Students explore people, ideas, and documents that shaped the U.S. Constitution, including: the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, Charles de Montesquieu, and John Locke. Then they look at influences from colonial America.
Students explore people, ideas, and documents that shaped the U.S. Constitution, including: the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, Charles de Montesquieu, and John Locke. Then they look at influences from colonial America.
Students read an overview explaining that the framers of the Constitution drew on English traditions, colonial experiences, and Enlightenment ideas rather than starting from scratch. They then respond to a collaborative wall prompt by identifying a possible source of the framers’ ideas (a person, event, or document) and explaining why it might have influenced the Constitution.
Teacher MovesReview student predictions on the wall and highlight that many core constitutional principles—such as limited government, rights under law, and separation of powers—originated in earlier documents and thinkers. Preview that students will next explore key influences from England and the Enlightenment to see how those ideas shaped the Constitution.
Students read Foundations of American Government to learn how earlier people, ideas, and documents influenced democratic values later reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. As they read about John Locke, they complete a graphic organizer summarizing his key ideas about consent of the governed, the protection of natural rights, and the right to overthrow an unjust government. They then use a second graphic organizer to record one important democratic idea from each of the following: Charles de Montesquieu, the Magna Carta, and the English Bill of Rights.
Teacher MovesEncourage students to identify and record specific democratic principles from the text in their organizers, and, as needed, point out additional thinkers mentioned in the article, such as Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire.
Students choose one short primary-source excerpt—either from the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, or Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Law. They post to a collaborative wall by rephrasing the excerpt in their own words and explaining how the idea in the passage may have shaped the U.S. Constitution.
Teacher MovesDirect students to available reference materials in the student pack (including resources on the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights and Locke, Montesquieu, and developments in democracy) to support their understanding of the excerpts and their explanations of constitutional influence.
Students read The Colonial Experience to examine how colonial governments and practices influenced the framers of the Constitution. After reading, they choose one colony—Virginia, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island—and post to a collaborative wall explaining how democratic ideals were put into action there, such as self-government, elected legislatures, or religious freedom.
Teacher MovesEmphasize that this scene is essential preparation for the quiz. Use the provided notes on Massachusetts (Mayflower Compact and self-government), Virginia (elected legislatures and the Virginia House of Burgesses), and Rhode Island (religious freedom) to support and clarify students’ examples of democratic practices in the colonies.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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