US Founding and the Constitution

What this page covers

The resources here follow the founding of the United States and the document that came out of it. You will find the Enlightenment ideas behind it, such as John Locke and Montesquieu, along with British taxes, colonial interests and the road to the Declaration of Independence. Other resources go through the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the seven major principles, the Bill of Rights and the 27 amendments.

Where to start

Begin with the big picture. The mind map on Constitutional Foundations and Underpinnings sets out the ideas and conflicts behind the founding. Then open the mind map that explains the Preamble as a list of jobs for government. After that, move to the flashcard deck called breakdown of the us constitution, which runs from Article 1 to impeachment and reserved powers.

1. Read the foundations and Preamble maps.
2. Learn the terms with Powers & Clauses.
3. Look at the amendment process in THE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
4. Test yourself with a quiz.

Using quizzes and maps together

Mind maps show how ideas connect. Quizzes show what you actually remember. Go through a map first, then take a quiz such as the one titled U.S CONSTITUTION TEST 8th grade, which asks about Congress and its two houses. Note the questions you miss, go back to the matching map or deck, and try again. Some resources point to AP US Government and AP Government, so there are options for students working toward those courses. A few also touch on A-level Politics topics such as codified constitutions.

Where this unit fits

This unit sits in the US Government and Politics strand of Political science. It is about the founding and the Constitution itself, so it works well beside material on how government runs day to day. Teachers can pick maps, slides and notes to set as ready-made reading or review tasks.

Choose one resource that matches what you are studying now, open it, and see how far you get.