Activity 1. Plans for representation and the question of authorization
Time required for activity: Homework reading assignment with questions and two 45 minute class periods. The Alternate Version (found at the end of Activity 1) will require an additional 1-2 days.
Preparing for the activity:
Print copies (or provide links) for students of the documents and analysis questions assigned for in-class discussion and as homework (listed below, included on pages 1-11 in the Text Document for Activity 1).
The purpose of the activity is to provide students with an understanding of the various plans for representation debated during the first weeks of the Constitutional Convention. Students will also become familiar with the views of some of the more prominent delegates at the Convention. They will also understand why the question of "authorization" arose during the debates over these plans.
On the first day of the activity:
Divide your students into three groups. Assign Reading Set A to all of the groups, and allow them to read and discuss the assigned documents. Then each group should write one-paragraph answers to the assigned questions (listed on the Analysis Sheet found on page 3 in the Text Document for Activity 1). After approximately 20-25 minutes, the whole class should compare and discuss their answers to the analysis questions (for the remainder of the class period).
Reading Set A. Plans of Representation (to be assigned to all three groups for in-class discussion)
Have students read the following documents, available in their entirety at the EDSITEment-reviewed Avalon Project at Yale University, National Archives Experience and Teaching American History, and in excerpted form on pages 1-2 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
- Articles of Confederation (ratified 1781)
- The Virginia Plan (introduced by Edmund Randolph, May 29, 1787)
- The New Jersey Plan (introduced by William Paterson, June 15, 1787)
- The Hamilton Plan (introduced by Alexander Hamilton, June 18, 1787)
- U.S. Constitution (as recommended by the Convention, September 17, 1787)
Analysis questions for Reading Set A (found on page 3 of the Text Document for Activity 1):
- Explain how the states were represented under the Articles of Confederation.
- How are the Articles of Confederation and the Virginia plan different?
- How are the Virginia Plan and Hamilton Plan different?
- How is the original U.S. Constitution (as recommended by the Convention) different from both the Articles of Confederation and the Virginia Plan?
For homework, assign one of the three additional sets of readings (Readings Sets B-D, listed below and included on pages 4-5, 7 and 9-10 in the Text Document for Activity 1) to each of the three groups, and have each group write a one-paragraph answer to their assigned questions (the questions are also listed in the Analysis Sheets found on pages 6, 8 and 11 in the Text Document for Activity 1). Assign each group of students only ONE of the following three Reading Sets:
Reading Set B. Debate over the Virginia Plan: Were the delegates authorized to establish proportional representation?
Have students read the following document, available at the EDSITEment-reviewed Avalon Project at Yale University, and in excerpted form on pages 4-5 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
Based on what they have read students should then answer each of the following questions, found on page 6 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
- In this debate, which of the delegates are skeptical of the Virginia Plan, and which seem to support it? After you have made your list of those for or against, identify the state they are from by visiting the "Individual Biographies of the Delegates at the Constitutional Convention" website.
- Why do some delegates believe that the Virginia Plan would establish a "national" government, and do away with the "federal" government under the Articles of Confederation?
- Why do George Mason and James Madison believe that a national rather than federal government is necessary?
- Why are General Pinckney, Roger Sherman and George Read (Reed) inclined to oppose the scheme of representation in the Virginia Plan?
Reading Set C. Debate over the Virginia Plan: Paterson's critique of proportional representation
Have students read the following document, available at the EDSITEment-reviewed Avalon Project at Yale University, and in excerpted form on page 7 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
Based on what they have read they should then write a one-sentence answer to each of the following questions, available on page 8 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
- In this passage, William Paterson (Patterson) of New Jersey argues against the Virginia Plan. What is it that he particularly does not like about the Virginia Plan?
- Why does Paterson believe that the Convention should not adopt proportional representation?
- Why do you think Paterson said the following? "We must follow the people; the people will not follow us."
- What does Paterson say will happen if the Virginia Plan is approved?
Reading Set D. Debate over the New Jersey Plan: Will it be enough to fix the Articles of Confederation?
