Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LaShana Burris-Wade
PRE READING
ACTIVITIES
Dear Reader,
Join Juliette as she takes you on a journey
through our Constitution.
Before reading, gather the ingredients for the
Patriotic Cake, and bake away. (page 3)
Gather some friends around and serve it up as you
take part in these awesome Constitutional activities.
Enjoy!
PATRIOTIC CAKE
ACTIVITY
Cake Ingredients:
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. If you plan to serve
your American flag cake in the pan, greasing it is fine. If youd like to remove the
cake for a prettier presentation, lightly grease and flour the pan as well.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed
until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
4. One at a time, add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating on medium-high speed
between each addition. Add the vanilla. Beat about 3 minutes, until well mixed.
5. Stir in a third of the flour mixture, followed by a third of the milk. Repeat twice
more until all flour and milk have been incorporated. Mix your batter until just
combined.
6. Pour into pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Decoration Ingredients:
Vanilla icing
cup blueberries, rinsed
1 cup strawberries, rinsed and hulled
Decoration Instructions:
Spread vanilla icing on cooled cake.
At the top left corner of the cake, line up blueberries to make a square.
Place strawberries horizontally in rows to create the red and white stripes.
Make sure there is enough space between the horizontal strawberry lines
so that white vanilla icing stripes are visible.
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PREAMBLE
SCRAMBLE
The US Constitution sets the foundation
for the United States Government.
The Preamble (introduction) gives the
(6) reasons/goals why the writers wanted
to form such a government.
Ben Franklin tripped and dropped the Preamble before he could set it in the
printing press. Help Ben reassemble the Preamble. Write it in corect order on
the lines below.
this Constitution of the United States. and secure the Blessings of Liberty
We, the people do ordain and establish of the United States provide for
the common defence, in Order to form insure domestic Tranquility,
a more perfect Union, of America to ourselves and our Posterity,
promote the general Welfare, establish Justice
For the correctly unscrambled Preamble, see Teachers Guide at the end of this document.
CONSTITUTION!
Read the Preamble of the Constitution.
After reading, translate each phrase below
into everyday language. There are many
paraphrased videos you can watch on
websites like YouTube.com for examples:
WHAT ARE MY
RIGHTS?
Directions: Draw a line to match
each of the scenarios with the
amendment that it addresses.
1st Amendment
2nd Amendment
3rd Amendment
4th Amendment
5th Amendment
You want to sue your friend for borrowing $10 and
not paying it back.
6th Amendment
A judge ties a childs hands together for two days
after he is caught stealing.
7th Amendment
8th Amendment
For correct answers, see Teacher's Guide at the end of this document.
CREAT A FREEDOM
QUILT
CONSTITUTIONAL
READERS THEATRE
Cast List:
o Articles (of Confederation)
o Narrator 1
o Narrator 5
o Framer 2
o Small States
o Narrator 2
o Narrator 6
o Framer 3
o Large States
o Narrator 3
o Narrator 7
o Framer 4
o Narrator 4
o Framer 1
o Framer 5
Framer 1: Im a Framer!
Framer 2: So am I!
Articles: (weakly) Whats wrong with me? I was OK when I was written.
Framer 4: (Patting Articles on the back) Its OK. You did the job we needed then.
Now we need something else.
Articles: (Slouching) I do feel rather weak.
Narrator 2: The framers met all summer long. The weather was hot and so were
the arguments.
Framer 1: (Powerfully) We need to protect states rights!
Narrator 2: Under the Articles of Confederation, each state was like its own little country.
Each made its own laws. Each had its own currency.
Framer 2: This Constitution must establish justice and insure domestic tranquility.
Framer 3: It must also provide for the common defense and promote the
general welfare.
Narrator 3: The framers got to work. They wanted to make sure they had a strong leader
who would not be a king.
Small States: NO KING! NO KING!
Large States: We need a strong leader!
