8th Grade Preamble Lesson Plan

Topic: The Preamble of the Constitution

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and describe the 6 goals or principles found in the preamble of the Constitution.

Materials

• Copy of the Constitution
• Pen or pencil for each student

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever heard of the Constitution before. What do they know about it?
• Write the word Constitution on the board and ask students to supply a definition.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of the Constitution and explain that it is the foundation of the United States government.
• Ask students to recall what they learned about the Constitution in previous classes and add any additional information.
• Explain that the preamble is the first part of the Constitution and it contains six goals or principles that the Founding Fathers wanted to achieve when creating the Constitution.
• Have students work in pairs to read the preamble and identify the six goals or principles found in it.
• Check for understanding and make sure that all students understand the goals and principles listed in the preamble.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in small groups to create a poster or handout that lists the six goals or principles found in the preamble of the Constitution.
• Have each group present their poster or handout to the class and discuss what each goal or principle means and how it applies to the United States government.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one goal or principle from the preamble of the Constitution and create a short presentation or report on how it applies to the United States government today. Students could present their projects to the class or submit their reports electronically.

Closure

• Review the 6 goals or principles found in the preamble of the Constitution and their relevance to the United States government today.
• Ask students to share any insights or observations they have about the goals and principles of the preamble and how they apply to the United States government today.

Assessment

• Observe students during the guided practice activity and during the independent practice activity to assess their understanding of the 6 goals or principles found in the preamble and their relevance to today's government.
• Collect and review the independent practice projects for understanding of the 6 goals or principles and their relevance to the United States government today.