Lesson Plans: Grades 6-8

The Preamble to the Constitution: A Close Reading Lesson

Created July 8, 2014


The Lesson


Preamble to the Constitution image

The first page of the United States Constitution, opening with the Preamble

Credit: Credit: National Archives

“[T]he preamble of a statute is a key to open the mind of the makers, as to the mischiefs, which are to be remedied, and the objects, which are to be accomplished by the provisions of the statute.” — Justice Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution


Gouverneur Morris, the man the Constitutional Convention entrusted with drafting the final version of the document, put into memorable language the principles of government that had been agreed upon by the framers at the Convention.

As Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story points out in the passage quoted above, the Preamble captures some of the hopes and fears of the framers for the American republic. By reading their words closely and comparing them with those of the Articles of Confederation, students can in turn access “the mind of the makers” as to “mischiefs” to be “remedied” and “objects” to be accomplished.

In this lesson, students will practice close reading and analysis of the words of the Preamble and related historic documents that illuminate the meaning of the terms and how they reflect the ideas of the framers of the Constitution about the foundation and historical aims of government.

Guiding Questions

How does the language of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution reflect historical circumstances and ideas about government?

Learning Objectives

  • Explain how the Preamble differs from, and improves upon, the statement of  purposes of the Articles of Confederation
  • Explain the source of authority and the goals of the U.S. Constitution as identified in the Preamble to the Constitution
  • Identify the fundamental values and principles expressed in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

College and Career Readiness Standards



Individual Grade





The Articles of Confederation was established in 1781 as the nation’s “first constitution.” Each state governed itself through elected representatives, and the state representatives in turn elected a central government. But the national government was so feeble and its powers so limited that this system proved unworkable. Congress could not impose taxes to cover national expenses, which meant the Confederation was ineffectual. And because all 13 colonies had to ratify amendments, one state’s refusal prevented any reform. By 1786 many far-sighted American leaders saw the need for a more powerful central authority; a convention was called to meet in Philadelphia in May 1787.

The Constitutional Convention met for four months. Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government and then, how to balance and check that power to prevent government abuse.

As debate at the Philadelphia Convention drew to a close, Gouverneur Morris was assigned to the Committee of Style and given the task of wording the Constitution by the committee’s members. Through thoughtful word choice, Morris attempted to put the fundamental principles agreed on by the framers into memorable language.

By looking carefully at the words of the Preamble, comparing it with the similar passages in the opening of the Articles of Confederation, and relating them to historical circumstances as well as widely shared political principles such as those found in the Declaration of Independence, students can see how the Preamble reflects the hope and fears of the Framers.

This lesson is one of a series of complementary EDSITEment lesson plans for intermediate-level students about the foundations of our government. Consider adapting them for your class in the following order:

Additional Resource: Teachers Guide to the Preamble (Note: This guide is designed specifically for Activity 2, but it will prove useful for teachers unfamiliar with the historical and philosophical context of the Constitution.)

Preparation and Resources

The following resources are included with this lesson plan to be used in conjunction with the student activities and for teacher preparation.

Review the Graphic Organizer for Activity 2, which contains the Preamble to the Constitution along with the opening passages of the Articles of Confederation and the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence (both from OurDocuments.gov), and make copies for the class.

Lesson Activities

Activity 1. Why Government?

To help students understand the enormous task facing the Americans, pose a hypothetical situation to the class:

Imagine that on a field trip to a wilderness area or sailing trip to a small, remote island, you all became stranded without any communication with parents, the school, or other adults and had little hope of being rescued in the foreseeable future. The area where you’re marooned can provide the basic necessities of food, shelter, and water, but you will have to work together to survive.

Encourage students to think about the next steps they need to take with a general discussion about such matters as:

  • Are you better working together or alone? (Be open to their ideas, but point out reasons why they have a better chance at survival if they work together.)
  • How will you work together?
  • How will you create rules?
  • Who will be responsible for leading the group to help all survive?
  • How will they be chosen?
  • How will you deal with people in the group who may not be following the rules?

Distribute the Student Worksheet handout, which contains the seven questions below. [Note: These questions are related to the seven phrases from the Preamble but this relationship in not given on the handout.]

Divide students into small groups and have each group brainstorm a list of things they would have to consider in developing its own government. [Note: You can have all groups answer all seven questions or assign one question for each group.] Ask students to be detailed in their answers and be able to support their recommendations.

