This ToolBook reveals not only the origins of our constitutional democracy, but also how our founding fathers came up with the concepts. It also addresses the main purpose of government, here in America and in other regions and cultures.
In the "Origins of the U.S. Constitution" ToolBook we begin by asking, "What is constitutional democracy?" and "What is the character of American democracy?" From there we go on to explore the purpose of our government:
- One purpose of government: To promote the public good. During the Classical Age, the Greeks invented democracy and the Romans invented the republic.
- Another purpose of government: To protect individual rights.
And then, we explore the primary influences for the formation of our Constitution:
- In medieval England, the Magna Carta established the principle of limited government.
- The Judeo-Christian ethic —the importance of the individual
- The Glorious Revolution —a constitutional monarchy and the English Bill of Rights
- John Locke —Natural Rights and the Social Contract
- Montesquieu —Three Branches, Separation of Powers, Checks & Balances
- The Mayflower Compact —Consent of the Governed
- The Great Awakening —Separation of Church & State
- The Declaration of Independence —Political equality ("All men are created equal.")
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| What is constitutional democracy? 11 | |
| #1 Quotations | What is democracy? |
| #2 Group Analysisr | Using Bloom’s taxonomy, analyze: Democracy |
| #3 Group Analysisr | Using Bloom’s taxonomy, analyze: Constitution |
| #4 Lecture | What is constitutional democracy? |
| #5 Group Analysisr | Using Bloom’s taxonomy, analyze: Constitutional democracy |
| #6 Lecture | w/ class discussion Alexis de Tocqueville: Tyranny of the majority |
| #7 Document | Excerpt from Chapter 4, Democracy in America |
| #8 Quotations | Alexis de Tocqueville |
| #9 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: Constitutionalism |
| #10 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: Majority rule |
| Test | Constitutional democracy: 18 questions |
| The origins of the U.S. Constitution | |
| #11 Chart | What shaped the U.S. Constitution? |
| #12 Student Project | Making a Mobile |
| #13 Game | Don’t look up! |
| #14 Graphic Organizer | What shaped the U.S. Constitution? |
| Ancient Greece & Rome | |
| The main purpose of government is to provide for the public good | |
| #15 Lecture | Plato’s Republic |
| #16 Lecture | Aristotle’s Politics |
| #17 Lecture | The Roman Republic |
| #18 Group Analysisr | Using Bloom’s taxonomy, analyze: Republic |
| The Judeo-Christian Ethic | |
| #19 Lecture | The Judeo-Christian Ethic: The importance of the individual |
| #20 Graphic Organizer | What does religion have to do with politics? |
| #21 Chart | The Mayflower Compact: a covenant |
| England’s political system | |
| #22 Chart | The Magna Carta, 1215 |
| #23 Chart | The English Bill of Rights, 1689 |
| #24 Graphic Organizer | Three documents: Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact |
| #25 Game | Three Documents |
| #26 Game | Three Documents |
| The Enlightenment, 1700s | |
| The main purpose of government is to protect individual rights | |
| #27 Lecture w/ graphic organizer | What was the Enlightenment? |
| #28 Lecture | John Locke: natural rights, the social contract |
| #29 Group Analysisr | Using Bloom’s taxonomy, analyze: Natural Rights |
| #30 Group Analysisr | First Impressions: Government gives you your rights. |
| #31 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: Government gives you your rights. |
| #32 Group Analysisr | Using Bloom’s taxonomy, analyze: The Social Contract |
| #33 Group Analysisr | First impressions: The main purpose of government. |
| #24 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: The main purpose of government |
| #35 Lecture | Montesquieu: separation of powers, checks and balances |
| #36 Game | Two Philosophers: Locke and Montesquieu |
| #37 Game | Two Philosophers: Locke and Montesquieu |
| #38 Game | Mars / Venus |
| #39 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: Separation of Powers |
| #40 Game | The ABCS of the Enlightenment (recall terms) |
| #41 Game | Can you talk like John Locke? (define terms) |
| Machiavelli and Blackstone | |
| #42 Game | Machiavelli and Blackstone |
| #43 Game | Machiavelli and Blackstone |
| #44 Quotations | Machiavelli |
| #45 Debate | “Resolved, a politician must be Machiavellian.” |
| #46 Game | Who am I? |
| #47 Group Analysisr | Rank the political philosophers |
| #48 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: Provide the public good |
| #49 Group Analysisr | Life is like a rock group: Protect individual rights |
| #50 Debate | “Resolved, the main purpose of government is national security.” |
| #51 Debate | “Resolved, better that 10 guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer.” |
| The Declaration of Independence (1776) | |
| #52 Lecture | The significance of the Declaration of Independence |
| #53 Document | The Declaration of Independence |
| #54 Lecture | The principles beneath the Declaration of Independence |
| #55 Lecture | Where did self-evident truths come from? |
| #56 Game | Can you talk like a revolutionary? (define terms) |
| #57 Game | Thomas Jefferson and James Madison |
| #58 Game | Thomas Jefferson and James Madison |
| The Articles of Confederation (1781) | |
| #59 Lecture | The experiment that failed! |
| #60 Group Analysisr | What if your school were run like the Articles of Confederation? |
| #61 Graphic Organizer | The Articles of Confederation / U.S. Constitution |
| #62 Graphic Organizer | Compare and contrast: Articles vs. the U.S. Constitution |
| #63 Game | The Articles of Confederation vs. the U.S. Constitution |
| #64 Debate | “Resolved, the federal government should be strong.” |
| #65 Game | Mars / Venus |
| #66 Game | Honk if you hate history |
| #67 Game | Stump the teacher |
| #68 Game | The last man standing |
| Test | 127 questions |
About Performance Education ToolBooks
Each ToolBook has 4 basic components:
- Lectures and Stories―provide the basic facts behind the subject being covered and help establish a framework for further learning
- Interactive Exercises―develop higher levels of skill through graphic organizers, maps, charts, timelines, important documents and links to other materials
- Games―Unique action Games, brain games and board Games are fun, exciting, encourage fast-paced learning, and provide practice in all 6 levels of Bloom
- The Tests―practice and preparation for the end-of-grade state tests, with hundreds of practice test questions.
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