Buffet-style usability

Like a buffet table from which you can pick and choose your meal, depending on what you like and how hungry you are, the "Shaping the Constitution" was designed to be flexible to fit the preferences of different teachers. You can choose the level of reliance you will place on the Web portal. Perhaps all you need is a single high-quality image of a document to illustrate your lesson, while another teacher might use the background essays as a quick refresher before teaching a lesson. Someone else may choose to use an entire lesson plan, while another teacher will just incorporate aspects of the plan into his or her existing plan.

The essays included on the portal are written for a general-reading audience. These essays will help to place the documents in their proper context, while explaining their importance to the history of both the United States and Virginia. In contrast to information found on Wikipedia-style sites, these essays were written by scholars, reviewed by experts on the subjects, and extensively checked by professional researchers. They are ideal resources for educators as they prepare to introduce the primary sources to their students. For older, higher-functioning students, these essays may become a part of the lesson in their own right.

The fully developed lesson plans and activities included on the portal were created in consultation with the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) advisors to guide educators on the best ways to use the primary sources on the portal as central instructional pieces in their classrooms

Each unit explores a different aspect of American history as it relates to the development of the United States Constitution. Navigation through the portal can be directed through the table of contents for each unit, thematically through the search page, or from links within the entries.

Within each unit you will find:

 •An overview essay

 •Individual entries on each primary source

 •Biographical profiles of key individuals

 •Lesson plans

 •Video commentary by Library of Virginia staff members discussing the significance of some of the resources (forthcoming)

Special Feature: The "For Educators" Icon:

The "Shaping the Constitution" Web portal includes special features designed specifically for educators. On each unit page, clicking the "For Educators" icon will reveal the lesson plans correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning and the National History Standards and developed for that unit, which are presented as PDF packages. On the entry page, clicking the "For Educators" icon will reveal two sets of questions that educators can use to explore the document with their students.

The types of documents featured include:

 •Handwritten letters

 •Official government documents, such as journal entries, official correspondence, commissions, warrants, and petitions

 •Broadsides showing political cartoons and public announcements

 •Historical newspapers

 •Maps

 •Paintings, sculptures, and photographs of key players and significant events

Each document is represented in an entry that includes:

 •A high-resolution image that provides for detailed exploration

 •Full-text transcription of the document

 •An interpretive essay

 •Full citation

 •Suggestions for further reading

 •Two sets of questions for higher and lower abilities

Subscribe to our Online Classroom RSS feed to get updates on changes to "Shaping the Constitution" and other educational offerings from the Library of Virginia, by clicking the RSS icon located at the top right of the page.

Perhaps one of the most critical educational values of the Web portal is its strong connection to the instructional standards and framework outlined by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) in its Standards of Learning (SOL) for History and Social Science. The Lesson plans included are based on some of the best instructional models for incorporating primary sources and correlated to both the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and the National Center for History in the Schools' (NCHS) Standards for Historical Thinking, as central elements in the classroom curriculum. The portal uses the "Teaching for Understanding" model developed by Dr. Mary McFarland. The goal is to provide educators with all the necessary resources and tools needed to employ successfully the documents available at the "Shaping the Constitution" Web portal as a part of their teaching strategies.

Thoughtful, well-developed lesson plans are a critical piece of that package. The portal offers resources that directly correlate to essential content knowledge for the Revolutionary and Founding Eras. In addition to the subject knowledge, the Library of Virginia and Library of Congress documents address a key skill requirement outlined by the VDOE—the ability to identify and interpret primary source documents.

Lessons available for the "Becoming Free and Independent States" Unit include:

"Declaration of Independence; the Unanimous Declaration of Our Classroom"

Virginia Standards of Learning: VS.1 (d, e), VS.5 (a), USI.1 (a, b), USI.6 (a, b, c), VUS.1 (a), VUS.4 (b), GOVT.2(a)
National History Standards: 1A and 1B

"Freedom is Worth Fighting For—Billy and James"

Virginia Standards of Learning: VS.1 (d, e), VS.5 (b)
National History Standards: 2C (7–12)
Standards in Historical Thinking - Historical Analysis and Interpretation