  1. How will you make sure everyone sticks together and works towards the common goal of getting rescued? (form a more perfect union)
  1. How will you make sure that anyone who feels unfairly treated will have a place to air complaints? (establishing justice) 
  1. How will you make sure that people can have peace and quiet? (ensuring domestic tranquility) 
  1. How will you make sure that group members will help if outsiders arrive who threaten your group? (providing for the common defense)
  1. How will you make sure that the improvements you make on the island (such as shelters, fireplaces and the like) will be used fairly? (promoting the general welfare) 
  1. How will you make sure that group members will be free to do what they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else? (securing the blessing of liberty to ourselves) 
  1. How will you make sure that the rules and organizations you develop protect future generations? (securing the blessing of liberty to our posterity) 

While students are working in their groups, write or project the following seven headers on the front board in this order:

  • Secure the Blessings of Liberty for our Posterity,
  • Promote the General Welfare,
  • Establish Justice,
  • Form a more perfect Union,
  • Insure Domestic Tranquility,
  • Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves, and
  • Provide for the Common Defense

After the groups have finished discussing their questions, have them meet as a class. First ask them to identify which question (by number) from their handout goes with which section of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution you’ve listed on the front board. Next, have students share their recommendations to the questions and allow other groups to comment, add, or disagree with the recommendations made.

Exit Ticket:

Encourage class discussion of the following questions:

  • Having just released themselves from Britain's monarchy, what would the colonists fear most?
  • Judging from some of the complaints the colonists had against Britain, what might be some of their concerns for any future government?

As in the hypothetical situation described above, what decisions would the colonists have to make about forming a new government out of 13 colonies which, until 1776, had basically been running themselves independently?

Activity 2. What the Preamble Says

Review the Teachers Guide to the Preamble, which parses each of the phrases of the Preamble and contrasts them with the equivalent passages in the Articles and the Declaration. Teachers can use this guide as a source for a short lecture before the activity and a kind of answer sheet for the activity.

In this activity, students investigate the Preamble to the Constitution by comparing and contrasting it with the opening language of the Articles of Confederation. They will:

  • Understand the how the Preamble of the Constitution (in outlining the goals of the new government under the Constitution) was written with the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation in mind and aims to create “a more perfect union,” and
  • Understand how the Preamble drew its justification from the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence

Linda Monk in her book The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution (accessible on the National Constitution Center website) writes:

The first constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, was a failure—or so many advocates of a stronger central government believed. Under the Articles, the states retained virtually all powers, and the national government was considered merely a “firm league of friendship” among them.

She goes on to say: “During the Constitutional Convention, James Madison said that the difference between a government established by state legislatures and one founded on the people directly was ‘the true difference between a league or treaty, and a Constitution.’”

The aim of this activity is to show students, through a close reading of the Preamble, how its style and content reflect some of the aspirations of the framers for the future of republican government in America. The stately language of the Preamble is appropriate to this aspirational aspect.

[Note: teachers should define “diction,” “connotation,” and “denotation” to the students before beginning to ask students to differentiate between language in the two documents.]

Distribute copies of the Graphic Organizer and questions to all students and have them complete it in their small groups (or individually as a homework assignment).

Exit Ticket:

Have one or two students or groups of students summarize their conclusions concerning the critical differences between the Articles and the Preamble, citing the sources of these documents as referents.


Have students answer the following in a brief, well-constructed essay:

Using ideas from this lesson and any additional information you possess, how do the word choices and the structure of the Preamble show that the Constitution is different from the Articles of Confederation.

Note: For an excellent example of what can be inferred from the language and structure of the Preamble, teachers should review and then model this passage by Law Professor Garret Epps, “The Poetry of the Preamble” from the Oxford University Press blog (2013):

            “Form, establish, insure, provide, promote, secure”: these are strong verbs that signify governmental power, not restraint. “We the people” are to be bound—into a stronger union. We will be protected against internal disorder—that is, against ourselves—and against foreign enemies. The “defence” to be provided is “common,” general, spread across the country. The Constitution will establish justice; it will promote the “general” welfare; it will secure our liberties. The new government, it would appear, is not the enemy of liberty but its chief agent and protector.

Students could be asked whether they agree or disagree with the above interpretation. They should be expected to have evidence based arguments for their position.

Extending The Lesson

The phrase and aspirations of the Preamble, along with the Declaration, have inspired many large social movements throughout our nation’s history. Two 19th-century developments in particular come to mind: the women’s movement and the anti-slavery movement. Students may find others.

Have students write a short essay about how the words of the Preamble have been appropriated by one of these groups.

  • Ascertain what the Preamble meant to the movement and how it was used in an appeal to the nation. The essay might also address the question of why and how “outsiders” such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony appealed to the Preamble’s principles and the Declaration of Independence. What advantages did such an appeal carry with it? Why?
  • Then students should argue either for or against the interpretation of the Preamble under discussion making use of all they have learned in this lesson.

Be sure that the essay has a strong thesis (a non-obvious, debatable proposition about the Preamble) that students support with evidence from the texts used in this lesson.



Example 2. Susan B. Anthony “Is It a Crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote”                      1873.


The Basics

Time Required

2 class periods

Subject Areas
  • History and Social Studies > U.S. > AP US History
  • History and Social Studies > Themes > Common Core
  • History and Social Studies > Themes > Politics and Citizenship
  • History and Social Studies > Themes > U.S. Constitution
  • Critical analysis
  • Critical thinking
  • Discussion
  • Historical analysis
  • Interpretation
  • Oral presentation skills
  • Textual analysis
  • Writing skills
  • Greg Timmons (Missoula, MT)


Activity Worksheets