Name: _________________________________ Date: ___________________________

Winter Break Packet Team:___________________________

The United States ConstitutionCongratulations! You have been working so hard this year, so now it’s time for a break. To keep your mind sharp and to help develop you as a historian—and an informed citizen—you will be reading a few short excerpts from Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell’s The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation. The chosen excerpts will prepare you for our discussion of the development of the Constitution when we return from break, but even more importantly, they will give you a sound understanding about how our government functions.

Directions: Carefully read the excerpts on Articles I, II and II of the Constitution. Then answer the questions in this packet. You will be graded for accuracy, not just completion, so be sure to select your answers carefully. Finally, transfer your answers to the front of this packet and obtain a parent or guardian signature. You will not receive credit without a completed grid and signature.

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Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________________________

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Article I1. ** Which branch of government does Article I of the Constitution establish and what is its

role?a. The Executive Branch to establish lawsb. The Legislative Branch to create the court systemc. The Executive Branch to create the court systemd. The Legislative Branch to establish laws

2. What evidence is there that the Framers saw Congress as the most important branch of government?a. It establishes a bicameral legislative branch which better represents the peopleb. It has the most signatures from important people at the time of creationc. It is first and it is the longestd. It includes the most elections on a yearly basis

3. * Our system of government is called a _________________ even though most people call it a ___________________.a. Republic, Democracyb. Democracy, Republicc. Oligarchy, Monarchyd. Monarchy, Oligarcy

4. ** The difference between a democracy and a republic is…a. A democracy has representatives to do the voting, whereas a republic requires every

individual to vote for a lawb. A democracy requires every individual to vote for every law, whereas a republic has

representatives to do the votingc. A democracy includes three branches of government, whereas a republic only has oned. A democracy includes one branch of government, whereas a republic has three

5. ** The TWO kinds of lawmakers in Congress are…a. Senatorsb. Republicansc. Democratsd. House of Representatives e. Delegatesf. Justices

6. ** The word meaning “to have two chambers of congress” is _________________________.

7. * In order to balance the power of the states, Article I outlines that every state…a. Has senators proportionate to the populationb. Has senators equivalent to the number of votersc. Has two senatorsd. Has a single senator

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8. ** The problem with proportional representation to determine the number of representatives in the House was…a. Obtaining freedom from Great Britainb. Establishing who should be able to votec. Balancing power with the presidentd. Determining whether or not slaves should be freed

9. Why is it significant that Congresspersons represent districts versus their states’ entire populations?a. It demonstrates that they aren’t as important as senatorsb. It exhibits their lack of power to create important lawsc. It better connects them to the people, who they are responsible for representingd. It enables them to more closely interact with the president

10. * Congresspersons serve for ____________ years and senators serve for _____________ years.

Article II11. ** Which branch of government does Article II of the Constitution establish and what is its

role?a. The Executive Branch to create lawsb. The Legislative Branch to establish the presidencyc. The Executive Branch to establish the presidencyd. The Legislative Branch to create laws

12. The Executive Branch includes all of the following EXCEPT…a. Presidentb. Vice Presidentc. Secretary of Stated. Cabinet

13. ** The Executive Branch’s responsibility is to…a. Create laws for the judicial branch to protectb. To execute and enforce laws passed by the legislative branchc. Work with the legislative branch to regulate the economyd. Oversee the functions of the other two branches of government

14. ** What is the Electoral College?a. A group of electors chosen by the people to select the presidentb. A school that informs people how to choose the next presidentc. A process that enables individuals to select the next presidentd. An organization that ensures the election process is fair

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15. * Summarize how the Electoral College works (pgs. 55-56).

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16. ** THREE differences between the first presidential elections and today’s are…a. There were more presidential candidates running at onceb. The vice president was chosen by the president after the electionc. Electors could vote however they wanted, regardless of the opinions of citizensd. Presidents were chosen directly by the people, as in a democracye. Electors cast two votes for two different candidatesf. The candidate with the most votes was president and the one in second place was vice

president

17. What is a “faithless elector”?a. An elector who refuses to vote because he/she cannot decideb. An elector who does not choose the candidate voted for by the peoplec. An elector who does not follow a particular religiond. An elector who prefers the vice presidential candidate over the presidential candidate

18. ** On page 58, the dilemma of a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the election is discussed. The text notes that this has happened four times in our nation’s history, but there was actually a 5th time: the 2016 election. As a result, there have been many people who claim that the electoral college does not represent the true will of the people.

