society, and influence behavior.
    • Objective 2.01: Analyze major documents that formed the foundations of the American idea of constitutional government.
    • Objective 2.03: Recognize how the United States government has changed over time.
  • Goal 4: The learner will trace key developments in United States history and describe their impact on the land and people of the nation and its neighboring countries.
    • Objective 4.01: Define the role of an historian and explain the importance of studying history.
    • Objective 4.04: Describe the causes and effects of the American Revolution, and analyze their influence on the adoption of the Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 5

  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).