Prior to writing the Preamble, students should have completed "Web Quest: Constitution" to gain a general understanding about the US Constitution. If you have not done this, please do so now.
The Preamble essentially states the purpose and goals of the US Constitution. It reads:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
After reading the Preamble, we can infer that the Founding Fathers believed that the above goals could be achieved by creating a Constitution. To achieve the stated goals, the rest of the Constitution must be designed with rules that establish a system of government. Ultimately, the system of government we create must uphold the goals, but we will talk more about this later.
But what are your goals when creating a Constitution for Darlington High School? Naturally, the goals and purpose of a High School Constitution will be much different than those of the US Constitution. But how so? Because it is aimed at bettering the classroom experience, not a nation!
But how can we create goals that better the classroom experience? Well let’s think about this a little more in depth. Traditionally speaking, teachers and administrators have enjoyed a sovereign status within the classroom, which has left students underrepresented with little say about what they learn or what the classroom experience is even about. By all accounts, education is not a democracy!
But all of this can change by writing a High School Constitution. With that being said, the purpose and goals of a High School Constitution are to reverse this unfortunate reality by creating a more fair experience for all groups involved - students, teachers, and administrators. Let it be known that the purpose of a High School Constitution is not to tip the balance of power to favor students; Rather, it is to uphold a delicate balance of power and fairness for all parties involved.
So what should be included in your preamble to receive full credit?
Begin with a “We, the people” statement but revise it to fit a High School Constitution.
Explain the purpose and goals of why you are writing this constitution, which are stated above. Ultimately, you need to make the claim that a High School Constitution is necessary for achieving a more fair classroom experience. You must support this claim with evidence and reasons.
The length of your preamble does not need to super long. In fact, the Preamble for the US Constitution is one long sentence! A clearly developed preamble can be written with a short paragraph.