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=The United States Constitution! = // "Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." //

As we all know by now, the US Constitution is a living, breathing document that has stood the test of time for over 200 years. It has been bruised, battered, and changed, but it is still with us today. To understand and appreciate the document even more, I would like you to focus in on the PEOPLE that gave birth to our government as we know it today. PEOPLE created the Constitution, PEOPLE have interpreted the Constitution, PEOPLE have changed the Constitution. For this wiki you will be assigned one of the delegates that played a role in developing the US Constitution. While you research your delegate (listed on the left), please ponder the following questions: What impact did your delegate have upon the Constitutional Convention? Within that question are other deeper questions. What Constitutional issues was your delegate most involved with and why? Does where they came from (state or region) effect how they voted at the Constitutional Convention? These are some pretty thought provoking questions that should not be taken lightly.
 * Introduction:[[image:1169189w.jpg width="180" height="243" align="right" caption="This is OUR government!"]] **

Tasks: ** Students are asked to create their own wiki page on their delegate at the Constitutional Convention. Students will be given a delegate listed on the left randomly. Please follow the steps listed below carefully:
 * 

 
 * 1). __Information__: Please answer the following questions pertaining to your delegate at the Constitutional Convention. Minumum of two distinct, well written paragraphs please: **
 * __Background:__ Please address the following questions when researching your delegates background:**
 * What life did your delegate lead before the Constitutional Convention?
 * What state did your delegate represent?
 * When was he born?
 * How would you describe your delegate's up bring? (poor, modest, affluent)
 * Did his up bring affect his role at the Constitutional Convention?
 * Was your delegate involved in government prior to the Constitutional Convention?
 * __Role:__ Please address the following questions when researching your delegates role at the Constitutional Convention:**
 * What was your delegate's role at the Constitutional Convention?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">What impact did your delegate have upon what happened at the Constitutional Convention?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">What is your delegate most known for at the Constitutional Convention?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">2). __DBQ__: Recently you completed a DBQ on the US Constitution entitled //How did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny//? **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Where did your delegate stand on the four safeguards that were put into the Constitution? In other words, what was your delegates opinions with regards to...
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Federalism?
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Separation of Powers?
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Checks and Balances?
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Big States vs. Little States?
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Post your own DBQ somewhere appropriately on your wiki page

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">** 3). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">__Attendance Record__: Please create an attendance record using the following information: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Visit the following website to see the attendance record of your delegate at the Constitutional Convention
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">[] [[image:Signing_of_the_Constitution.jpg width="279" height="184" align="right" caption="This painting, by Henry Hintermeister, called "The Foundation of American Government" (1925), depicts the signing of the Constitution."]]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Create a table in WORD and copy and paste into your wiki
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Keep track of your persons attendance record
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Follow up this table by writing a good paragraph answering the question: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What does this attendance record tell us about their involvement in the historic Constitutional Convention? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Complete this WORKSHEET for the attendance record section **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">[[file:Wiki Fact Sheet.doc]]


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">4). __Primary Sources__: Please look at the following two sources concerning the Constitution. **
 * The first one is the actual US Constitution itself. Read through and anaylize the Constitution PDF, complete the Written Document Analysis Worksheet, and then write on the following: Read through the Consitution and pick ONE part that your delegate would either agree or disagree with and explain why. One well written paragraph required here:
 * [[file:Constitution.pdf]]
 * [[file:Written Document Analysis Worksheet.pdf]]
 * The second source is The Bill of Rights. As we all know the first ten amendments to the US Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. Please choose ONE of the first 10 amendments and write a well-formed paragraph on how your delegate felt about that amendment.
 * Visit the following PDF to analyze the Bill of Rights with respect to your delegate
 * [[file:Constitution.pdf]]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**5).** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**__Images__: Please include a variety of images (or other media) in your wiki. MAKE SURE EACH IMAGE HAS A CAPTION. Minimum of 4 images required. Listed below are some ideas:**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Include an image (JPEG) of your person and place it appropriately on your wiki page
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Images of your delegate's home state
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Paintings of the Constitutional Convention
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Images of the Constitution
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">A YouTube clip that is appropriate for your delegate []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Link any of these images to an appropriate site on the web

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**6). __Credits__: Must Give Credit Where Credit is Due!!!**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Each student must be able to cite correctly (MLA format) ALL your sources that you used in your wiki
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Written Information, photos, paintings, video clips, websites, etc.....
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">If you have forgotten how to correctly site your sources, the following websites may be helpful:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">MLA List Of Works Cited
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">BibMe
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Coates Library - MLA Citation Style
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The Myrin Virtual Library - MLA Sample Citations



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * 7). __Rubric__: The following rubric will be used to grade your Constitution wiki:**


 * [[file:Wiki Rubric.doc]]


 * Along with this rubric each student will be required to perform a very short (1 minute) skit portraying their delegate. Using the first person narrative, students should address their delegate's background, where they were from and their views as to the US Constitution (Federalist or Anti-federalist).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">** 8). __Resources__: While conducting your research for this wiki, you may want to take a look at these helpful resources: **

Berkin, Carol. //A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution//. 1st ed. New York: Harcourt, 2002. Print.

This great book written by Carol Berkin explores the "people" that were involved in drafting and adopting the US Constitution. After reading this book one can not help but understand better the intense struggles that developed between the delegates concerning certain key points, i.e. the length the executive should serve. At the end of the book are wonderfully concise biographies on all the delegates.

"Individual Biographies of the Delegates to the Constitutional Convention by Gordon Lloyd and Jeff Sammon." //TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers//. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/>.

This Teaching American History Website is a wonderful, concise source on short biographies of every delegate. The site is easy to use and easy to read. You will find this site helpful.

"America's Founding Fathers - Delegates to the Constitutional Convention." //National Archives and Records Administration//. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html>.

This website is from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Like the other website, this one focuses on a short biography of each delegate. Also, another nice feature of this site is that there are many other links you may wander through.

Monk, Linda R. Monk (Hyperion/A Stonesong Press Book). Copyright Â© 2003 Linda R., The Stonesong Press, and Inc. Credits. "National Constitution Center: Interactive Constitution." //National// //Constitution Center - Near Independence Hall in Historic Philadelphia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://ratify.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/>.

This Constitution website is an interactive one. Instead of focusing in on the delegates, this site is more of a general history of the Constitution, including the Convention, court cases, amendments, and the like.