What’s your opinion? Should the electoral college be abolished (eliminated) and presidents be chosen by the popular vote? Or should we stick with the electoral college because it is a system set up in Article II of the Constitution? Support your opinion with details.

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19. * To win the presidency, a candidate must…a. Win more votes than any other candidateb. Choose a strong vice-presidential running matec. Convince electors not to follow the will of the peopled. Have a 50% plus one vote majority

20. Why is the Oath of Office so important?a. It forces presidents to promise to uphold the Constitution, even when he/she disagrees with

parts of itb. It exhibits the extreme dedication of the president to the people of the United Statesc. It reinforces the important idea of checks and balancesd. It confirms that the electors have made the correct choice for president

Article III21. ** Which branch of government does Article III of the Constitution establish and what is its

role?a. The Judicial Branch to interpret laws and insure justiceb. The Judicial Branch to create and amend lawsc. The Executive Branch to interpret laws and insure justice d. The Executive Branch to create and amend laws

22. * What is the significance of juries?a. To serve as a check and balance against government officersb. To punish citizens who break lawsc. To help summarize court cases so judges can make decisionsd. To support lawyers while they are defending cases.

23. ** The national Judiciary Branch was born in order to…a. Ensure that states interpret laws correctlyb. “Referee” disputes between the states and serve as the final interpretation of lawc. Hear and determine the outcomes of all civil and criminal cases in the nationd. Protect American citizens from the tyranny of a powerful president

24. * There are a total of _____________________________ Supreme Court justices.

25. List 3 examples of the types of cases tried in FEDERAL court.

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26. What is the “extraordinary power” that the Judiciary Branch has?a. It can override all of the actions of the Executive and Legislative Branchesb. It selects which laws will apply to which statesc. It determines whether a law or act of government conflicts with the Constitutiond. It has the power to settle disputes between the states or between states

27. ** Summarize the case of Marbury v. Madison.

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28. The Chief Justice at the time of Marbury v. Madison was…a. John Adamsb. Thomas Jeffersonc. John Marshalld. James Madison

29. ** As a result of Marbury v. Madison…

a. Madison was forced to make Marbury a justiceb. Judicial Review was establishedc. John Adams was fired from the presidencyd. John Marshall was forced to step down as Chief Justice

30. ** The Supreme Court is an appellate court. This means that…a. Cases should go directly to it because it is the supreme law of the landb. Only the wealthy are able to win the audience of the justicesc. The president determines which cases go to itd. Cases generally need to go through lower courts first

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James Madison

Extra CreditDirections: Here is an opportunity to get some extra practice while also boosting up your grade! In order to obtain extra credit, complete the following activities. Each one is worth 5 points!

Activity #1: ParaphrasingDirections: The key to being a strong historian is being able to decipher the meaning of difficult primary source texts. Carefully read and paraphrase a letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison. This will help you to better understand our lessons in the weeks after break.

Source: Thomas Jefferson1, Letter to James Madison2, December 20, 1787

Original Text My ParaphraseI like much the general idea of framing a government which should go on itself peaceably, without needing continual recurrence to the state legislatures.I like the organization of the government into Legislative, Judiciary and Executive.

I like the power given the Legislature to levy taxes, and for that reason solely approve of the greater house being chosen by the people directly

I am much pleased too with the substitution of the method of voting by persons, instead of that of voting by states…

I will now add what I do not like. First the omission of a bill of rights

1 Thomas Jefferson: At this time, Thomas Jefferson was away in Europe serving as the Ambassador to France. Jefferson also wrote the Declaration of Independence, so he has a deep history in American politics.2 James Madison: The creator of the United States Constitution, and Thomas Jefferson’s very good friend.

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providing clearly and without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction against monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land and not by the law of NationsLet me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse or rest on inference.Activity #2: Four CornersDirections: Carefully read the following excerpt from James Madison’s The Federalist No. 45 and mark it up using Four Corners. Be as thorough as possible, and paraphrase difficult lines in the margin. We will be learning about Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists in the coming weeks.

