General Information

This unit is for students to investigate the participants in the ratification of the United States Constitution, examine the primary documents written by the participants (both Federalist and Anti-Federalists), and conclude with a classroom debate on ratifying the United States Constitution.  

Standards Tapestry

The expression of opinions through debate, which could lead to could lead to compromise are an essential part of the United States government.  An example of this is evident in arguments for and against the ratification of the Constitution expressed in the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers.  Students will identify and explain essential ideas of constitutional government such as limited government, separated and shared powers, checks and balances, representative government, federalism, and republicanism (S.S. 8.2.1).  The debate between the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist are part of the key events leading to the creation of a strong union among the thirteen original states and in the establishment of the United States as a federal republic (S.S. 8.1.5).

Click on the image below for the actual size

Assessment Rationale

To evaluate students understanding of the Federalist and Anti-Federalists arguments for and against ratification of the United States Constitution, students will be assessed in a variety of ways.  To evaluate their background fact gathering students will complete warm-up activity questions and quick daily quizzes (S.S.8.2.1 & S.S.8.1.5).  Students will then examine images of either the writings of the Federalists or the writings of Anti-Federalists and evaluate the writings using the Primary Documents Analysis Worksheet created by the National Archives.  This preparation will conclude with a classroom debate on ratification of the Constitution.  To evaluate individual student understanding after the debate, students will conclude the unit with an essay question.

Assessment Files

• Warm up Quiz (Who's Who)

• Essay Test Question

• Questions to guide ratification debate (Teacher Key)

Humanities-rich Resources

Type (book link, etc.)	Name	URL (if any)	Annotation (can include description and notes on how to use.
Link	Our Documents	http://www.ourdocuments.gov	A web site listing the 100 milestone documents in American History compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration.
Link	Federalists Papers	http://www.ourdocuments.gov/	From the Our Documents Web page, Federalists Papers No.10 & No. 51 (1787-1788)
Link	Anti-Federalist Papers	http://www.constitution.org/	A web site constructed by The Constitution Society listing various Anti-Federalists writings.
Link	The Gilder Lehrman Foundation	http://www.gilderlehrman.org/	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has a collection of Constitutional ratification debate documents. (can view transcriptions only)
Video	A MORE PERFECT UNION Program 8	http://www.ihc4u.org/htgPS.htm	In 1787, the year of its birth, the Constitution of the United States was a striking innovation in the design of republican govern nationhood and a practical instrument of government. This series of eight videotapes (22 to 42 minutes in length) covers the Constitution with the format and feel of TV news. Produced by Encyclopedia Britannica and CNN. 42 mins / 1987 Program 8: The Founding Fathers: the Minds behind the Constitution; Applications of the Constitution--Landmark Court Cases.
DVD	United States History: Origins to 2000 A New Nation (1776-1815)	libraryvideo.com	This video series from Schlessinger  Media has a segment about the Ratification Debates.
Link	Written Document Analysis Worksheet	http://www.archives.gov/	This worksheet is designed and developed by the Education Staff, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408.
Link	America's Founding Fathers – Delegates to the Constitutional Convention	http://www.archives.gov/	This web page from the National Archives offers brief biographies of each of the Founding Fathers who were delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
Textbook	Call to Freedom-Beginnings to 1877		Chapter 8 Section 4 of this textbook contains information on the key people and arguments of the Federalist and Anti-Federalists.   Publisher: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston,2003.
Textbook Worksheet	Geography Activity		Chapter 8 Geography Activity-Ratification of the Constitution.  This is adapted from map “Ratification of the Federal Constitution” from American History Atlas by Martin Gilbert. Copyright 1968 by Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Textbook Worksheet	Quotes Worksheet		Chapter 8 Section 4 Guided Reading Strategies
Textbook Worksheet	Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer		Chapter 8 Section 4 Graphic Organizer
Textbook Teacher Resource Worksheet	Debate Rubrics		Holt, Rinehart, & Winston-Social Studies-Online Teaching Resources
Textbook Teacher Resource Worksheet	Essay Rubrics		Holt, Rinehart, & Winston-Social Studies-Online Teaching Resources
Textbook Teacher Resource Worksheet	Analyzing a Written Source		Holt, Rinehart, & Winston-Social Studies-Online Teaching Resources

Students will begin the unit with reading from their textbook any background information on the ratification of the Constitution, discovering who were the Federalists and who were the Anti-Federalists and where they were living in the United States.  Day 2 will provide more background information on the people through using a video. Students will then progress to examining selected primary documents written by Federalists and Anti-Federalists using the Written Document Analysis Worksheet created by the National Archives or the Analyzing a Written Source Worksheet provided by their textbook publisher. During day 3 students will be divided into small Anti-Federalists groups and Federalists groups.  In their groups students will continue analysis of primary documents and formulate arguments for a classroom debate the following day with the aid of a guided questions worksheet.  As the debate proceeds during day 4 students will complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the Federalists and Anti-Federalists ratification arguments.  At the end of the debate, the class will take a vote to ratify the Constitution. To evaluate students understanding of the debate arguments the following class period, students will complete an essay test.

