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From 
FREE Resources -- The Constitution
By Aug 1, 2006: URL: http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=190301916
The web sites listed below are excerpted with permission from the FREE web site,
which has a multitude of additional federally researched resources This month, we highlight web sites
about the Constitution; in future months, we will feature other subject
areas.
United States Constitution includes notes Washington wrote on his copy of the Constitution, his
diary at the Constitutional Convention, an essay on Madison's
role in the Constitutional Convention, Madison's
notes on the debates, Jefferson's letter
to Madison expressing his opinions on the new Constitution and his belief
that a Bill of Rights was needed, and more. (Library of Congress)
Interactive
Constitution lets you search the Constitution and find relevant
passages and explanations. Discover how the Constitution relates to more
than 300 topics, from civil rights to school prayer, including Supreme
Court decisions. (National
Constitution Center)
Observing Constitution Day features a discussion about
the Constitutional Convention and the Constitution. Lists of delegates,
issues involved in the creation and ratification of the document, and its
implementation are included. (National Archives and Records Administration)
Constitution
Resources features tools for learning about the U.S. Constitution. Meet
the 55 delegates who gathered in Philadelphia
in May 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. Learn what issues
they faced. Discover the sources that inspired them. Read the essays
printed in NYC papers urging ratification of their proposal. Explore a
200-year timeline showing the impact of their work, the Constitution, on
our history. Search the Constitution and see explanations of 300 topics.
(Department of Education)
Continental
Congress and Constitutional Convention Broadsides — American Memory
provides 274 documents related to Congress (1774 to 1788) and the drafting
and ratification of the Constitution. Items include the journals of
Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and
early printed versions of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence. Among the topics: the armed forces, foreign relations,
Indians, land settlement, laws, money, and pirates. (Library of Congress)
A
Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation, U.S. Congressional Documents and
Debates, 1774-1873 — American Memory includes documents from the
Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention and ratification
debates, and the first two federal congresses. These documents record
American history in the words of those who built our government. (Library
of Congress)
In Congress Assembled: Continuity and Change in the
Governing of the United States — Lesson, Learning Page provides
lesson plans on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, issues that confronted
the first Congress, and broadsides from the Continental Congress calling
for special days of thanksgiving and remembrance. (Library of Congress)
Centuries
of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline is an interactive timeline of
events marking more than 200 years of our constitutional history. These
events tell the evolving story of our Constitution and the role it
continues to play in our lives. See headlines, hear debates, explore maps and graphs. (National Constitution
Center)
Constitutional Issues: Watergate and the Constitution examines Constitutional issues surrounding the
resignation of President Nixon and looks at the specific question: Should
the Watergate Special Prosecutor seek an indictment of the former
President? (National Archives and Records Administration)
We the
People... The Citizen and the Constitution helps elementary and
secondary school students understand the history and principles of our
constitutional government. The program focuses on the U.S. Constitution and
Bill of Rights and fosters civic competence and responsibility. Upon
completion of program, classes are encouraged to participate in simulated
congressional hearings that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge
of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. (Center for Civic Education,
supported by Department of Education)
James Madison Papers — American Memory includes
12,000 letters, notes, legislation, and other documents from the man
considered the Father of the Constitution. These documents (1723-1836),
including an autobiography, help illuminate Madison’s pivotal role in
the Constitutional Convention as well as his nine years in the House of
Representatives, his tenure as Secretary of State, and his two terms as our
fourth President. Essays discuss Madison's
life and his role at the Constitutional Convention. (Library of Congress)
Constitution Toolkit includes images of newspaper
articles (1787), notes Washington and Jefferson wrote on drafts of the
Constitution (1787-88), Jefferson’s chart of state votes (1788),
Washington's diaries (1786-89), Hamilton's speech notes for proposing a
plan of government, a Philadelphia map (1752), the "broadside"
Bill of Rights (1791), and other artifacts. (Library of Congress)
Constitution of the U.S. recounts how the Constitution
was created and ratified. Learn about the Bill of Rights. Read biographies
of the Founding Fathers — the 55 delegates who gathered in Philadelphia (May
1787) to revise the Articles of Confederation but ended up drafting an
entirely new plan of government. (National Archives and Records
Administration)
National Constitution Center includes lessons on the
Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, electoral process, executive
branch, separation of powers, war making, freedom
of speech, Founding Fathers, and suffrage. "Teaching with Current
Events" features news stories related to the Constitution, discussion
starters for current events, and differing perspectives by commentators and
elected officials. (National
Constitution Center)
The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation?
— Lesson, Learning Page casts students in the role of politically
active citizens in 1787, when the Federal Convention in Philadelphia presented the nation with a
new model of government. Students, using primary documents from American
Memory, produce a broadside in which they argue for or against replacing
the Articles of Confederation with the new model — the Constitution.
(Library of Congress)
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