Lesson 4: Illinois State Constitution

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Essential Questions/Enduring Understandings:

What motivates a group to change its laws?

Annotated List of Materials, Resources:

Illinois State Constitution Website

Law and Society webpage

Women’s Suffrage in Illinois Webpage

Setting the Purpose:

The students will look at Abel’s connection to their State Constitution and will examine the issues that had to be resolved in drawing up the document.

Procedure:

1. On a piece of butcher paper, brainstorm with the children questions they have about Abel’s life. Tell students to mark down the ones they like in their notebook, as that could guide later research.

2. At the computer, have students go to the first website that lists the debates that were of issue at the drawing of the 1869 constitution. Divide the pages up among the students. Each student should be responsible for reporting one issue to the group by the end of class.

3. Next, have students use the timeline worksheet to look and record notes from the second web page (Law and Society) detailing the events leading to and importance of the 1869 Constitution.

4. Finally, have students go to the women’s suffrage page and answer the question in their notebook-How can they connect Abel Harwood to women’s suffrage in Illinois?

5. After the research has been completed, get together as a whole group and report findings. Students should take notes as they hear new information from other student.

6. Have students check their KWL and prediction charts to see if any of their questions were answered today and have them write any new questions that popped up for them during research today.

Time frame for lesson:

1 to 2 class periods.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources:

Debates at the Illinois State Convention Students should find one issue debated.

Assessment

Notebooks will be checked for note completion.