Critical Thinking

• 1. SUM IT UP Complete column three of the KWL Chart you started on page 496. Use your chart to summarize the article.

  KWL Chart

  WHAT I KNOW	The Constitution WHAT I WANT TO LEARN	WHAT I LEARNED
  Sets up branches of government	Which branch of government is most important?

• 2. Analyze Use examples in the selection to explain what independence meant to the delegates.

• 3. Evaluate In a democracy how important is one branch of government compared to the other two branches? Give examples from the text.

• 4. Compare Use details from the poems and the selection to tell how the Constitution and the U.S. flag are alike and how they are different.

Reading Fluency

Phrasing Read the passage on page 653 to a partner. Assess your fluency.

• 1. I read

  • a. great

  • b. OK

  • c. not very well

• 2. What I did best in my reading was ______.

Reading Strategy

Vocabulary Review

Oral Review Read the paragraph aloud. Add the vocabulary words.

When the U.S. declared ______ from Britain and became a ______, it needed a new plan of ______. Without the Constitution, who would ______ the laws and ______ the people? The ______ who wrote the Constitution could not think of everything. Over time, it became necessary to change, or ______ the Constitution. These changes helped bring liberty and ______ to all.

Written Review Imagine that you view the original Constitution. Write a brief message about what it represents to you. Use four vocabulary words.

Write about the Guiding Question

Explore Fairness for All

The Constitution was written more than 200 years ago. Why do you think people still follow this plan of government today? Read the selection to find information that supports your ideas.