1. Warm up Activity: On you laptop, log into www.quia.com
Make sure to click on the “Class Web Page”
Complete the first activity,
Quiz_Ch 4_Constitutional Convention.
You many only use your Vocabulary Foldable from yesterday….

2. Note Page 15 “The Constitution”
Chapter 4
Note Page 15
“The Constitution”

3. Preamble
-An Introduction
-Gives the purposes and goals of government
-We, the people of the United States, in Order to from a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

4. The Preamble Cont’d. States six purposes of government:
–“To form a more perfect Union”
–“To establish Justice”
–“To insure domestic Tranquility”
–“To provide for the common defense”
–“To promote the general Welfare”
–“To secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”

5. Parts of the Constitution
Objective:
I will be able to explain the structure of the U.S. Constitution

6. Purpose of the Constitution
Framework for government
Highest law in the nation

7. Constitution as a Framework
The powers of all branches come from the Constitution.
3 main parts:
Preamble
7 Articles (main sections)
27 Amendments (changes)

8. Article 1
-Describes the Congress and its powers (Legislative Branch)
-Divides Congress into two Houses
-Sets qualification and terms of members (age, and how long serve)
-Describes law making process
-Delegates certain powers to Congress
Ex.: taxation, borrow money, regulate commerce, coin money, declare war, establish military, do anything “necessary and proper”

9. Article 2
-Describes the Executive Branch (President/Vice Pres.)
-Term and Qualifications
-Electoral method described (later amended)
-commander in chief
-make treaties, appoint officials upon approval
-Execute the laws of the United States (Enforces Laws)
-Impeachment process

10. Article 3
-Describes the Judicial Branch (Judges)
-Term and qualification of judges
-Jurisdiction of Federal Courts (which cases they can hear)
-Right to Trial by Jury in Federal Cases
-Crime of Treason is defined

11. Article 4
-Describes the relationship of states to one another and the central government
-Full Faith and Credit clause describes the legal relationship between states (all states must respect another’s laws!!)
-Extradition process described
-One nation or state surrenders a criminal to another
-Addition of new states and territories
-Guarantee of Federal protection from invaders

12. Our Three Branches of Gov’t

13. Checks and Balances:

14. Article 5
-Describes the amendment process (making a change to Constituion)
-sets up the two methods of proposing an amendment
1.Proposed by 2/3 of Congress
2. Proposed by Convention
-never used
-sets up the two methods of ratifying a new amendment
1.3/4 State Convention (1x)
2. 3/4 State Legislature

15. Article 6
-Describes the supremacy of the Constitution and the national government
-Statement that the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the nation
(Supremacy Clause)= Federal law is higher than State law!
-requirement of an oath of office in all State and Federal positions to support the Constitution

16. Article 7
-Describes the process of ratification of this Constitution
-Set up the approval method for the Constitution
-Needed 9 of 13 states to approve it

17. Your Assignment:
Complete the “Anatomy of the Constitution Worksheet” as a review.
This is a grade, you must complete it on your own.
It is found under the CLASS WEB PAGE on
Worksheet_Anatomy of the Constitution