Constitution Detectives

Constitution Detectives

Constitution Detective Members:

______, ______, ______

Briefing Room: You and a group of detectives will be responsible to

investigate the meaning of the Constitution. You will be answering many

questions about the events that led up to its creation, the document itself,

and key vocabulary words. Then you will make a poster about the

Constitution and what it means to you.

For your investigation, you will need:

A copy of the Constitution
A dictionary or other resource
The attached question sheet
12” x 18” white paper to make a poster
Colored pencils for the poster

Constitution Detective Mission 1: K-W-L Chart

Fill out the first two columns of the K-W-L chart below about the U.S. Constitution.

K
What you Know / W
What you want to know / L
What you learned

Constitution Detective Mission 2: The Constitution

Briefing Room:You and your team need to investigate the Constitution. Make sure to use complete sentences.

What events led up to the creation of the United States Constitution? Include at least three events.

Investigate and define the following vocabulary words:

Amendment
Preamble
Democracy
Republic
Federal System

What were three reasons that the People created the Constitution (as mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution)?

Constitution Detective Mission 3: The Legislative Branch

Briefing Room: You and your team need to investigate Article I of the Constitution. Please make sure to use complete sentences. You would not like the FBI to come down hard on your team!

Article I. THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Section 1: The Congress

Who has the power to make laws?

Section 2: The House of Representatives

How are these members elected? How long is their term of office?

Section 3: The Senate

How long is a Senator’s term?

Section 8: Powers Granted to Congress

Congress has the power to (please list at least 5):

Section 9: Powers Denied to Congress

What powers does Congress not have?

Section 10: Powers Denied to the States

State governments do not have the power to:

Constitution Detective Mission 4: The Executive Branch

Briefing Room: You and your team need to investigate Article II of the Constitution. Please make sure to use complete sentences. You would not like the FBI to come down hard on your team!

Article II. THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Section 1: Office of the President and Vice President

What power does the President have? How long is the President’s term in office?

How is the President chosen?

What are the requirements to become President?

Section 2: Powers Granted to the President

What are some powers that the President has?

Section 3: Duties of the President

What is the State of the Union address?

What are some other duties of the President?

Section 4: Removal from Office

How can a President be removed from office?

Constitution Detective Mission 5: The Judicial Branch

Briefing Room: You and your team need to investigate Article III of the Constitution. You and your team of investigators are doing an excellent job of using complete sentences. Keep it up or you may find yourself in front of a judge!

Article III: THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

Section 1: Federal Courts

Who has the power to make decisions in courts of law?

Section 2: Power of Federal Courts

Federal Courts have the legal authority over:

Section3: The Crime of Treason

What is treason as defined by the Constitution?

Who decides on the punishment for treason?

Constitution Detective Mission 6: Relations among the States

Briefing Room: You and your team need to investigate Article IV of the Constitution.

Article IV: RELATIONS AMONG THE STATES

Section 2: Rights of Citizens

What are all citizens guaranteed when visiting other states?

If a person is charged with acrime and flees to another state what happens if that person is caught?

Section 3: Treatment of New States and Territories

Who lets new states become part of the United States?

Section 4: Guarantees to the States

What does the federal government guarantees to the states?

Constitution Detective Mission 7: Amending the Constitution

Briefing Room: You and your team need to investigate Article V of the Constitution. Keep it up! You’ve almost completed your investigation.

Article V: AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION

What are the two ways to make amendments to the Constitution?

Constitution Detective Mission 8: Debts and Others

Briefing Room: You and your team need to investigate Article VI of the Constitution.

Article VI: DEBTS, FEDERAL SUPREMACY, OATHS OF OFFICE

Who is responsible to pay back all debts?

What document is the “Supreme Law of the Land?”

What do all officials have to promise when taking office?

Constitution Detective Mission 9: Ratification

Briefing Room: Wow, your team has even impressed the President. Your team’s last mission is to investigate Article VII of the Constitution.

Article VII: RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

How many states have to approve the Constitution for it to become law?

What date was this document approved by the Constitutional Convention?

List at least 5 people who signed the Constitution:

Constitution Detectives

Grading Rubric

Constitution Detective Members:

______, ______, ______

1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Content / Missing many parts of the project, or many incorrect answers. / Some answers are correct. Parts may be missing. / All answers are correct. / Wow! All the parts of the project are accurate and detailed. Great information!
Quality / Very sloppy. Hard to read. / OK to read, but not the best effort. / This is neat and readable. / Wow! This is extremely neat and easy to read.

Comments:Grade:

Constitution Detectives

Grading Rubric

Constitution Detective Members:

______, ______, ______

Comments:Grade:

Constitution Detectives

Directions: Answer the questions below about the Constitution. Make sure to use complete sentences.

