In-Class

Progressivism Research Exercise

2/5/2018

This assessment will help you strengthen your research skills while demonstrating what you have learned so far about the Progressive era. The activity has several steps, so pay close attention to instructions and make sure that you are completing each step before moving on to the next one.

Progressivism research exercise:

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#106 Examining the Constitution, part 1

9/13/2017

Vote to adopt Class Discussion Charter (3 min)

Check for Understanding (4 min)

Brief discussion on the Articles of Confederation (5 min):

As we saw in our brief reading in Foner, the first attempt in 1777 to create a constitutional structure prioritized state over central authority.
- What are some of the factors might have contributed to the decision to organize the new government this way?
- As you read in Foner, this new structure ran into some obstacles. What were some of the challenges the young republic encountered?
- Why do you think the Confederation structure prevented an effective response to the challenges you have identified?

Digital history: Mapping the Constitution (10 min):

Begin by opening this digital copy (Google Doc) of the Constitution as it was passed in 1787. (Note that through the amendments process, several points in this text have since been altered.)
Use this table (Google Spreadsheet) to digitally “map” the Constitution. To complete this task in a time-efficient fashion, use the Google Docs word count feature (link to Google Support page, if needed) to catalog the number of words in each article and to calculate the percentage of the whole it represents to determine how much of the text was dedicated to each structure or power.
Consider the following questions based on the table and pie chart you have created:
- Which topics received the most attention in the Constitution?
- Can you develop a hypothesis, from the perspective of the authors of this text, about the relative importance of the parts of this new government?
- To what extent do you think the powers of each branch of government displayed in the pie chart match how the federal government works today? If you can, provide an example to support your argument.

Homework: Assignment #107

Progressivism Research Exercise

#106 Examining the Constitution, part 1

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