During our Vanguard year 2013-2014 in Layton, we used the book "Promises of the Constitution" by Pam Openshaw for part of our Leadership Academy curriculum. I really love this book! It is filled with short, 2 page vignettes that make understanding the writing of the Constitution, what it says and what our country has done with/to it so much easier. When I started my own Vanguard group for the 2014-2015 school year in south Utah County, I decided to use this book again, with the new set of youth.
During a Vanguard school year, we have Leadership Academy once a month, for 7 months. Here are some ideas of how I've used the book to teach government to youth.
For an overview of the Vanguard method, you can read about it here. But for our purposes here, I will quickly explain. The youth do the reading and "inspirements" ahead of time and bring what they've learned to class to share with each other. As the mentor, I provide simulations and activities to tie together what they've learned and help them understand it better or at a deeper level.
I used more than just "Promises of the Constitution" to teach my government class. You can find everything that I asked them to read/learn at our blog, here. Look for the Journeyman classes in the 2014-2015 school year.
Month 1
Reading:
“Promises of the Constitution.” preface, prologue and p.93-121. Write one or more sentences at the end of each mini chapter that summarizes the main point.
Inspirements: (they choose 1 or 2 or these to do)
- “The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see...that God governs in the affairs of men...I...believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.” - Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention. Find 5 scriptures that back up this idea that God prepared this land and these men to create our country and Constitution. Think about ways you can better obey the laws of the land and be a better citizen. Set a goal and write a plan of how you can accomplish it. Bring your plan to class.
- Imagine you are one of the Founding Fathers – How do you feel after writing and signing the Constitution? Write a letter home to your family to explain your feelings.
- While reading "Promises of the Constitution", choose one of those main concepts and choose a way to teach it to the class. You can use a Prezi or Power Point presentation, white board discussion, object lesson, short game or activity or simulation, or find a video online to help you teach the concept.
- Although some people may be blessed with a keen mind, most people need to put forth effort in order to improve their minds and ability to reason. In section 5.4 of “Promises of the Constitution” we read about James Madison. Daily, James Madison prepared for logical decisions during the Constitutional Convention by sitting in the front center and taking many notes. Read Romans 12:2 and make a list of 10 things that you can do in your life to “renew your mind” daily and keep your heart turned to God. (Some could include cleaning up their space, organizing, getting rid of a bad habit like foul language, reading your scriptures, etc) Choose one of those things to work on this week and come prepared to class to share your experience.
- In “Promises of the Constitution” section 5.13 we read about Benjamin Franklin. His travels to Great Britain and France and the many years he spent there were not vacations, but business trips that involved a lot of hard work, negotiations and frustration. He served his fellow men and made many sacrifices for his country. Think of ways that someone your age can serve your country. Choose one and start to do it this week and come prepared to class to share your experience.
Class time activities:
In class I wanted them to understand why the Articles of Confederation had to be replaced. We did a simulation I found online called Articles of Confederation/Coat of Arms Activity to illustrate the point. This activity worked perfectly with our group! We went through the process of trying to create a coat of arms 3 times and they never did reach a consensus. It was awesome!
Month 2
Reading:
“Promises of the Constitution.” p. 125-157. Write one or more sentences at the end of each mini chapter that summarizes the main point.
Inspirements: (they choose 1 or 2 or these to do)
- Watch these two videos (part 1 and part 2 are 15 minutes combined) that explain the Constitution. Take notes as you watch. Come prepared to share your notes with us.
Part 1
Part 2
- Do your own research to better understand the Constitution. Write a paper to summarize what you learned. Come prepared to read the paper to the class. Or create a graphic summary, Power Point, poster or prezi of what you learned about the Constitution.
- Search for and record ten different quotes or scriptures that you think relate to the Constitution. Find a creative way to display them and come ready to share them with the class.
- Answer the following questions from Promises of the Constitution in your notebook and come prepared to share what you learned with the class.
- What ways are people are supposed to be equal and ways they aren’t. (p. 150-151).
- Draw a diagram of government’s horizontal powers and vertical powers (p. 148-149).
- Explain the what, why, and who of the Federalist Papers (p. 126-127).
- List the rights God has given us on (pages 142-143).
Class time activities:
This month I wanted the youth to understand the separation of powers between our 3 branches of government. We used a simulation called Separation of Powers: What's for Lunch? to illustrate it. It was great! It helped them understand the roll of each branch and how they interact with each other. (From the link above, click on the PDF links to open the details of the simulation.)
Month 3
Reading:
“Promises of the Constitution.” p. 173-199. Write one or more sentences at the end of each mini chapter that summarizes the main point.
Inspirements: (they choose 1 or 2 or these to do)
- In "Promises of the Constitution" 9.1 the author describes six claims to the right of self-government (which are found in the Preamble to the Constitution). Of those six, which is the most important to you personally, and why? Find a creative way to teach the class about that claim and why it's so important to you and what you can do to defend it. Bring it to class to share.
- We read this month in "Promises of the Constitution" about the importance of having balance in government. Create an acrostic (find out how, here) for the word balance. Bring it to class to share.
