Great Teaching Ideas
lesson & unit viewer
Anti-Federalists and Federalists
published on: 2/28/2003
Contributing Teacher(s): Margo Dill
Subject Area: Social Studies/U.S. History
Grade Range: Upper Elementary (4-5)
Materials Needed:
- Poster board or construction paper
- Crayons
- Markers
- Colored pencils
- Worksheet with the chart of states that ratified the Constitution
Objective:
- The students will discuss the differences between Anti-Federalists and Federalists.
- The students will construct propaganda posters from the point of view of either a Federalist or Anti-Federalist.
Process Standards:
- Goal 2.1 plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences
- Goal 2.3 exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of others
Content Standards:
- Social Studies 2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world
- Mathematics 3. Data analysis, probability and statistics
- Mathematics 1. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; other number sense, including numeration and esti...
Time Allowance: 30-45 minutes (The poster can be completed as homework if needed.)
Description: This is Lesson 6 of an eight-lesson unit. This lesson focuses on the differences between Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the time when the Constitution was ratified.
Classroom Component:
NOTE: This is Lesson 6 of an eight-lesson unit titled “Writing the Constitution.” These eight lessons focus on how the Constitution became the law of the land, starting with the Articles of Confederation and ending with our first two presidents under the new government. (This unit does not focus on the Bill of Rights or the organization of our government. I taught that separately as a government unit around election time.) The other lessons are:
Lesson 1--“Problems with the Articles of Confederation”
Lesson 2--“How to Solve the Problem of the Articles of Confederation”
Lesson 4--“Slavery and the Constitution”
Lesson 7--“The First Cabinet and First Political Parties”
Lesson 8--“A Peaceful Transition Between Leaders”
This lesson focuses on the differences between Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the time when the Constitution was ratified.
Step-by-Step Implementation:
- The teacher reviews with students the end of the story 1787. In the end, all the delegates, except for 16, signed the Constitution.
- The teacher explains 9 out of 13 states had to ratify the Constitution before it became the law of the land. In each state, the people elected delegates to go to the state convention and vote for or against the Constitution. These representatives debated also. People wanted the Constitution to list the things the government could not do and a list of citizens'' rights (Bill of Rights). (See the chart below with information about each state and when they ratified the Constitution. Information taken from America''s Story, Harcourt Brace and Company, 1997).
- The teacher presents two groups that the American people were divided into once again—Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Federalists supported the Constitution and a strong national government. Anti-Federalists did not want a strong national government unless a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Some Anti-Federalists were completely against the Constitution.
- The teacher divides the class in half. She assigns half of the class to be Federalists, and the other half of the class to be Anti-Federalists.
- The students design posters to get people to support or to vote against the Constitution depending on their assigned group. The students turn in posters or hang them on a bulletin board entitled: "What would you do?"
Handout:
State Date Total Votes Votes For DE 12/7/1787 30 30 PA 12/12/1787 69 46 NJ
12/18/1787 38 38 GA 1/02/1788 26 26 CT 1/09/1788 168 128 MA 2/06/1788 355 187 MD 4/28/1788 74 63 SC 5/23/1788 222 149 NH 6/21/1788 104 57 VA 6/25/1788 168 89 NY 7/26/1788 57 30 NC 11/21/1789 271 194 RI 5/29/1790 66 34
Cross-Curricular:
MATH:
Using the chart, students can figure how many months it took to ratify the Constitution for all 13 states. For enrichment or gifted students, they can figure out how many days that was. Students can finish the chart by adding another column, "votes against." They can figure the numbers in this column by subtracting "votes for" from the total votes. Students could also figure out how many total votes for all 13 states and how many votes for the Constitution in all 13 states. Gifted and Enrichment students can see if there is any reason why some states had so many more representatives voting for or against the Constitution than other states. Is it based on population or something else? Is there no reason?
ART:
Making the poster is an art activity.
READING AND LANGUAGE:
In my reading class, we studied some propaganda techniques at the same time we studied this unit. The techniques we looked at were name-calling, loaded words, and glittering generalities. Students asked me if they could include these techniques in their Federalist and Anti-Federalist posters. I said, "Sure!" Next year, I will probably plan this.
Modifications for an IEP Student:
For this activity, the teacher could help the student think of the words to put on the poster. The student could draw and color a picture to go with the slogan.
Scoring Guide:
Poster
4extremely neat work, information is accurate, designed from the point of view of the assigned group (either Federalist or Anti-Federalist), no spelling and grammar errors, colorful 3neat work, information is accurate, few spelling and grammar errors, mostly colored, designed from the point of view of the assigned group 2fairly neat work, one mistake in information, spelling and grammar errors, partially colored, designed from the point of view of the assigned group 1messy work, mistakes in information, many spelling and grammar errors that distract the viewer, not colored, hard to distinguish which point of view the poster is portraying
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For additional information contact :
Margo Dill
Fairmount Elem.
Francis Howell R-III
(636) 851-4500
EMAIL: margo_dill@fhsd.k12.mo.us
