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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: New Jersey Plan

For Students 9th - 10th
New Jersey Plan was presented in the form of eleven resolutions drafted by William Paterson. It detailed a legislature of only one house and featured equal representation in which each state had the same number of representatives thus...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Wanted: A Just Right Government

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Look at the tensions and differences of opinion that existed among early American states and citizens. Learn about the Articles of Confederation, why the first "constitution" didn't work, and how compromise led to the Constitution.
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Activity
US National Archives

Nara: Charters of Freedom: Constitution of the United States

For Students 9th - 10th
Comprehensive overview of the U.S. Constitution. Places the Constitution in context with two other founding charters of American democracy and government, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Includes access to digital...
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Handout
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: John Witherspoon

For Students 9th - 10th
He was a father figure to America's Founders. A renowned theologian from Scotland, John Witherspoon educated many young men who became prominent leaders of the Founding generation. He went on to embrace the revolutionary cause. He signed...
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Drafting the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Those writing the Constitution had many issues to deal with in forming a document to govern the country. One thorny issue was the status of the states in regard to representation in the federal legislature. Read about the Virginia Plan...
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Website
A&E Television

History.com: New Mexico

For Students 9th - 10th
Take a detailed look at the state of New Mexico! From its earliest history and peoples, to present day facts which include population, climate, geography, plants and animals, economy, government, cultural life, sports and recreation,...
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Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Biographies: James Madison (1751 1836)

For Students 9th - 10th
The oldest of 10 children and a scion of the planter aristocracy, Madison was born in 1751 at Port Conway, King George County, VA, while his mother was visiting her parents. In a few weeks she journeyed back with her newborn son to...
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Men of Philadelphia [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Find short biographies of twenty-three of the fifty-five delegates to the Constitutional Convention and their ideas about government. These men were certainly not representative of the common man in the new United States, but they were...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Tough Issues

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Writing a Constitution [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is from a unit called 'Writing the US Constitution.' It looks at the documents that preceded the Constitution, and the major issues that were debated while the Constitution was being created.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: George B. Mc Clellan

For Students 9th - 10th
George Brinton McClellan was born at Philadelphia, December 3, 1826. He was for two years a student in the University of Virginia, but in 1842 he became a cadet at West Point, where he was the youngest in his class. He made his mark,...