- In "Promises of the Constitution" 9.10 we learn about our government borrowing money. "It is our constitutional birthright to enjoy a sound economy and a stable money system. Our personal actions can help. Each of us can discipline ourselves, eliminate personal debt, and demand legislative accountability. We can petition God's help to reduce our indebtedness. We need not do this alone." The author describes being in debt as being "in bondage" or "in chains". Find 5 quotes from General Authorities and 5 scriptures that talk to us about being in debt. Is debt a good thing or a bad thing? Do you agree that debt is "bondage"? Journal your answer for 10 minutes. Bring your quotes, scriptures and opinion to class to share.
- Answer the following questions from "Promises of the Constitution":
--In the original Constitution which was the only branch of government
authorized to create laws? Is that the way it is today?
--In what year were several amendments added to the Constitution
that changed the structure of power and money in our national government?
--Explain the before and after of the 17th Amendment.
What negative side effects has it caused?
--Explain the before and after of the 16th Amendment.
--Before 1913 Congress coined and regulated money. To whom did
they give that power? What things happened because of that change?
Class time activities:
This month I wanted the youth to better understand the balance of powers between the 3 branches of government. I found a simulation activity called Balancing Three Branches and used activities 3 and 4.
Month 4
Reading:
“Promises of the Constitution.” Chapters 8 and 10
Inspirements: (they choose 1 or 2 or these to do)
- In chapter 10.3 of "Promises of the Constitution" we read about the way the Electoral College was set up by the Founders. Imagine that you have been chosen as an elector and must select two people to nominate for president of the United States. Write at least 1 paragraph explaining at least three characteristics you are looking for in a good president. Why are these characteristics important to you?
- In chapter 10.8 we read about the steps that have to be taken to amend (change, alter or add to) the Constitution. Change can be good - but what happens is there is too much change? Describe what your life would be like if you moved to a new house every month, or if you got new parents every year, or if the days of the week changed around frequently. Choose one of these situation, or come up with one of your own, and explain in at least 1 paragraph the negative effects of this change. How uncertain would life be with these unnecessary changes? How does this apply to changes made to the Constitution? Is the Constitution strengthened or weakened when tampered with too much?
- In order to expect the leaders of our nation to be responsible in their spending, we as citizens, must also be responsible with our personal spending. Prepare a FHE for your family on responsible money management. You can find quite a few resources at LDS.org if you search for "money management". You can also use any other resourced you find. Be prepared to teach the class a short FHE on what you presented to your family.
Class time activities:
We did this simulation to better understand the Electoral College.
Month 5
Reading:
1 – Read the Constitution of the United States of America.
2 – Read: “Promises of the Constitution.” Chapter 11. Write one or more sentences at the end of each mini chapter that summarizes the main point.
Inspirements:
Choose 3 of the following to think about and journal on for 15 minutes each:
- Why do you think God cares about governments?
- Because freedom of religion was placed first in the Bill of Rights, this would indicate that religious freedom was of greatest importance to the Founding Fathers and the people. Why was freedom of religion so important to the people back then and why is it important to us now?
- What can a US citizen today do to make his opinions known to the local and national government?
- George Mason, one of our Founding Fathers, said that the best way for any government to enslave its people is to disarm them. Why does he compare disarmament to enslavement?
- Look up synonyms for “enslave” and determine if you can find similarities between enslavement and not being able to defend oneself.
- There are some people who believe that we have no need for privacy if we are doing nothing wrong. Do you believe this is true? Why or why not?
- If a person is guilty of committing a crime, why should he still have the right to be heard, treated fairly and receive justice?
- US citizens have the ability to prevent power-hungry individuals from usurping our rights. Three ways to do so include voting on Election Day, expressing your opinions to your local representatives, and staying informed. Describe how each of these three actions can prevent our rights from being usurped.
- Should government compel – or force – a person to do what is right? Why or why not?
Class time activities:
We played the game "Constitution Quest" to test their knowledge and understanding of the Constitution.
Month 6
Reading:
This month we didn't do any readings in "Promises of the Constitution". We visited our state legislature.
Inspirements:
The did all of the following before our trip to the legislature:
- Watch the Schoolhouse Rock video "I'm Just a Bill"
- Visit the government website for the Utah legislature. Visit the web site and answer the following questions: (Spend at least 30 minutes on the website exploring.)
1. Who are my representatives? (see legislators section)
2. What bills might be discussed during our visit? (see Bills section)
3. Pick one section in the legislative guide tab that looks interesting to you and
read it.
- Think about and journal for 10 minutes on the following questions:
- How does the government impact your life?
- How do you know if a bill is a good bill or not?
- What part will you play in shaping the future government of our state and
country?
- What can you do to be involved now?
Month 7
Reading:
“Promises of the Constitution.” pages 264-312. Write one or more sentences at the end of each mini chapter that summarizes the main point.
Inspirements: (they choose 1 or 2 or these to do)
- Create an acrostic for the words “moral leader”. Remember to use words, phrases or sentences that describe what moral leaders are or what moral leaders can do for their country.
- Do a word study on “apathy”. What is an antonym, or opposite, for apathy? Come to class prepared to discuss it.
- Read the story of Esther that is found in the Bible. Mordecai's question, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” was an expression of faith in God's plan for Esther and the Jews. Make a list of things that you can do to strengthen your faith to the point that you will be ready and willing to accept God's call to action in your life. Bring your list to class to share.
Class time activities:
We played the game of "Life" with modern situations thrown in. For example:
- pay taxes
- serve on jury duty
- attend college for free on a government grant
- quit your job and live off welfare (all other players pay this player's paydays)
- etc.
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