This is lesson 1 of 6 in the text unit series for Father of the Constitution, A Story about James Madison by Barbara Mitchell. In this lesson, students will be engaged in learning about national and state symbols. In small groups, students will compare the national and state seals, the national and state songs, and the national and state preambles to their constitutions. The groups will use a graphic organizer to identify relevant details and summarize the information they learned from comparing and contrasting each item. Groups will present their findings to the group. The lesson will conclude with a group discussion about whether the school and the class have similar items to compare.

This unit of study is about the Father of the Constitution, James Madison. Through this unit, students will follow the life of James Madison, creating a timeline of events that led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the democratic government system still in use today. Students will research, develop an argumentative debate, and vote as they read the text. Students will realize that this process prepared Madison for the writing of the U.S. Constitution. Students will engage in the expository writing process to construct a Classroom Constitution that aligns with the school’s vision and mission statements.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.