Rediscover the values at the heart of American democracy and what makes it unique with your pupils. Use a reading and discussion questions—in addition to an analytical activity—on the preamble to the Constitution. An additional activity includes guidance for a structured conversation on this topic. 

Concepts

the constitution, american democracy, democracy, the separation of powers, the preamble to the united states constitution, primary source analysis, group discussions, popular sovereignty

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the reading as a primer to compare the American form of democracy to other forms of government
• Analyze the preamble to the Constitution using the included worksheet

Classroom Considerations

• The reading covers a wide swath of history 

Pros

• Individual components are easy to adapt to a variety of lesson plans
• Primary source analysis offers an opportunity for scaffolding

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.11-12.1.a SL.11-12.1.b RH.11-12.1