1. What events led up to this document’s creation?

The events leading up to the document’s creation were: The Revolutionary War, The Articles of Confederation, The Virginia Plan, The New Jersey Plan, and the Great Compromise.

2. Define the following vocabulary words:

Amendment / An addition to the Constitution
Preamble / The introduction to the Constitution
Democracy / A form of government in which the people make the laws and run the government
Republic / A form of government in which the people elect representatives to run the country
Federal System / A system of government in which power is shared between the central government and state government.

Article I. THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Section 1: The Congress

Who has the power to make laws?

Congress.

Section 2: The House of Representatives

How are these members elected?

Every two years by qualified voters in each state. Their term is two years.

Section 3: The Senate

How long is a senator’s term?

6 years

Section 8: Powers Granted to Congress

Congress has the power to:

raise and collect taxes
borrow money
control trade with foreign nations, between states, and with Native Americans
decide how people from foreign countries can become citizens of the U.S.
print money
punish people who make counterfeit money
set up post offices
protect the rights and creations of scientists, artists, authors, and inventors
create federal or national courts lower than the Supreme Court

punish crimes committed at sea
declare war
establish and support an army and navy, and make rules for the armed forces
call the militia to enforce federal laws, put down rebellions, fight invasions
organize, train, and discipline the National Guard
govern the capital and military sites of the U.S.
make all laws necessary to carry out the powers of Congress.

Section 9: Powers Denied to Congress

What powers does Congress not have?

arrest and jail people without charging them with a crime.
punish a person without a trial in a court of law
pass a direct tax
tax goods sent out of state
give ports of one state an advantage over ports of another state
spend money without both passing a law and keeping a record of all its accounts
grant any title of nobility

Section 10: Powers Denied to the States

State governments do not have the power to:

make treaties
print money
do anything forbidden to the federal government
tax goods sent into and out of a state unless Congress agrees
keep armed forces, go to war, or make agreements with other states or foreign countries unless Congress agrees

Article II. THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Section 1: Office of the President and Vice President

What power does the President have? How long is the President’s term in office?

The President has the power to carry out the laws of the U.S. The term is four years.

How is the President chosen?

The President is chosen by electors from each state, the Electoral College.

What are the requirements to become President?

a citizen born in the U.S.
be at least 35 years-old
lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.

Section 2: Powers Granted to the President

What are some powers that the President has?

in charge of the armed forces and state militias
to pardon people convicted of federal crimes
to make treaties
to name ambassadors, important government officials, and judges of Supreme Court
to fill empty offices for a short time when the Senate is not meeting.

Section 3: Duties of the President

What is the State of the Union address?

This is when the President informs Congress on the condition of the nation. The President may recommend laws to improve the nation.

What are some other duties of the President?

receives foreign officials
makes sure the nation’s laws are carried out
signs orders naming officials in the armed forces.

Section 4: Removal From Office

How can a President be removed from office?

If the President is found guilty of committing a crime s/he can be impeached.

Article III: THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

Section 1: Federal Courts

Who has the power to make decisions in courts of law?

The Supreme Court and other lower federal courts that Congress may set up.

Section 2: Power of Federal Courts

Federal Courts have the legal authority over:

all laws made by the constitution
treaties made with foreign governments
cases involving matters occurring at sea
cases involving the federal government
cases involving different states or citizens of different states
cases involving foreign citizens or governments.

Section3: The Crime of Treason

What is treason as defined by the Constitution?

Treason is the crime of making war against the United States or helping its enemies.

Who decides on the punishment for treason?

Congress

Article IV: RELATIONS AMONG THE STATES

Section 2: Rights of Citizens

What are all citizens guaranteed when visiting other states?

They are guaranteed their basic rights.

If a person is charged with a crime and flees to another state what happens if that person is caught?

The person must be returned to the state where the crime took place.

Section 3: Treatment of New States and Territories

Who lets new states become part of the United States?

Congress

Section 4: Guarantees to the States

What does the federal government guarantees to the states?

The right to elect their leaders, promise to protect each state from invasion, rebellion, and violent disorders.

Article V: AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION

What are the two ways to make amendments to the Constitution?

Two-thirds of each branch of Congress can suggest an amendment.

Tow thirds of state legislaturescan call conventions to suggest an amendment.

Article VI: DEBTS, FEDERAL SUPREMACY, OATHS OF OFFICE

Who is responsible to pay back all debts?

The United States Government

What document is the “Supreme Law of the Land?”

The United States Constitution

What do all officials have to promise when taking office?

They must promise to support the Constitution.

Article VII: RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

How many states have to approve the Constitution for it to become law?

9 of 13 states

What date was this document approved by the Constitutional Convention?

September 17, 1787

List at least 5 people who signed the Constitution

1. James Madison4. Benjamin Franklin

2. Roger Sherman5. George Washington

3. Alexander HamiltonThis is just a sample of who signed.

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