The Articles of Confederation 

A WEB QUEST BY RACHEL TINSLEY, SCIENCE SKILLS CENTER HS,  BROOKLYN,  NY,   11201

Before the Constitution....there was The Articles of Confederation-- in effect, the first constitution of the United States. Drafted in 1777 by the same Continental Congress that passed the Declaration of Independence, the articles established a "firm league of friendship" between and among the 13 states.  Created during the throes of the Revolutionary War, the Articles reflect the wariness by the states of a strong central government. Afraid that their individual needs would be ignored by a national government with too much power, and the abuses that often result from such power, the Articles purposely established a "constitution" that vested the largest share of power to the individual states.   What effect did this legislation have on the new nation?

THE TASK:

You will use the Internet and your textbook to research the Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion.  You will use the information gathered from the Internet along with other resources to assess whether or not the Articles of Confederation provided the newly created United States with an effective government. 

THE PROCESS:

Part one:   You will use the Internet to research the Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion.  Individually you will answer the  questions listed in this part.

Part two:    Once the questions from part one are answered, the class will be divided into groups of three.  Each group will be assigned a specific focus question taken from the individual question list.  The groups will discuss their group question and come up with a group answer.  Using their collective information,  the Internet, and your textbook,  each group will write 4 or 5 important details to elaborate upon their group response.  

CONCLUSION:

The class will complete a PowerPoint presentation on the Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion. Each group's information will be placed into your group slide.  Each group is to insert a graphic into their slide.  The groups will select a presenter to explain their slide to the rest of the class.  Each group is required to answer the summary questions together. You will hand in the answers to your individual and group summary questions at the end of the period.

HISTORICAL THINKING STANDARDS

This lesson addresses the following standards:

Standard 2D, 2G:                                     Evidence historical perspectives;  Draw upon visual sources

Standard  3B,  3D,  3E,  3J:                  Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions;  consider multiple perspectives;  Analyze cause and effect relationships and multiple causation,  including the importance of the individual,  the influence of ideas, and the role of chance;  Hypothesize the influence of the past

Standard 4B,  4C:                                    Obtain historical data;   Interrogate historical data 

Standard 5A,  5B,  5D,  5E,  5F:          Identify issues and problems in the past;  marshal evidence of antecedent circumstances and contemporary factors contributing to problems and alternative courses of action;  Evaluate alternative courses of action,  Formulate a position or a course of action on an issue,  Evaluate the implementation of a decision

The Process Part 1                                                           The Process Part 2                         

Conclusion                                                                          Resources