Have students read the following document, available at the EDSITEment-reviewed Avalon Project at Yale University, and in excerpted form on pages 9-10 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
Based on what they have read they should then write a one-paragraph answer to each of the following questions, available on page 11 of the Text Document for Activity 1:
- In this debate, which of the delegates are opposed to the New Jersey Plan, and which support it? After you have made your list of those for or against, identify the state they are from by visiting the "Individual Biographies of the Delegates at the Constitutional Convention" website.
- Why do John Lansing and William Paterson (Patterson) prefer the New Jersey Plan over the Virginia Plan?
- How does James Wilson respond to Paterson's claim that the people will never approve the Virginia Plan?
- Why does Edmund Randolph argue that the New Jersey plan will not remedy the problems under the Articles of Confederation?
On the second day of the activity:
Each group should meet briefly (5-10 minutes) and compare their answers. Then the teacher should reassign or reshuffle the groups, so that there is at least one student in each new group who has answered the analysis questions for Reading Sets B, C and D. Then the new groups should compare and discuss their documents and answers (approximately 15 minutes total). For the remainder of the class period, each group should select a member to summarize and present their answers with the rest of the class (approximately 5 minutes for each presentation).
Teachers have the option of extending the activity by assigning the following for homework on the second day of the activity: Write a one to two page essay on how the delegates were divided over the Virginia and New Jersey Plans (Teachers: if you are going to move on to Activity 2 on the following day, be aware that you will need to assign the readings for the next exercise as well).
Alternate Instructions for Mixed Ability Classrooms:
Assign Reading Set A excerpts (found on pages 1-2 of the Text Document for Activity 1) and the accompanying questions to all students to be completed for homework. Students should also write a brief summary of the main points in each document. Begin class the following day with a discussion of the readings (students are instructed that no writing is allowed during this discussion). Select students to present their written summaries of the assigned documents, and allow for appropriate discussion time after each summary is presented. When all readings have been discussed, allow students to change or make additions to their homework answers.
Next, hand out copies of Reading Sets B, C and D to every student (available on pages 4-5, 7 and 9-10 in the Text Document for Activity 1). Divide the class into three groups—intentionally including some high, middle, and lower ability students in each one—and assign each group the worksheet questions for Reading B, C, or D (found on pages 6, 8, or 11 of the Text Document for Activity 1). Assign only one set of worksheet questions to each group. Groups should discuss possible answers to each question in their assigned set, and each student would individually complete his/her worksheet. Then each group should give a short presentation to the entire class on their document and answers. The teacher should summarize the following on the board/or overhead: the different plans, view on authorization, and the difference between national and federal. These changes would add an extra day or two to the lesson, but even lower ability students should grasp an understanding of the major differences of opinion.
Activity 2. Bicameralism, modes of election, and the "rule of suffrage" in Congress
Time required for activity: In class reading assignment with questions and two 45 minute class periods. The Alternate Version (found at the end of Activity 2) will require an additional 1-2 days.
Preparing for the activity:
Print copies of the assigned documents (or provide links) and analysis questions for students (listed below, included on pages 1-10 in the Text Document for Activity 2).
Print the Biography Sheets included on pages 11-15 of the Text Document for Activity 2 (longer versions of these biographies are available at Teaching American History). You might need to make multiple copies of some Biography Sheets.
The purpose of the activity is to provide students with an understanding of the three main aspects of representation that divided the delegates to the Convention: unicameralism versus bicameralism, mode of election, and the "rule of suffrage" in Congress. Students will also become familiar with the views of some of the more prominent delegates at the Convention. They will also understand why the question of proportional versus equal representation led to a disagreement between delegates from larger and smaller states.
On the first day of the activity:
Distribute to all students the Analysis Questions for Reading sets A, B and C (available on pages 3, 6-7, and 10 of the Text Document for Activity 2).
Divide your students into three groups, and assign one of the three Readings Sets (available on pages 1-2, 4-5, and 8-9 of the Text Document for Activity 2) to each group. Have each group answer the questions that follow their assigned Reading Set (the questions are also listed on the Analysis Sheets available on pages 3, 6-7, and 10 in the Text Document for Activity 2).
Reading Set A. One House or two?