Framer 4: A president is what we need. A president will lead our country. He will sign
laws or veto them. The president will work on foreign policy. He will be in
charge of the armed forces.
Narrator 4: The first part of the government was decided. But an argument arose during
the meetings over representation of the people.
Small States: We want to be represented equally.
Large States: But we have more people than you do! How will we work this out?
Narrator 4: The Great Compromise was put in place. This formed the Legislative Branch
of our government. It is called Congress.
Framer 2: Our legislature will have two houses. One will be the House of
Representatives.
Large States: The House of Representatives is based on the population of each state.
That makes us happy!
Framer 4: The highest court in the land will be called the Supreme Court.
Framer 5: Thats a great idea! We need to keep checks and balances on all the branches
of government.
Narrator 5: Things were shaping up. The new government was set. The Constitution
would replace the Articles of Confederation. One Article set up cooperation
among the states. They would have to get along. The states had to obey the
central government.
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Framer 5: Its a good thing we added in the part about changing the Constitution!
Narrator 7: The Congress agreed that the rights of the people needed to be added. They
promised the states they would write a Bill of Rights for the people. Soon
the Constitution was approved, and the Bill of Rights was added. A strong
government was in place ...
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Start Card
I have Founding
Fathers.
I have
unalienable rights.
Who has the men who
wrote and signed the
Declaration of
Independence?
I have
July 4, 1776
I have
Democracy.
I have
The Constitution.
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I have 1787.
I have Framers.
I have
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania.
I have
Rhode Island.
Who has the person who
was too weak to sign the
Constitution and had to
be carried in a chair
by four prisoners?
I have
Benjamin
Franklin.
I have
September 17th.
Who has the branch
of government that
includes the office of
the President and
Vice President?
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I have
Executive Branch.
I have
Judicial Branch.
The branch of
government that
includes our courts
and judges?
The branch of
government that
makes the laws?
I have Senate
and House of
Representatives.
I have Legislative
Branch
(Congress).
I have Senate
and House of
Representatives.
I have Checks
and Balances.
Who has what a formal
change to the
Constitution is called?
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I have
Two-thirds.
I have
Bill of Rights.
Who has what all
humans born with?
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TEACHERS GUIDE
Preamble Scramble:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
2nd Amendment
3rd Amendment
4th Amendment
5th Amendment
You want to sue your friend for borrowing $10 and
not paying it back.
6th Amendment
A judge ties a childs hands together for two days
after he is caught stealing.
7th Amendment
8th Amendment
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Our Constitution Rocks is a fun, informative, and relevant book that will empower the youth in our
country with the knowledge they need to succeed. Juliette Turner may be only fourteen years old,
but she highlights the importance of the Constitution for her generation and many to follow.
Barbara Bush, Former First Lady of the United States
It is wonderful to see that a document over two hundred years old can still excite the imagination,
hopefulness and expectations of our nations younger citizens in a way that bonds them both to our shared
past and those values common to all Americans.
Terry McCuliffe, Former Chairman of the Democrat National Committee
Makes the brilliance of our Constitution and the founding principles of our country accessible to every
young patriot.
Congressman Scott Garrett, (RNJ) Founder and Chairman of the Congressional
Constitution Caucus
Our Constitution Rocks shows kids how a document written 225 years ago still matters today. It
serves as a great tool for inspiring the next generation of Americans to become active participants in our
democracy.
David Eisner, President and CEO, National Constitution Center
So this is a great idea! A teenager writes a book explaining how the USA works for other teenagers.
A very valuable tool for American kids.
Bill OReilly, Anchor, Fox News Channel
LaShana Wade has been an educator for over 13 years. She graduated from Winthrop University
with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education in 2000 and Master of Education Degree in
Curriculum/Instruction in 2006. Most recently, LaShana obtained an Educational Specialist Degree
in Curriculum/Instruction from Converse College. She is a National Board Certified Early Childhood
Generalist, and is a certified CERRA Mentor Teacher in South Carolina.
9780310734215
$15.99
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