Lesson Plan: Civics Skills: Annotating the Articles of Confederation

Subjects:

Social Studies, Civics/Government, U.S. History

• The ACE annotation strategy can be used in many courses and classroom settings. This lesson would be ideal for a US history, Civics, or Government classroom at the start of the course during an exploration of the foundational principle of the American political system.

Lesson Duration:

• Two or three 45- to 60-minute class periods.
• In a middle school classroom, this lesson will likely take the full three class periods. Additional time may be needed to conduct the structured classroom discussion.
• High school students will likely be able to complete this lesson in two class periods.

Essential Questions:

• How can annotation support a deeper understanding of primary sources?
• What were the Articles of Confederation? How did their structure and function result in problems for the United States?

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

• Demonstrate their understanding of annotation and the ACE method as a tool for close reading.
• Engage in close reading of a primary source to determine its main idea and supporting evidence.
• Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation to determine the structure of government in the early Republic.

Materials:

• Retro Report video “Civics Skills: Strategies for Analyzing Challenging Texts” (Transcript)
• Student Activity handout
• Excerpt of the Articles of Confederation | National Constitution Center
• Additional articles:
  • The Articles of Confederation | George Washington’s Mount Vernon
  • 10 reasons why America’s first constitution failed | National Constitution Center
  • Identifying Defects in the Constitution | Library of Congress

Procedure:

1. Warm-up Activity: Begin with a discussion about the purpose and function of government. Provide the following questions for students to consider:
2. What is the purpose of having a government?
3. What kinds of things do governments need to be able to do?
4. What kinds of things would be helpful for governments to be able to do?
5. Students will engage in some pre-reading of the Articles of Confederation. The goal is to orient themselves to the document and come away with some basic information.
6. Use the excerpt of the Articles of Confederation from the National Constitution Center.
7. Alternatively, create posters using chart paper.
   1. Print, cut and paste each of the Articles of Confederation onto its own chart paper; hang the Articles up around the room.
   2. The idea is to break up the Articles for students to read and comment on.
   3. Students can write what they think each Article says, means and why it matters.
8. As a class, have students watch the video: “Civics Skills: Strategies for Analyzing Challenging Texts” (Transcript).
9. While students watch the 5-minute clip, their job is to fill in boxes for the corresponding elements of the ACE method, which is described by the student in the video. Students should capture what the A, C, and E stand for, what they mean, why they matter and how students can annotate for that particular element.
10. Using the same excerpt provided above, have students annotate the Articles of Confederation. Use the text sections in the right-hand column to answer the questions in the left-hand column.
11. Things to pay attention to in the “Answer” portion of the annotation:
    1. The states are central to this form of government. Each state is called out by name, as opposed to “We the People” in the Constitution.
    2. The states related to each other in a “league of friendship;” they don’t appear to be one unified country in this form of government.
12. Things to pay attention to in the “Cite” portion of the annotation:
    1. Congress is the only branch mentioned in this excerpt. There is no Executive branch under the Articles.
    2. Each state has one vote.
    3. Congress does have some power. Students should examine what those powers are, and where they are limited.
13. Things to pay attention to in the “Exit” portion of the annotation:
    1. There is a high bar for passing legislation: 9 of 13 states must agree. Amending the Articles is even harder, requiring a unanimous vote.
    2. Students should recognize that this gives a great deal of power to the states, and will likely make it difficult for the central government to create laws and enforce them.
14. Next, students will choose an article to annotate from the list provided. These articles all provide short explanations about what the Articles of Confederation were and how they created problems. Students may choose an article, or the teacher may assign them. It may be helpful to form small groups and have students read, answer the questions and compare their findings.
15. The Articles of Confederation | George Washington’s Mount Vernon
16. 10 reasons why America’s first constitution failed | National Constitution Center
17. Identifying Defects in the Constitution | Library of Congress
18. As students read and annotate their hard copies, they will answer the questions provided on the student activity.
19. Identify at least three weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
20. Identify at least one strength or positive aspect of the Articles of Confederation.
21. Do you think there could have been changes made to the Articles of Confederation that would have made it work?
22. The teacher may use this portion of the activity as the basis for a class discussion. Consult the following strategies for examples of effective discussion practices.
23. The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies | Cult of Pedagogy
24. 24 ideas for creating a discussion-rich classroom | Ditch That Textbook
25. Socratic Seminars in Middle School | MiddleWeb
26. Socratic Seminar | Facing History & Ourselves
27. As a closing activity, either in class or as homework, have students complete the one-pager prompt on the student activity.
28. Encourage students to respond to the prompts with both words and images.
29. The goal of this activity is for students to synthesize their learning and represent their understanding in a different way.

About the Author:

Sarah Greif, a Retro Report Civics Fellow, teaches seventh grade U.S. History at Liberty Middle School in West Fargo, N.D. She holds two master’s degrees and has worked with the California Department of Education on ELA and Social Studies curricula. Sarah was named Social Studies middle school teacher of the year in Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California.

Standards

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies

• D.2. Civ.1.6-8. Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of citizens, political parties, interest groups, and the media in a variety of governmental and non-governmental contexts.
• D2.Civ.2.6-8. Explain specific roles played by citizens (such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, members of the armed forces, petitioners, protesters, and office holders.
• D2.Civ.3.6-8. Examine the origins, purposes, and impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements.
• D2.Civ.4.4-6. Explain the powers and limits of the three branches of government, public officials, and bureaucracies at different levels in the United States and in other countries.
• D2.Civ.5.6-8. Explain the origins, functions, and structure of government with reference to the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and selected other systems of government.
• D2.Civ.7.6-8. Apply civic virtues and democratic principles in school and community settings.
• D2.Civ.8.6-8. Analyze ideas and principles contained in the founding documents of the United States, and explain how they influence the social and political system.
• D2.Civ.10.6-8. Explain interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic principles when people address issues and problems in government and civil society.
• D2.Civ.12.6-8. Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as means of addressing public problems.
• D2.Civ.14.6-8. Compare and contemporary means of changing societies, and promoting the common good.

Common Core Literacy Standards

• CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.1.7-8. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS ELA-Literacy RI.7. Analyze the interaction between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events)
• CCSS ELA-Literacy W.1.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
• CCSS ELA-Literacy W.8.7-8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
• CCSS ELA-Literacy W.9.7-8. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• CCSS ELA-Literacy SL. 1.7-8. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners
  • a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
  • b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
  • c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
  • d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
• CCSS ELA-Literacy SL.4.7-8. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.