1. Articles of the United States Constitution Missouri GLE- Analyze important principles of the U.S. Constitution including: Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
2. What do the Seven “Articles” of the U.S. Constitution say? Let’s find out. Click here for video link Note: Article VII of the U.S. Constitution addresses Ratification. It states that the Constitution would take effect after it was ratified by 9 states. Delaware #1 New Hampshire #9
4. Unscrambling the Branches of the U.S. Government using the Constitution as a Primary Source Document (pgs. 232-243 in your textbook) Scrambled Table Completed Table
5. U.S. Constitution Connections- Draw an arrow from the Article of the Constitution to the description it matches on the right (pages 232-243 in your textbook) Spells out the ways the Constitution can be amended or changed Declares that the Constitution would take effect after it was ratified by nine states Each state is to give citizens of other states the same rights as its own citizens The “Supremacy Clause” or laws passed by Congress along with Treaties of the United States shall be the “Supreme law of the land.” Article IV Article V Article VI Article VII
6. System of Checks and Balances 1. Read the section over “System of Checks and Balances” on pages 210-211 in your textbook Click Here for Video Clip 2. Why did the Framers of the Constitution believe that a system of checks and balances were necessary in our government? 3. Complete the Checks and Balances Graph on your note sheet
7. Articles of the U.S. Constitution $25,000 Pyramid Clues for the 7 Articles of the U.S. Constitution Article I- Congress, Bicameral, Makes Laws Article II- President, Commander in Chief, Executes Laws Article III- Supreme Court, 9, Interprets Laws Article IV- State vs. State (instantly goes to Supreme Court) Article V- Amendment (process of amending Constitution) Article VI- Religion (no religious test may be given for someone to hold public office) Article VII- Ratification (Delaware was 1st state to ratify)
Editor's Notes
Baron de Montesquieu wrote The Spirit of Laws in 1748. Montesquieu declared that the powers of government should be separated and balanced against each other. This separation would keep any one person or group from gaining too much power. The powers of government should also be clearly defined and limited to prevent abuse.“No Power Corrupts so absolutely as absolute power.” Three Finger Activity
Share that some people believe Congress is the most powerful of the branches because they can make lawsShare that the Framers left Article II the most vague of all the articles because they wanted George Washington to set the example for how future Presidents should actShare that some people believe that the Judicial Branch is the most powerful branch because they can interpret the law