Have students read the following documents, available at the EDSITEment-reviewed Teaching American History, and in excerpted form on pages 1-2 of the Text Document for Activity 2:
Using the worksheet on page 3 of the Text Document for Activity 2, students should then write a summary of the reasons each of the following delegates was either for or against a bicameral Congress:
- William Paterson (Patterson)
- James Wilson
- George Mason
Reading Set B. Election by the people or state legislatures?
Have students read the following documents, available at the EDSITEment-reviewed Avalon Project at Yale University, or in excerpted form on pages 4-5 of the Text Document for Activity 2:
- Constitutional Convention, May 31, 1787
- Constitutional Convention, June 6, 1787
- Constitutional Convention, June 21, 1787
- Constitutional Convention, June 25, 1787
Using the worksheet on pages 6-7 of the Text Document for Activity 2, students should then write a summary of the reasons each of the following delegates supported or opposed either election by the people or election by state legislatures:
- Roger Sherman
- Elbridge Gerry
- George Mason
- James Wilson
- James Madison
- Charles Pinckney
- Oliver Ellsworth
Reading Set C. Proportional or equal representation?
Have students read the following documents, available at the EDSITEment-reviewed Avalon Project at Yale University, or in excerpted form on pages 8-9 of the Text Document for Activity 2:
Using the worksheet on page 10 of the Text Document for Activity 2, students should then write a summary of the reasons each of the following delegates supported or opposed either proportional or equal representation in Congress:
- David Brearly
- William Paterson (Patterson)
- James Wilson
- James Madison
Allow each group to work together for approximately 20 minutes. Teachers then have the option of (1) having each group make a brief presentation to the class summarizing their answers (2-3 minutes each), or (2) reshuffle students into new groups—so that at least one student in each new group has answered the questions for all three Reading Sets—and allow each student to complete the answers for the remaining sets of Analysis Questions (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Teachers should distribute to each student a Biography Card (found on pages 11-15 of the Text Document for Activity 2) for a delegate that was included in the questions for their reading assignment (For example, distribute the Biography Cards for David Brearly, William Paterson, James Wilson and James Madison to those students who had Reading Set C for their homework). Some students within a group will share a Biography Card, or teacher can print multiple copies of a Biography Card if so desired.
Explain the role playing activity that will take place on the following day, as well as the rules for debate that will be applied (such as how much time will be spent on each issue, how many times a delegate is allowed to address the Convention, etc., to be determined at the teacher's discretion). For homework, students should familiarize themselves with the information on their Biography Card. Teacher should also inform the students of the questions that will be debated on the following day (listed below). This will allow groups of students to meet after class to discuss and prepare for how they will defend or critique certain issues on the following day.
On the second day of the activity:
Have all of the students who represent a delegate meet in a group (for example, all students with a George Mason card should meet in a group, all those with a Roger Sherman card in another group, and so on). Allow students approximately 5-10 minutes to discuss the views they will either defend or critique during the debate.
During the remainder of the class period, students should engage in debate, moderated by the teacher, over the three main questions concerning representation: 1. Should there be one House of Congress or two? 2. Should representatives be elected by the people, or by state legislatures? For one or both Houses of Congress? 3. Should there be proportional or equal representation? In one or both Houses of Congress? Students should debate according to the views of their particular delegate, and should see the difficulty of getting delegates to agree on the question of representation. To further emphasize this difficulty, the teacher may choose to select a number of students (on the day of the debate) who will observe but not participate in the debates. This “panel” of delegates will either be persuaded or not by the arguments of the other students. After approximately 20 minutes of open debate, the “panel” of students will discuss and evaluate their views on the open debates, and declare how they would decide on each question. Then the teacher should point out how difficult it is for even the panel to agree on all of the questions.
Students should debate according to the views of their particular delegate, and should see the difficulty of getting delegates to agree on the question of representation. To further emphasize this difficulty, the teacher may choose to select a number of students (on the day of the debate) who will observe but not participate in the debates. This "panel" of delegates will either be persuaded or not by the arguments of the other students. After approximately 20 minutes of open debate, the "panel" of students will discuss and evaluate their views on the open debates, and declare how they would decide on each question. Then the teacher should point out how difficult it is for even the panel to agree on all of the questions.
