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4th grade · Social Studies · Unit 5 of 12

Building a Government

The Articles, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

What your child practices

Why the Articles of Confederation were replaced, Shays' Rebellion and the Constitutional Convention's compromises, the three branches of government, the Bill of Rights and how amendments change the Constitution.

Alabama Course of Study content standard: 4.7 · the road to the Constitution, the three branches of government, the Bill of Rights and the amendment process

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The Articles of Confederation made a weak government that could not collect taxes.
  2. After Shays’ Rebellion, leaders wrote the Constitution, with three branches and compromises.
  3. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments. An amendment is a change to the Constitution.

Example: What is an amendment? The Constitution can be changed. Each change or addition is an amendment. Answer: a change or addition to the Constitution

Building a Government in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 5 of 12 in 4th grade Social Studies, after The American Revolution and before The Federal Road & the Creek War.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    The Bill of Rights was added in…

    • 1776
    • 1865
    • 1791

  2. Question 2

    The Bill of Rights is…

    • the Declaration of Independence
    • the first ten amendments to the Constitution
    • a list of taxes

  3. Question 3

    The judicial branch, the courts,…

    • collects taxes
    • leads the army
    • decides what laws mean
    • makes laws

  4. Question 4

    Changing the Constitution is hard on purpose: an amendment needs approval from three-fourths of the…

    • judges
    • states
    • cities
    • presidents

  5. Question 5

    Why does the government collect taxes?

    • to pay for services like defense, roads and courts
    • to punish people
    • for no reason

  6. Question 6

    The first plan of government for the United States was the…

    • Articles of Confederation
    • Bill of Rights
    • Mayflower Compact
    • Declaration of Independence

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