Instructional Day	Description
Preparation	Find documents such as letters and speeches written by Federalist and Anti-Federalists.
Day 1	Students read textbook for background information on the ratification of the Constitution. Complete textbook geography activity on ratification.
Day 2	Warm-up activity-Who's Who Quiz. View a video (if available). Begin examining Federalist and Anti-Federalist Primary Documents. Complete textbook Quotes Worksheet.
Day 3	Assign students into groups of Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Continue analysis of Primary Documents and formulate arguments for debate. Use guided questions worksheet to aid formulation of debate arguments.
Day 4	Ratification Debate and vote Completion of Compare & Contrast Graphic Organizer.
Day 5	Essay Test
Day 6	If neede

Day 1
Students will begin the unit with reading from their textbook any background information on the ratification of the Constitution, discovering who the Federalists were and who were the Anti-Federalists and where they were living in the United States. 

Day 2 will provide more background information on the people through using a video. Students will then progress to examining selected primary documents written by Federalists and Anti-Federalists using the Written Document Analysis Worksheet created by the National Archives or the Analyzing a Written Source Worksheet provided by their textbook publisher.

During day 3 students will be divided into small Anti-Federalists groups and Federalists groups.  In their groups students will continue analysis of primary documents and formulate arguments for a classroom debate the following day with the aid of a guided questions worksheet. 

As the debate proceeds during day 4 students will complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the Federalists and Anti-Federalists ratification arguments.  At the end of the debate, the class will take a vote to ratify the Constitution. To evaluate students understanding of the debate arguments the following class period, students will complete an essay test.
Graphic(s).

Instructional Plan Files

• Warm up Quiz (Who's Who)
• Written Document Analysis Worksheet
• Analyzing a Written Source
• Questions to guide ratification debate (Teacher Key)
• Debate participation Rubrics
• Essay Rubrics
• Essay Test Question
• Teacher Background Sources

top

Classroom Implementation Notes

Teacher Tips
-I spent time before starting the unit researching articles about the Federalist and Anti-Federalist which I copied and put into folders for my students to use during Day 2 and Day 3 to make their research time more efficient.  I used red folders for the Anti-Federalists and blue folders for the Federalists. 

-This unit was written for 45-50 minute class periods but my classes were organized into block periods of 70 minutes so we were able to get through the material in 4 days instead of 5 or 6 days.

-Before students started researching for the debate we used pages in their textbook which included selections from Federalists Paper No.51 and The Objections of the Hon. George Mason to the Proposed Federal Constitution.

-I used George Washington's letter to Henry Knox (for Federalists) and letter from Walter Stewart (for Anti-Federalists) as primary source documents. Theses are available as transcriptions from the Guilder Lehrman Foundation and are not too long in length for 8th graders to read and understand.   There are also several other documents available that can be useful. (Washington's letter Gilder Lehrman Document Number: GLC 5638 and Stewart's letter Gilder Lehrman Document Number: GLC 4844).

-On the day of the debate I announced to students that they will be debating if the state of Lehmanland will accept or reject the Constitution to make it a bit more fun since they were not researching a particular state's Constitution ratification convention.

-As a homework activity I also used a political cartoon about ratifying the Constitution that was available with my textbook.

Student Reactions
-The Federalists in my 7th period class spent too much time socializing and not enough time researching.  This was soon realized when the debated started and the Anti-Federalist fired comments towards the Federalists and they had no rebuttal and hence they lost the debate.

Variations and Adaptations
-The teacher can score each side as they debate and announce the winner of the debate based on student participation, debate etiquette, and knowledge of information.  This can be done instead of a class vote.
-If your students are advanced enough, have them role play the key people of the historical debates during their classroom debates.  You could have someone portray James Madison, George Mason, Alexander Hamilton, ect.

Teacher Inquiry Kiosk

• Constitution Bibliography