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Constitutional Compromise

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Can you find a path forward for a new nation... with a lot of disagreements?

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Learning Objectives

  • Explore the key questions debated during the convention
  • Evaluate the arguments made during the debates
  • Describe the compromises made in the convention to maintain forward momentum
  • Describe George Washington’s role in the Constitutional Convention
  • Connect the experience with the original constitution and current constitutional law

Overview

Constitutional Compromise challenges your students to find a way forward for a young nation as disagreements mount. They will engage in the ideas discussed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and discover the compromises made by the 55 delegates.

Your students will hear from delegates as they cast their vision for the future of the United States, balance the interests of a diverse set of states, and navigate the interests of delegates who envision vastly different roles for the new government. In Constitutional Compromise, your students will:

  • Experience the main historical debates of the Constitutional Convention
  • Identify points from each side of a debate to build a compromise
  • Discover the modern relevance of each compromise and how they compare to historical outcomes

Not all compromises are (or were) the ideal outcomes. While based on real debates and historical arguments, Constitutional Compromise is not a historical reenactment. In the end, your students will discover what really happened in Philadelphia in 1787.

 

Teacher Tips

The Constitutional Compromise Extension Pack includes activities and a mini quiz that give the game context and reinforce and assess its concepts. Extension Packs include a downloadable teacher lesson plan, assignable student handout, and instructive Google Slides

Multilingual and English learners (ELs/MLs) and Spanish-speaking students: This game offers a decision-support tool, an English voiceover, a contextualized glossary, and a Spanish-language version.

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Partners

This game was made in partnership with George Washington's Mount Vernon, with support from Kenneth C. Griffin

Use the Scope & Sequence to help you plan your iCivics classroom experience!

Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.

View the Scope & Sequence