Four Founding Documents and Their Jobs

Supplied materials

• Paper and pencil; drawing or spoken answers are welcome.
• Topic notes: Declaration of Independence: the 1776 announcement of separation from Britain. Articles of Confederation: the first U.S. national governing framework. Constitution: the framework drafted in 1787 for the new federal system. Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments ratified in 1791.
• Original exercise cards: A card describes the independence announcement. / A card identifies the framework ratified in 1781. / A card identifies the document creating three federal branches. / A card identifies ten early constitutional amendments. / A card describes the predecessor to the Constitution. / A card identifies the governing framework replacing the Articles. / A card describes the 1791 rights amendments. / A card identifies a 1776 declaration of political separation.

Learn the idea

Different documents served different purposes. The Declaration announced independence; the Articles of Confederation formed the first U.S. national governmental framework; the Constitution replaced that framework; the Bill of Rights added the first ten amendments. They were not one document adopted at one moment.

Declaration of Independence: the 1776 announcement of separation from Britain. Articles of Confederation: the first U.S. national governing framework. Constitution: the framework drafted in 1787 for the new federal system. Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments ratified in 1791.

Match the document’s job and date: announcing independence, the first governing framework, its replacement or the first ten amendments. Read the notes and the word cards. You can write, draw or say your answer.

1. Read the four notes. Find the words Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, Bill of Rights.
2. Match the document’s job and date: announcing independence, the first governing framework, its replacement or the first ten amendments.
3. Read the worked answer. Then try the other cards and explain which words helped you choose.
4. Choose two different examples: one for Declaration of Independence and one for Articles of Confederation. Explain how their clues differ.

Check your reasoning

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Take it further

New card: “A card identifies a 1776 declaration of political separation.” Match it with a note, then point to or say the words that helped. Check: The card says: “A card identifies a 1776 declaration of political separation.” That matches Declaration of Independence. Declaration of Independence is the 1776 announcement of separation from Britain.

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