YOU ARE GOING TO

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION!

A Webquest for 5^th Graders

Created by Katy Langhorst

Adapted from: http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/roosevelt/constitution
by John Nelson & Linda Taggart-Fregoso

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation

Introduction

You are a citizen in the brand new United States of America after the Revolutionary War. Now you have become frustrated by the problems with the new government in the United States. You have been invited to attend a constitutional convention in Philadelphia. Your ideas and worries about this process depend upon your age, wealth, job, where you live, and your past experiences with government.

The Task

You will be in groups of six. In each group there will be a:

• veteran soldier, who fought in the Revolutionary War

• merchant, selling clothing in one of the cities

• a farmer, whose farm was destroyed during the war

• tavern/hotel owner, who stood up against the British soldiers

• citizen who does not want another king and is afraid of a powerful central government

• a banker who is concerned with how the government is going to get enough money

You will represent your point of view in a short speech which will be presented to the class when you attend our class Constitutional Convention. You will need to be ready to argue in favor of your point of view during the Convention.

The Process

To accomplish the task, you'll work together in groups of 5-6. Each of you must go through the following steps:

1. First, you'll be assigned to a team of citizens who have been invited to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. As a group, decide who will act as which citizen.

2. You must choose a state that you will represent at the Constitutional Convention. Each citizen in your group must be from a different state. You need to choose an equal (or nearly equal) number of large states & small states; and you need to have at least one state from each colonial region (New England, Middle, Southern) in your group.

3. Next you must begin your quest by studying the description of the citizen corresponding to your number. Use the links to gain extra insight into the views of your occupation in the state you have selected. Then fill in Part 1 on your “Research Record Sheet”.

4. Next, use the links below to research the Articles of Confederation. Fill in Part 2 on your “Research Record Sheet”.

• Articles of Confederation

  • Part 1: The Basic Rights

  • Part 2: Power of the States

  • Part 3: First National Government

5. Next, use the page below to fill in Parts 3-6 on your “Research Record Sheet”.

• The Debates & Compromises

6. Now, prepare a short speech (see Part 7 on your “Research Record Sheet”) describing how you will vote on each of the issues listed and WHY. Be specific and give EVIDENCE from your research to support your point of view.

7. Finally, you will meet briefly with other colonists from your colonial region to discuss/share your point of view and prepare for the Constitutional Convention.

Evaluation

You will be graded on your performance in the following areas:

• Teamwork during the entire project (0-10 points)

• Following all directions, including completing tasks on time (0-10 points)

• Completion of the Research Record sheet (0-50 points)

• Presentation during Constitutional Convention [clear, well-explained, used evidence from your research, explained your point of view persuasively] (0-30 points)

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