Oct. 12, 2005: Our Constitution¹s Purpose

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Make a collage of newspaper headlines that show activities from different levels of government: local, state and federal.

2. Find a newspaper story that shows how local government takes care of people in your community. Write a sentence telling how the government is helping. Your local government could be a city council, a township or borough board, a mayor or a school board.

3. Create your own articles of ³agreement² for getting along with family members or friends. Write sentences that tell how you will make decisions about (a) what games to play or how to play them, (b) what television programs to watch, (c) how to share a computer or video game, and (d) how to share family chores.

4. Find newspaper stories that show how (a) laws are fair to citizens, (b) the United States has armed forces to defend the country, (c) the U.S. government helps citizens, and (d) Americans are free.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to research the Articles of Confederation. Then write a paragraph explaining how the Constitution addressed problems in the Articles.

This week's standards:

• Students understand the purpose of government. (Social Studies: Power, Authority and Governance)
• Students identify key ideals of the United States¹ democratic republican form of government. (Social Studies: Civic Ideals and Practice)
  
  (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)