Download the "Becoming Free and Independent States" Lesson Plans (217 KB)

Lessons and resources available for the "Forming a More Perfect Union" Unit include:

"'We, the People v. We, the States': The Virginia Ratifying Convention"

Virginia Standards of Learning: USI.7 (a, b), CE.6 (a-d), VUS.1 (h), VUS.5 (a, b, d)
National History Standards: 3A (9–12)

"Meet the Past - Debating Ratification in Virginia"

Virginia Standards of Learning: USI.7 (a, b), CE.6 (a-d), VUS.1 (h), VUS.5 (a, b, d)
National History Standards: 3A (9–12)

"Taking Sides—Washington, Mason, Madison, and the United States Constitution"

Virginia Standards of Learning: USI.7 (a, b), VUS.1 (h), VUS.5 (a, b, d)
National History Standards: 3A (9–12)

Resource: Excerpts from the Virginia Ratifying Convention (By Subject and by Speaker)

Resource: "'We, the People v. We, the States': The Virginia Ratifying Convention" Middle School Script

Resource: "'We, the People v. We, the States': The Virginia Ratifying Convention" High School Script

Download the "Forming a More Perfect Union" Lesson Plans (506 KB)

Download the "Securing the Blessings of Liberty" Lesson Plans (111 KB)

Review the "Shaping the Constitution" Web portal. Peruse the site. Study how the portal is structured, and the documents included in the three units—"Becoming Free and Independent States," "Making a More Perfect Union," and "Securing Our Rights." Use the overview essays, historical backgrounds, and biographies to refresh yourself on the content and context.

Identify the primary source that will best complement your classroom instruction. There are a variety of documents and images from which you can select. What would best make your point? Another factor in selecting a resource is the age and ability of your students. Many of the manuscript items are difficult to read because they are handwritten. Further, many feature complex language that will be difficult for some students to comprehend. For younger students, consider using portraits or sculptures from the Library of Virginia's Art Collection. Older students in the elementary grades should be able to appreciate manuscript items that are shorter in length. Middle and high school students, on the other hand, may be able to handle multiple related documents. When using multiple documents, think about the interplay between the items, what stories they tell, and what questions you can use to drive the discussion.

Download or print your image or document. From the entry page, you can print or download documents to support your instructional and educational needs. For smaller files, right-click on the image and select "Save Background As." For larger files, right-click on the "High Res" text underneath the image, which will allow you to download a larger image file in PDF format. When using images from the "Shaping the Constitution" portal, please credit the source of the images using the citations available for each item. For a more detailed explanation of the Library of Congress's copyright policies, visit http://memory.loc.gov/learn//start/cpyrt/index.html.

Investigate and analyze. The wonderful thing about using primary sources in the classroom is that they allow students to engage with history by using and developing their powers of analysis and inquiry. At the start of an exercise, allow students to examine and study the primary source, making educated guesses about its origins, audience, and purpose. Who is the author? When was it written/printed/painted? Why was it created? Who is the intended audience? This line of questioning also requires students to reference their prior knowledge on the subject.

For further analysis, there are very useful analysis tools available from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Written Document Analysis Tool

Map Analysis Tool

Cartoon Analysis Tool

Build on inquiry. Once students have had an opportunity to inspect and learn more about the primary source, with guidance from the instructor, they can begin to place it into its proper context, and to ask more questions about its meaning and intent. This is the point at which the instructor can begin to introduce new information or ask students to reflect on prior knowledge. How might the primary source confirm, or conflict with, what they thought they knew about a historical topic? What new insight is gained from this source? Each document has "Questions for Consideration" that are available for each item; these may be good starting points for your discussions. These can typically be answered by examining the document alone. The other questions—"For Further Discussion"—are designed to be more complex, and also bring into consideration related documents.

Consider using our lesson plans. Each unit includes lesson plans that provide a more detailed outline of activities that can be used in classroom instruction. These often include graphic organizers, vocabulary lists, and other instructional resources. The lessons are correlated to both the Virginia Standards of Learning and the National History Standards, and they apply the "Teaching for Understanding" model for inquiry-based learning. These lesson plans can be modified or expanded to meet the needs of your students.