Source: James Madison, The Federalist 3No. 45, January 26, 1788

It is too early for politicians to presume on our forgetting that the public good, the real welfare of the great body of the people, is the supreme object to be pursued; and that no form of government whatever has any other value than as it may be fitted for the attainment of this object. Were the plan of the convention adverse to the public happiness, my voice would be, Reject the plan. Were the Union itself inconsistent with the public happiness, it would be, Abolish the Union. In like manner, as far as the sovereignty of the States cannot be reconciled to the happiness of the people, the voice of every good citizen must be, Let the former be sacrificed to the latter. How far the sacrifice is necessary, has been shown. How far the unsacrificed residue will be endangered, is the question before us. Several important considerations have been touched in the course of these papers, which discountenance the supposition that the operation of the federal government will by degrees prove fatal to the State governments. The more I revolve the subject, the more fully I am persuaded that the balance is much more likely to be disturbed by the preponderancy of the last than of the first scale.

3 The Federalist Papers: A collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. They were published in newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788.

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Activity #3: Secondary Source ReadingDirections: Actively read the following article using your non-fiction reading techniques. Name the topic and read for claim, marking up the full text and writing a comprehensive claim statement at the conclusion of the text. Then answer the multiple choice questions using full POE.

“The New Nation: Ordinary Americans and the Constitution”By Gary B. Nash, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, November 8, 2016

1 The Constitution is highly honored today, at home and around the world. However, when it was originally written, many Americans were against it. They were upset that the document contained no Bill of Rights to protect their individual freedoms. Many felt that the Constitution was the work of rich men who meant to weaken what the American Revolution had achieved. This is why many historians agree that if the Constitution had been sent to the people for a vote, it would not have been approved.

2 Three major groups—African-Americans, artisans and small farmers—were especially uncertain about the Constitution. They feared it would compromise the founding principles of the American Revolution.

African-Americans

3 In 1790, enslaved African-Americans made up about one-sixth of the nation’s population. They knew that the Constitution’s lofty words “To create a more perfect union” did nothing to release them and their children from slavery.

4 Free African-Americans and white Anti-Federalists4 were disturbed that the Constitution was pro-slavery. It even contained a fugitive slave clause, which said that runaway slaves had to be returned to their owners. Some saw this as proof that northern leaders at the Constitutional Convention had given in to southern slave owners.

4 Anti-Federalists: People against the Constitution, largely because they feared it gave the federal government too much power.

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5 In 1845, James Madison’s notes on the debates of the Constitutional Convention were finally published. During the Convention itself, the proceedings5 were kept a secret. William Lloyd Garrison, the famous abolitionist6, said the notes showed that the Constitution was “an agreement with hell.”

6 In 1850, Frederick Douglass expressed what many believed about the Constitution. “Liberty and Slavery—opposite as Heaven and Hell—are both in the Constitution,” the black abolitionist wrote. He suggested that the words “Liberty and Justice” be replaced with “Kidnapping and Slave holding.”

Artisans

7 Craftsmen, who worked with their hands, were about one-tenth of the population. They were called artisans. They did not all think alike. However, most supported the Constitution. They knew that the Articles of Confederation7, written 10 years before, left the Continental Congress with no taxing power and with no authority to raise an army to protect them from violent protests. They worried that black slaves who wanted freedom or white farmers angry about higher taxes and debt would revolt. They also wanted protection for American-made goods. A strong central government would be able to tax goods coming from England. The result would be higher prices on English products and more people “buying American.”

8 Yet a great many artisans also worried about the Constitution. They wanted to be able to borrow money, buy land and get an education. Knowing how important working people were to the community, many artisans feared the rich would feed off the poor, whom they called “the sheeplike masses” and “the vulgar herd.” If the Constitution helped the super-wealthy to rise and control business, the small businessman’s dreams of success would be crushed.

5 Proceedings: Events6 Abolitionist: A person calling for the end of American slavery7 Articles of Confederation: America’s first attempt at a constitution-like document. It gave more power to states than to the federal government. You will learn about this when you return from break!

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9 By the late 18th century, most artisans had drifted away from the Federalist Party that supported the Constitution. Proud to live “by the sweat of their brows,” the artisans passed down their fear of government power to later generations of workers.

