Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
This book describes how the Constitution came to be written in that long hot summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, and then later ratified in the home states of the delegates. They had to make many hard decisions to complete the document and come to agreements after considering the costs and benefits each time, and they made many trade-offs in the process. The book also includes the full text of the document produced by the Constitutional Convention.
Economic Concepts
- Costs and Benefits
- Trade-offs
- Role of Government
Grade Levels
- Intermediate (4-6)
Related Subjects
- U.S. History
- Government/Civics
Teacher Tips for Using this Book
Description of Lesson 5, The Constitution: What Freedoms Did the Framers Want?
From Adventures in Economic and U.S. History, Volume 2
This lesson looks at the various freedoms the founding fathers wanted as they worked on the Constitution as well as the difficulty of coming to an agreement. It differentiates between political freedom, economic freedom, and civil liberties (personal freedom).
Description of Lesson 4, Writing the Constitution Was Hard
From Adventures in Economic and U.S. History, Volume 2
This lesson looks at the difficulty the Founding Fathers had in writing the Constitution. Students weigh the costs and benefits of a strong Federal government