Description of lesson/activity
1. describe a series of challenges to the authority of the federal government and their outcomes.
2. evaluate the effect of the challenges to the authority of the federal government.
3. gather information using primary resources.
4. write a summary to demonstrate his/her understanding of the relationship between state and federal power.
1. The students have completed an activity which focused on the foreign challenges to the new nation. This question/problem focuses on the challenges to the federal government at home. Students should understand that the federal government did not have the central place in public life that it has today.
2. Five challenges to the authority of the federal government are presented through a series of primary resources. Background is provided to place each challenge in an historical context.
3. Students are required to analyze the excerpts and answer questions which deal with the reasons for the conflict, the way in which the government was challenged, and the view of government taken by the participants. Teachers should divide the class into groups and distribute one "Student Resource - Challenges to the Federal Government" to each group.
4. Within the group, students should be encouraged to paraphrase the resource to ensure understanding. Teachers may need to provide some assistance with interpreting the primary resources.
5. After each group has completed the worksheet, the teacher should organize a procedure for whole class sharing of the challenges. A suggested organization is provided for students to record information for each of the challenges. A completed worksheet is provided for teachers. It is not necessary for each student to research each challenge but at this point all students should have all of the information in order to complete the concluding activity.
6. The teacher should distribute the student worksheet for the final activity. It requires the student to draw conclusions about the effect of the challenges on the power of the federal government. Students are asked to present their opinions and explain their reasoning in an organized piece of expository writing. Evaluation of the writing is left up to the teacher. Students should be evaluated on the quality of their reasoning as well as the elements of writing.
Resource 1: Student Resource A: Challenges to the Federal Government
Resource 2: Student Resource B: Challenges to the Federal Government
Resource 3: Student Resource C: Challenges to the Federal Government
Resource 4: Student Resource D: Challenges to the Federal Government
Resource 5: Student Resource E: Challenges to the Federal Government
Resource 6: Challenges to the Federal Government: Student Worksheet
Resource 7: Challenges to the Federal Government: Suggested Answers
Resource 8: Challenges to the Federal Government: Concluding Activity