Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 3, Lesson 3: The Crisis of Confederation (pp. 95-99)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Interconnectedness As problems developed under the weak government of the Articles of Confederation, Americans began to want a stronger central authority.

Review with students the limits under the Articles of Congress' authority in the areas commerce, currency, relations with foreign nations, and relations between states. Talk with students about how this could create inequalities and problems.

Discuss with students the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance, and how they affected the way the United States grew. Help students see how giving new states the same rights as the original 13 states encouraged a sense of unity.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have each student write a letter giving his or her opinion of effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation from the point of view of either: an ex-soldier of the Revolutionary Army, a wealthy merchant, a member of Congress, or member of a state legislature.
Have students work in groups to list the issues the convention of 1787 should deal with, putting the most important issue first, the second most important second on the list, etc. Have each group present the three issues they identified as most important. Compare and discuss the differences and similarities between the groups' choices.

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