What essential ideas guided the founders as they outlined a structure for the American government? In this lesson, students will explore the fundamental principles that helped shape our national government.

Why do communities need rules? How do people decide which rules they want to adopt for their community? In this lesson, students will explore the historic documents that influenced and inspired U.S. founders as they drafted the Constitution.

What challenges did members of the Constitutional Convention navigate as they created the framework for the United States government? In this lesson, students will explore the issues, debates, and goals that the framers debated during the drafting of the Constitution.

Why was the U.S. Constitution written? What are the purposes and goals of the U.S. government? Students will explore why the Constitution was written and list its component parts and their functions.

What is the process for changing the U.S. Constitution & the Constitution of Virginia? Why is it important that the Constitution have an amendment process? In this lesson, students will examine the procedures by which the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia can be amended.