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Articles of Confederation

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Essential Questions:

  • What was the challenge facing the United States at the beginning of 1787?  
  • How did the Articles of Confederation limit the effectiveness of the new government?  
  • How did the Constitution address those challenges?  

Objectives: 

  • Students will identify necessary powers for an effective government. 
  • Students will identify the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. 
  • Students will compare the government created by the Articles of Confederation with the government created by the Constitution. 

Materials: 

Anticipate:  

  • Think, turn, talk: In your opinion, what are three or four major purposes of government? What would happen if a government could not do one or more of these things?  

Engage:  

  • Transition: The national government created under the Articles of Confederation frustrated many of the Founders. As we watch the following video, make a list of what was not working (or was not working well) under the Articles

Scaffolding note: Students may also read this essay in addition to or in place of the video 

  • Have students share their lists of issues with the Articles with a partner. Ask students to rank which problems they think would be the most important to solve, then have them explain their thinking.  

Scaffolding note: This can be done in small groups or as a whole class discussion depending on the classroom situation. 

Explore: 

  • Distribute the handout comparing the Articles and the Constitution.  
  • Scaffolding note: There are two versions of this handout. Version 1 provides a summary of the powers of the Articles and the Constitution, and Version 2 provides excerpts from the text of the two documents.  
  • After reviewing the handout, students can work individually or collaboratively to compare the two documents given the prompts of their handout. You may wish to have students create Venn diagrams on poster paper that can be displayed throughout the room.  

Assess and Reflect: 

  • Have students respond to the closing prompts on their graphic organizer in a class discussion or as an individual reflection:  
  • Which of these documents better equips the government to carry out the purposes of government? Explain.  
  • What Founding principles were included in the creation of the Constitution that were missing from the Articles of Confederation? Choose at least two to discuss.  
  • How did the Constitution solve the problems of the Articles of Confederation?    

Extend: 

Use one or more of the following activities with your students, or allow them to choose: 

  • Political Cartoon: Ask students to create a political cartoon about one of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. 
  • Letter to the Editor: Ask students to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper from the perspective of an American living during the time of the Articles of Confederation. Students should include their view of the Articles of Confederation and what should be done about it.