A NEW NATION
INTERNET SCAVENGER
HUNT
Click on the blue
highlighted links to travel to sites where you will find answers to the
questions below. If there is no highlighted link in the question, the answer can
be found at the site of the previously highlighted link.
OUR EARLY GOVERNMENT
1.
Before the Constitution was drafted, a document called The Articles
of Confederation was in effect.
A. On what
date were the Articles adopted?
B. On what
date did the Articles become operative?
2. What did the Articles
establish between and among the 13 states?
3. Under the Articles, for
what 3 things was Congress responsible?
4. List 3 things the Articles did
not allow Congress to do.
Read the article on Daniel
Shays in order to get a background for the following
questions.
5. Shays' Rebellion made leaders of our nation stand
up and take notice. The
Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held to make the Articles of
Confederation better and stronger. The members of the Convention instead decided
to draft a new constitution.
A. How many
states had to approve this constitution before it went into
affect?
B. How many states ended up
ratifying it?
6. Which states
were the first 5 to ratify the Constitution? (hint: You will have to scroll down
and read carefully to find these!Keyword: Ratification)
7. Which was the
ninth state to ratify the Constitution?
8. Which were the last two states
to ratify the Constitution?
9. Why were some people against ratifying
the Constitution?
10. In order to avoid any violation of certain civil
rights, the First Congress of the United States introduced 12 amendments to the
constitution. Amendments 3
- 12 were accepted and became known as the
___________ ____________________________________.
OUR GOVERNMENT TODAY
The
basis of early government having been formed, the document known as the
Constitution has been the law of our land for over 200 years. Still today, there
is a system which allows for the division of duties within our government.
Answer the following questions on the branches of government we know
today.
11. So that no one branch of government has too much power, a
system of checks and balances is in place. One branch checks another in their
duties.
Take a look at a chart of the three branches to familiarize yourself with them.
Now, list the branch that checks the following
duties:
(You need to read carefully - the answers are not as plainly given as they could be!)
A. Create and pass legislation
____________________________________
B. Appoint Federal judges
____________________________________
C. Declare laws unconstitutional
__________________________________
Copyright 1998
Jan Purnell
Permission granted to reproduce only for use in the
classroom.