Last week, the students discovered that our country has not always had the structured government that it does now. They learned that our country's first plan of government was called The Articles of Confederation, and they also began to identify several weaknesses with this plan. We will move from The Articles of Confederation into drafting the U.S. Constitution this week. Some key topics the students will talk about include: The New Jersey Plan, The Virginia Plan, The Great Compromise, The Three-Fifths Compromise, and leaders such as George Washington and James Madison. This discussion will be followed by the three branches of government.
Go to the Practice Skills page to visit some kid-friendly websites with more information on this topic.