We The People

Project Summary
We the People originated in Barbara Hughe's eighth grade social studies class in Oceanside, California. Students from each period wrote class preambles and exchanged with other students around the country and world. Completed problems were exchanged and displayed in classrooms.

Suggested Grade Level and Audience
7th through 8th

Estimated Time Required
2-4 weeks

Student Learning Objectives

• To work in cooperative groups on a class project
• To teach the Preamble of the United States Constitution
• To create awareness of the rules and order of ones classroom and school
• To practice writing, editing, and revising.
• To reinforce word-processing skills.
• To communicate with a distant audience.
• To engage in an electronic transfer of information.

Writing Prompt

Choose a sister school on a telecommunications network and share class Preambles. Post all exchanged preambles around the room.

Name of Class
Name of School
City, State, Country

Assignment
In small groups, decide what to fill in the copy change assignment below. This is the preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America with certain words left out. Your job is to make your own classroom preambles using some of the words from the original.

We the students of _______________, in order to forma a more perfect ___________________, establish __________________, insure ___________, provide for ____________________, promote the ______________________ to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the________ .

Example
We the students of Mrs. Jones' fifth period social studies class, in order to form a more perfect learning environment, establish goals for outstanding scholarship, work habits, and citizenship, insure that the teacher will give no homework assignments on Fridays, provide for Friday Fun Days when we reach our goals, promote a huge party at the end of the school year when all of us pass the Constitution test, do ordain and establish this constitution for the rest of the school year.