Student Resources

• Paper and writing utensil  

Teacher Resources 

• Video Link

Anticipate 

• Introduce that the class will be watching a short video about the “Articles of Confederation.  
  • Break down the title by asking students to define the words “article” and “confederation.”  
  • Ask: Have you seen the word “article” before? Where? 
    • Possible student responses: Newspaper articles, magazine articles, sections in a document. 
    • Explain that an article can mean a written section of a document or a piece of writing about a topic. 
  • Ask: Have you heard the word “confederation” before? What do you think it means? 
    • Break it down: 
    • Confed- comes from the Latin word confoederatus, meaning “joined together.” 
    • Confederation – A group of states or nations that agree to work together. 
  • Relate to today: Can you think of any modern examples of confederations? (e.g., European Union, sports leagues, alliances) 
  • Ask: Based on what we discussed, what do you think “Articles of Confederation” means? 
    • Possible student responses: A written agreement that joins states together. 
  • Preview some key vocabulary and terms. Remind students to listen for these words in the video.  
    • Separation of powers: Each division of government exercises distinct powers to carry out its functions and to prevent the accumulation of power. 
    • Checks and balances: The branches of government each have powers to limit the powers of the other branches and to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. 
    • Federalism: The national and state governments have a balance of separate and shared powers. The people delegate certain powers to the national government, while the states retain other powers; and the people retain all powers not delegated to the governing bodies. 

Scaffolding Note: If any words are used in the video and the student does not know them, instruct them to write the words down so you can define them after the video. 

Engage 

• Have students write the essential question at the top of their page:
  “What were the primary problems faced by the United States under the Articles of Confederation?” 
• Then, have them fold their paper in half vertically (hotdog style) for note taking: 
  • Left side: List weaknesses or problems of the Articles of Confederation. 
  • Right side: Take notes, draw diagrams, or jot down questions. 

Explore 

• After watching the video, ask students to review the notes they took. Then have them discuss any key points or questions with a partner.  
• You may help guide discussions with the following questions:   
  • What were the biggest challenges under the Articles of Confederation? 
  • How did the Articles limit the power of the national government? 
  • Why were the states given so much power? 
  • What problems did the weak national government create? 
  • How did these weaknesses lead to the creation of the Constitution? 

Reflection 

• Depending on the skills and needs of students, use the following reflection strategies.  
  • Ask students to pretend they are explaining the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation to a younger student. Have them write down a 1-minute speech in their own words.  
  • Ask students to sketch a quick picture or symbol that depicts the failures of the Articles of Confederation.  
    • Examples: A weak bridge collapsing (representing a weak government); a tug-of-war between states (representing lack of unity); or, a box with missing pieces (representing incomplete government structure).