This bundle of resources has everything you need for an engaging, hands-on lesson on the Articles of Confederation, perfect for a middle or high school Civics, American Government, or American History class. The Articles of Confederation Article & Activity Set contains a 2-page reading passage, a review, an organizational chart, a creative Shays’ Rebellion newspaper article project, and an enriching From the Articles to the Constitution comparison activity. You also get the Articles of Confederation Tombstone project, a creative culminating activity in which students eulogize the dearly departed Articles. There are lots of opportunities in this bundle for kids to think critically and creatively, engaging their reading comprehension, application, and their imaginations!
Aligned to the Florida State Standard for Middle School Civics, SS.7.CG.1.7: Articles of Confederation, this bundle includes:
✯ Articles of Confederation Article & Activities | for Civics & American History
- 2-Page Reading Passage covering the Articles of Confederation (what were they, why did they fail) and Shays’ Rebellion. Can be read with your students (I suggest underlining key concepts and highlighting vocabulary as you go!) or given as independent reading!
- Article Review that covers comprehension of key concepts. What system of government were the Articles of Confederation? What branch of government did the Articles have in charge?
- Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Organizational Chart. Students fill in a chart listing the various weaknesses of the Articles, explaining each weaknesses’ consequence.
- Shays’ Rebellion Newspaper Project. Students pretend they’re reporters for the Colonial Times and report on Shays’ Rebellion. They have to come up with a catchy headline, draw and caption an illustration, and fill out the blank newspaper template with a short article describing the who, what, when, where, and why of this farmers’ revolt.
- From the Articles to the Constitution Comparison Activity. Students determine which weaknesses of the Articles were corrected by various excerpts from the United States Constitution. A great way to make connections between difficult historical documents!
✯ Articles of Confederation Tombstones | Project for Civics & American History
- Using a provided template and rubric, students create a tombstone for the dearly departed Articles of Confederation, including an epitaph, summary of the life the Articles lived, cause(s) of death (the various weaknesses), and what came next.
- Students can demonstrate their comprehension of what they have learned through this fun creative project!
- Looks great on a bulletin board!
The resources in this bundle are presented as non-editable printable PDFs and include Answer Keys. There are also digital versions available through TPT Easel, which can be assigned directly to Google Classroom or shared with your students via a link!
What other teachers are saying about this resource:
“Awesome activity”
This was an awesome activity for my students. The reading passage was a really great resource for the packet. The students fully understood what was expected from them and they learned a lot. I used the tombstone as a project grade and they loved it. Some of them struggled with the creative aspect of it, but most of them did very well.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Emma C.
“Excellent activities”
Excellent activities and great way to complement our unit on these topics. Student produced great projects and did a great job on these activities.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Karen H.
“Great literacy passages”
This is such a great resource. Easy for my students to comprehend and process. Great literacy passages and questioning as well!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Carole W. P.
More Happy Teacher Products You Might Enjoy:
✩ Escape from King George! Causes of the American Revolution Escape Room
✩ The Colonists’ Library | Foundations of Government: Influential Documents
✩ Understanding the Declaration of Independence | Civics & American History
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