"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..." These familiar lines begin the Preamble to the Constitution, but do learners know what they mean? A close reading exercise takes a look at the language of the famous document. The instructional activity includes discussion questions and hypothetical scenarios to bring meaning to the document.

Concepts

the preamble to the united states constitution, the united states constitution, close reading, american history

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Rewrite the Preamble to the Constitution using modern language without changing its meaning
• Discuss the relevance of the Preamble to modern times

Classroom Considerations

• Print copies of the student worksheet and graphic organizer before beginning the lesson

Pros

• Separates the Preamble into smaller sections to aid with comprehension
• Guide explains the key parts of the document

Cons

• None

Common Core

L.1.1.b RI.6.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.6 RH.6-8.10