• identify the four main principles of the Constitution
• explain the meaning and purpose of each of these principles

• Varied academic levels: heterogeneous grouping, small- and whole-group participation
• Visual learners: incorporates graphics and visual aids
• Auditory learners: encourages class discussion and small-group discussion for assessment
• Kinesthetic learners: encourages students to move around the room, engages students in writing

• Conduct a class discussion in which you ask students to
• identify several bad things that a government could do to its citizens
• decide how can citizens prevent a government from doing these things

• Tell students that the Founders of the Constitution had to solve two problems: how to give the government enough power to preserve the nation, and how to provide safeguards to prevent the government from taking away freedoms and rights of the people. The main principles of the Constitution serve these two functions.
• Show the Four Main Principles graphic:  The principles:

• popular sovereignty
• federalism
• separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial)
• limited government.

•  Have students count off numbers 1-4 to create four groups. Pass out an index card to each member of the class. 
• Have students numbered 1 print “POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY” on one side of their index cards; students with number 2 should print “FEDERALISM” on one side of their index cards. Continue through no. 4.
• Have students turn their cards over and prepare to write a definition of the principle on the opposite side.
• Write the following definitions on the chalk board, or project them from a prepared page on the white board:
• Popular Sovereignty: rule by the people
• Federalism: power divided between nation and states
• Separation of Powers: power divided among three branches of government
• Limited Government: some powers reserved to the people and the states
• Allow time for students to copy these definitions on the reverse side of their note cards.
• Have students trade cards so that each group 1-4 has at least one of each kind of card.

• Small Group Participation-Tell each group that they are a team.
• Have each group research their text chapter on the constitution for examples of each of the principles of the Constitution. Tell them they are preparing for a team quiz.

• Have students move into their groups 1-4. Tell them they have 15 seconds to discuss the examples that you will give them. Then each group must hold up the card that indicates which principle of the Constitution is being illustrated.
• Read the following examples one at a time AND post them on an interactive white board or overhead transparency:
• Neither a state nor the national government may prevent people from expressing their opinions.
  • Most criminal laws are passed by the states.
  • The president is elected every four years.
  • The Senate confirms presidential appointments.
  • The national government provides the rules for bankruptcy.
  • The Supreme Court has no executive power to carry out its rulings.
  • Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the First Amendment.
  • The national government prints our money.
  • The president signs or vetoes bills passed by Congress.
  • You may leave the country to visit relatives in Asia.  

• Call out the group numbers that have the correct answer. Ask a student from a group that got the correct answer to explain why the answer was correct. Clarify and expand answers as needed.
• Have a scorekeeper award each group 10 points for every correct answer.

• Remind students that the principle of limited government is inherent in constitutional government. A key reason to have a constitution is to inform the people of the limitations of its government.
• Review the meaning of executive, legislative, and judicial.
• Applied learning: ask students to identify other examples of each of the principles that were not used in the group quiz.