Posted: September 19th, 2023

Constitution Day Presentation

Constitution Day Presentation

Paper instructions:
Part I Instructions

Create a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation with 13 slides, providing information about the United States Constitution. to educate a group of students or adults about the core tenets listed below for an upcoming Constitution Day celebration in a school setting.
You may select a grade level 1-12, teachers, or parents as your audience. Please specify your intended audience and include other pertinent information within the speaker notes. Your presentation should be engaging and appropriate for your chosen audience.
Include speaker notes below each content-related slide that represent what would be said if giving the presentation in person. Expand upon the information included in the slide and do not simply restate it. Please ensure the speaker notes include a minimum of 50-100 words in your speaker notes per slide.
Provide slides on the following topics:
Title Slide
Basic Structure of the Constitution
The Rationale to create the United State Constitution
The Primary ‘Architect’ of the Constitution
The Powers of Congress
The Powers of the President
The Powers of Judiciary
The Concept of ‘Limited Government’
Federalism
The System of Checks and Balances
The Bill of Rights
The Constitutional Amendment Process
Reference Slide
While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Rubric Criteria

Speaker notes
15 points

Audience, Engagement, Content, and Language
15 points

Slide 1:
Title Slide
Constitution Day Presentation
[No speaker notes]
Slide 2:
Basic Structure of the Constitution
The Constitution is divided into a preamble and 7 articles that outline the structure and powers of the federal government.
Speaker Notes: The Constitution establishes the framework for how our government functions. It is made up of a short introduction called the preamble, which states the document’s purposes. The main body then has 7 articles that lay out the 3 branches of government and how they work together to form a representative democracy.
Slide 3:

The Rationale to Create the United States Constitution
The Articles of Confederation proved too weak, so delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 to draft a new governing document with a stronger central government. (History.com Staff, 2010)
Speaker Notes: After gaining independence from Britain, the original governing document called the Articles of Confederation left the national government too weak. It couldn’t collect taxes or regulate trade between the states. So leaders like George Washington called for a convention to draft a new Constitution that balanced state and federal power in a more effective way.
Slide 4:
The Primary ‘Architect’ of the Constitution
James Madison is considered the primary author and architect of the U.S. Constitution. He drafted most of the Virginia Plan, which served as the basis for constitutional discussions. (Kurland & Lerner, 1987)
Speaker Notes: One of the key figures at the Constitutional Convention was James Madison. As a delegate from Virginia, he had extensively studied forms of government and carefully prepared proposals for how to structure the new national government. His “Virginia Plan” served as the starting point for much of the debate and he took extensive notes during the convention, so historians consider him the primary author and architect of the final Constitution.
Slide 5:
The Powers of Congress
Congress has specifically enumerated powers listed in Article I, Section 8 including the powers to tax, spend, regulate interstate commerce, and declare war. (U.S. Constitution)
Speaker Notes: Article I of the Constitution establishes Congress as the legislative branch and gives it most of the federal government’s lawmaking authority. Section 8 lists 17 specific powers granted to Congress. Some of the key ones are the powers to tax citizens and spend tax revenue, regulate trade between states, and declare war. This ensures Congress has authority over important national issues while reserving other powers to the states or people.
Slide 6:
The Powers of the President
The president is head of the executive branch and has powers listed in Article II including serving as commander-in-chief of the military, making treaties, and appointing judges and ambassadors. (U.S. Constitution)
Speaker Notes: Article II establishes the presidency and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the executive branch. Key among the president’s powers are serving as commander-in-chief over the armed forces, conducting foreign policy by making treaties and appointing ambassadors, and nominating federal judges and other officials subject to Senate approval. This gives the president authority over national security and foreign affairs.
Slide 7:
The Powers of the Judiciary

Article III created the Supreme Court and federal court system with the power of judicial review to determine the constitutionality of laws. (Liptak, 2015)
Speaker Notes: The third branch of government established in Article III is the judiciary. Headed by the Supreme Court, the federal courts have the critical power of judicial review – the ability to examine laws and strike them down if they are ruled unconstitutional. This system of checks and balances ensures no one branch can exceed its authority and that all laws comply with the highest law of the land – the U.S. Constitution.
Slide 8:
The Concept of ‘Limited Government’
The Constitution establishes a federal government of limited and enumerated powers, reserving all other authority to the states and people. (Cornell University Law School)
Speaker Notes: An important principle underlying the Constitution is that the national government would have limited, specifically defined powers while reserving broad authority to the states and citizens. This concept of limited government means the federal branches can only take actions that are directly authorized by the Constitution and no more. All other lawmaking power is left to the states and people themselves.
Slide 9:
Federalism

The Constitution established a system of dual sovereignty that divides power between the federal and state governments. (National Archives)
Speaker Notes: To balance national unity and local control, the framers developed a system called federalism. This means certain powers are granted to the federal government while others are reserved for the states. For example, national defense is a federal responsibility while public education is handled by state and local governments. Federalism allows a large, diverse country to be united under central principles while still respecting regional differences.
Slide 10:
The System of Checks and Balances
The Constitution establishes checks and balances among the 3 branches so no one part can dominate the others. (Annenberg Classroom)
Speaker Notes: To further prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, the Constitution incorporates a system of checks and balances. For example, the president can veto laws but Congress can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote. The courts can strike down laws as unconstitutional but Congress can propose amendments to change court rulings. This diffuses power and requires cooperation to govern effectively.
Slide 11:
The Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments protect individual liberties like freedoms of speech, press, religion and rights in legal proceedings. (National Archives)
Speaker Notes: While many framers felt a bill of rights was unnecessary, others pushed for more explicit protections of individual liberties. As a result, the first Congress proposed 10 amendments known as the Bill of Rights. Can anyone name some of the key rights and freedoms it protects? Things like freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, protections in criminal cases, and the right to keep and bear arms.
Slide 12:
The Constitutional Amendment Process
Article V outlines that amendments can be proposed by Congress or convention and ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures. 27 amendments have been added. (Cornell University Law School)
Speaker Notes: The framers recognized the need for the Constitution to change with the times, so Article V establishes a process for proposing and ratifying amendments. Proposals require two-thirds approval of both houses of Congress or support from two-thirds of state legislatures. Then three-fourths of the states must ratify for an amendment to be added. This high threshold ensures amendments address truly national concerns but can still adapt the Constitution over centuries.
Slide 13:
References
Annenberg Classroom. (n.d.). The Constitution: Checks and Balances. https://www.annenbergclassroom.org/glossary_term/checks-and-balances/
Cornell University Law School. (n.d.). The Constitution of the United States. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution
History.com Editors. (2010, November 9). Articles of Confederation. History. https://www.history.com/topics/early-us/articles-of-confederation
Kurland, P. B., & Lerner, R. (1987). The founders’ constitution. University of Chicago Press.

Liptak, A. (2015, June 26). A Sign of the Court’s Shift: Justices Lead From the Left. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/us/supreme-court-leading-from-left-john-roberts-antonin-scalia.html
National Archives. (n.d.). The Constitution: Federalism. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/more-perfect-union/chapter-2
U.S. Constitution. (n.d.). https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

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