Constitution Day Presentation

Full Answer Section

• It consists of seven articles and 27 amendments
• The articles establish the three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
• The amendments guarantee certain rights to the people, such as freedom of speech and religion

The Rationale to create the United State Constitution

• The Founding Fathers created the Constitution because they were unhappy with the Articles of Confederation
• The Articles of Confederation gave too much power to the states and not enough power to the federal government
• This led to a weak central government that was unable to solve problems such as the national debt and interstate trade

The Primary ‘Architect’ of the Constitution

• The primary architect of the Constitution was James Madison
• Madison was a Virginia delegate to the Constitutional Convention
• He played a key role in drafting the Constitution and getting it ratified

The Powers of Congress

• Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government
• It has the power to make laws, declare war, raise taxes, and borrow money
• Congress also has the power to appoint federal judges and ambassadors

The Powers of the President

• The President is the executive branch of the United States government
• He is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces
• He also has the power to veto laws passed by Congress
• The President can also make treaties with foreign countries, but these treaties must be ratified by the Senate

The Powers of Judiciary

• The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States
• It has the power to interpret the Constitution
• The Supreme Court can also strike down laws that it finds to be unconstitutional

The Concept of ‘Limited Government’

• The Constitution establishes a limited government
• This means that the government is not all-powerful
• The government has only the powers that are specifically granted to it by the Constitution

Federalism

• The United States is a federal government
• This means that power is shared between the federal government and the state governments
• The federal government has certain powers that it can exercise over all of the states
• The state governments have certain powers that they can exercise within their own borders

The System of Checks and Balances

• The Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances
• This system prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful
• The legislative branch can check the power of the executive branch by refusing to pass laws
• The executive branch can check the power of the legislative branch by vetoing laws
• The judicial branch can check the power of the legislative and executive branches by striking down laws that it finds to be unconstitutional

The Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution
• It guarantees certain rights to the people, such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly
• The Bill of Rights is one of the most important parts of the Constitution

The Constitutional Amendment Process

• The Constitution can be amended through a two-step process
• First, a proposed amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress
• Second, the proposed amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states

Speaker Notes

• The Constitution is a living document that has been amended 27 times since it was first ratified in 1788.
• The amendments have been added to the Constitution to reflect the changing needs of the American people.
• The Constitution is a symbol of our democracy and our commitment to the rule of law.
• It is important to learn about the Constitution so that we can understand how our government works and how we can participate in the political process.

I hope this presentation is informative and engaging for students in grades 6-8. The speaker notes are designed to provide additional information and context for the slides. I encourage students to ask questions and discuss the Constitution with their classmates and teachers.

Sample Answer

Title Slide

• The United States Constitution
• A presentation about the basic structure and core tenets of the United States Constitution
• Presented by Bard

Basic Structure of the Constitution

• The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States
• It was written in 1787 by the Founding Fathers