Home > Road to the Constitution > Wanted: A Just Right Government

Learning Objectives

  • Describe how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the Constitution.
  • Compare different states' needs and interests.
  • Compare the Virginia Plan with the New Jersey Plan.
  • Compare the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution.
  • Identify cause/effect relationships in the creation of America's government.

Overview

In this lesson about creating a government, students learn how the U.S. Constitution came to exist by looking at the tensions and differences of opinion that existed among early American states and citizens. Students learn about the Articles of Confederation, why the first “constitution” didn’t work, and how compromise led to the Constitution.

iCivics en español! Student and class materials for this lesson are available in Spanish.

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Spanish
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