Small Farmers

10 Amos Singletary was a farmer from Massachusetts who spoke at the state convention gathered in 1788 to approve the Constitution. Singletary was a poor farmer with many debts who had just survived a bloody revolutionary war. He said, “These lawyers, and men of learning, and moneyed men, that talk so finely, and gloss over matters so smoothly… will swallow up all of us little folks… just as the whale swallowed up Jonah.8 That is what I am afraid of.”

11 Singletary did not speak for all farmers and probably not for most of the farmers in Massachusetts. But he spoke for those who earned a small living on the frontiers of the new nation from Maine to Georgia. These poor farmers feared and hated the rich that lived off of the hard-working men.

12 However, many ordinary farmers did support the Constitution. They accepted the Federalists’ ideas that the nation needed a strong central power to collect taxes for national defense and manage relationships with other countries. Later, during hard times, farmers would step forward across the nation to protest that a small number of wealthy Americans were benefiting the most from the Constitution.

1. ** Based on the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?a. Most Anti-Federalists expressed support for the Constitutionb. Many slave owners did not support the Constitution at firstc. Freedom and prosperity were two of the major concerns about the Constitutiond. The Bill of Rights was a key component of the Constitution from the beginning

2. According to the section “Artisans,” how did some artisans’ support of the Constitution change?a. They supported it at first but then decided that higher taxes and higher prices were damaging

to their businessesb. They supported it at first, but then began to fear it gave too much power to the rich and would

limit their own successc. They opposed it at first, but then began to fear that their ability to succeed in business was

dependent on the support of a strong governmentd. They opposed it at first but then decided it would protect them from violent revolts and allow

them to get more education and become more successful

3. * How does the author emphasize the perspectives of African-Americans and poor farmers in the article?a. By comparing the two groups to one anotherb. By explaining the differences between the two groupsc. By providing quotations from individuals in those groupsd. By describing the difficult conditions those groups endured

4. ** What is the author’s MOST likely purpose for including the following statement in the introduction (paragraphs 1-2)?

8 Jonah: An allusion to the Biblical story where Jonah was swallowed by a whale.11

“This is why many historians agree that if the Constitution had been sent to the people for a vote, it would not have been approved.”a. To indicate that the majority of Americans initially disliked the Constitutionb. To explain why historians question the importance of the Constitutionc. To show that many historians dispute the importance of the Constitutiond. To provide evidence supporting the groups who did not like the Constitution

Rubric:- Multiple Choice: ________/16 (Each question is worth 4 points)- Use of POE _________/8 (2 points per question)- Annotations: _________/16 (Use rubric below)

Advanced4

Proficient3

Working Towards2

Needs Improvement1

Underlining

Only the most important diction underlined

Underlined diction is fully aligned to the annotation focus/intent of question

Most of the key diction is underlined

Underlined diction is mostly aligned to the annotation focus/intent of question

There are too few OR too many words underlined.

The most important diction has not been underlined.

Underlined diction is partially to the annotation focus/intent of question

Student is either underlining most of the words on the page OR underlining only a few words

Underlined diction is not aligned to the annotation focus/intent of question

Marginal Notes:End Note Demonstrating

Comprehension(AC)

Passage summary correctly identifies the central idea(s) of text

Passage summary identifies some of the important details, but not all of them

Passage summary is either too broad or too specific

Passage summary fails to identify the central idea(s) of text or is off topic

Labeling Text(Labeling E for prompts and question #s for MC)

Brackets area(s) of text question refers to for ALL questions

Labels the question number for ALL questions

Brackets area(s) of text question refers to for most questions

Labels the question number for most questions

Brackets area(s) of text question refers to for some questions

Labels the question number for some questions

Fails to bracket area(s) of text question refers to for any of the questions

Fails to label the question number for any of the questions

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Marginal Notes:In Body Aiding Analysis

(CI & Key Ideas)

Makes accurate annotations directly related to what the question is asking

Most annotations relate to what the question is asking for, but a few are incorrect

Misidentifies what the question is asking for and creates annotations that summarize the text

There are either no annotations or they do not relate to what the question is asking for

Total Score: _____________/40= __________________ x100= ________________________

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