Teachers may also extend the activity by assigning the following for homework on the day of the activity: Construct a response using multimodal technologyto evaluate the division between delegates over the questions of bicameralism, mode of election, and the rule of suffrage in Congress (Teachers: if you are going to move on to Activity 3 on the following day, be aware that you will need to assign the readings for the next exercise as well).
Group Activity Approach:
Make copies for each student of the worksheets found on pages 3, 6-7, and 10 of the Text Document for Activity 2 (Teachers may opt to use an overhead or data projector for reading and discussion of the excerpts and only make copies of the analysis worksheets for students). Aloud in class, read and discuss each excerpt in Reading Sets A, B, and C (available on pages 1-2, 4-5, and 8-9 in the Text Document for Activity 2). After each excerpt, instruct students to summarize the opinions given by each delegate. When completed, divide the class into 9 groups. Each group would receive one of the biography cards (found on pages 11-15 of the Text Document for Activity 2) and collectively represent that individual. Each group would have time to prepare an answer/presentation that addresses each of the questions as described in the above debate. A culminating activity could be to answer each of the questions individually—as themselves—and give a reason why they believe the way they do.
Activity 3. The Connecticut Compromise: "partly national, partly federal"
Time required for activity: Homework reading and writing assignment and one 45 minute class period.
Preparing for the activity:
Print copies (or provide links) for students of the documents and Graphic Organizer assigned as homework (listed below, included on pages 1-7 in the Text Document for Activity 3).
Create a basic timeline to hang on a classroom wall, at least 70" x 12". Cut out eleven 5" x 7" pieces of blank cardstock (teachers may also use 5" x 8" index cards if available).
The purpose of the activity is to provide students with a broader understanding of key events during the Constitutional Convention that led to the Connecticut Compromise. Students will comprehend why the compromise became the only alternative to failure at the Convention, but also how difficult it was for delegates from large and small states to reach the compromise. They should also see that the proposal to prohibit the Senate from introducing or altering money bills persuaded some key delegates, including George Mason, to accept the compromise proposal. Because of this concession, Mason no longer feared that equal representation in the Senate would allow the small states to disproportionately tax the large states.
On the day before the activity:
For homework on the night before the activity, assign the following readings to students. They are available in their entirety at Teaching American History, but excerpts may be found on pages 1-4 of the Text Document for Activity 3):
- Sherman proposes Connecticut Compromise (June 11, 1787)
- Madison opposes equal representation in the Senate (June 19, 1787)
- The Convention compromises on election by state legislatures in the Senate (June 25, 1787)
- Franklin calls for a prayer (June 28, 1787)
- Ellsworth revives the Connecticut Compromise proposal (June 29, 1787)
- Franklin sums up the dilemma (June 30, 1787)
- A compromise committee is formed (July 2, 1787)
- Committee's compromise report (July 5, 1787)
- Mason accepts the Compromise proposal (July 6, 1787)
- Debate over the Compromise proposal (July 14, 1787)
- Connecticut Compromise approved (July 16, 1787)
Students should also write short summaries of the significant event that took place during each of the readings, utilizing the Graphic Organizer (available on pages 5-7 in the Text Document for Activity 3). An example for teachers on how students should complete the Graphic Organizer:
On the day of the activity:
Students will create a timeline that includes the key dates and events that led to the Connecticut Compromise. Divide the students into 11 groups and assign each group one of the dates/events addressed in the homework readings. Each group should list the significance of the date they have been given on a 5" x 7" piece of blank cardstock (approximately 10 minutes). Then, as each group places its card on the timeline, they should make a short presentation (2-4 minutes each) on the main points of their assigned date. As students complete the classroom presentation, one member places his or her card on the timeline at the appropriate place.
Teachers may also extend the activity by expanding the scope of the timeline to include key events and dates discussed in the other activities for this lesson.
Differentiated Instruction:
Make copies (or use notecards to include the same information) of the Graphic Organizer found on pages 5-7 of the Text Document for Activity 3 to aid students in their analysis. The teacher will decide whether to assign the excerpts and analysis to be completed individually or as a whole class. Students will then complete the Timeline Activity as described above, using their analysis notes to aid in the construction of their cards and presentations. Teachers also have the option of having students write an essay, using their analysis notes, answering the following questions: What led the Convention to eventually accept the Connecticut Compromise, and why did some of the delegates continue to oppose it?
