Compromise at the Convention

Events like the Constitutional Convention require lots of compromise, and with the various problems of the Article of Confederation it's helpful for students to be able to see what was addressed, what the proposed solutions were, and the compromise that ultimately aimed to solve the problem.

Using a T-Chart storyboard, students will summarize and explain the problems debated at the Constitutional Convention and how representatives compromised on the issues. It will function as a cause and effect organizer to demonstrate how issues and problems were solved at the dawn of American government. With this, students will be able to explain how the Constitution was constructed and what it called for as well as describe divisions over how the federal government would operate.

Students Can Collaborate!

Teachers may wish for students to work together on this lesson which is possible with Storyboard That's Real Time Collaboration feature! With Real Time Collaboration, students can work on the same storyboard at the same time which is perfect for this lesson! As teachers know, collaborating on assignments allows students to think on a deeper level while increasing their communication and problem-solving skills. Collaboration can also help cut down on the time it takes to complete a storyboard. While there is no set limit to the number of users who can work on a storyboard at once, we recommend five users or fewer for optimal performance. All of our assignments default to individual. To make this lesson collaborative, teachers must enable collaboration for the assignment within the "Edit Assignment" tab.

Extended Activity

Have students create a T-Chart with one column depicting issues concerning today’s government. In the other column, have students detail a solution to that issue, or a proposed solution. Teachers may also add a column for what students would do if the issue were presented to them.

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard outlining the issues presented at the Constitutional Convention and the compromises made to solve them.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. In one column, identify and describe the different issues that were presented.
3. In the other column, describe the compromises made at the Convention.
4. Create an illustration for each cell using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
5. Save and exit when you're done.