Bibliography
Teacher Books
Barbash, Fred. The Founding: A Dramatic Account of the Writing of the Constitution. New York, N.Y.: Linden Press/Simon and Schuster, 1987. This book provides a great resource for an overview of the convention and ratification of the Constitution. The book is separated into two sections, A Critical Minute and Building a Government.
Beeman, Richard R.. Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution. New York: Random House, 2009. This book provides a day by day account of the making of the Constitution in narrative form. It also includes mini biographies on the delegates and a chronology of events.
Berkin, Carol. A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution. New York: Harcourt, 2002. This book discusses the major debates of the convention in an easy to read format. It also includes an appendix with the Articles of Confederation and Constitution.
Bowen, Catherine Drinker. Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787. Boston: Little, Brown, 1966. This book is a narrative account of the Constitutional Convention organized by issue. Each chapter is titled by the convention issue making it easy to pinpoint what is relevant to your research.
Raphael, Ray. Mr. President: How and Why The Founders Created a Chief Executive. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. This book focuses on the convention's decision making involving the executive branch. It is split into three sections, Precedents, Conjuring the Office, and Field Tests.
Teacher Websites
"Anti-Federalist Papers." Index. http://www.constitution.org/afp/afp.htm (accessed July 13, 2012). This website provides background information on the Anti-Federalist papers. It also organizes the papers by author and a chart of how the Federalist and Anti-Federalist relate to one another.
"Constitution of the United States - Official." National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html (accessed July 13, 2012). This website is a virtual copy of the United States Constitution which includes hyperlinked sections for the original parts which now have amendments.
"Federalist Papers." Founding Fathers. http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/ (accessed July 10, 2012). This website is a collection of the Federalist papers by author or in number order. It also includes a brief background to the papers.
Student Books
Burgan, Michael. The U.S. Constitution. New York: Children's Press, 2012. This chapter book examines the events leading up to the Constitution through the Constitution today. It includes attention grabbing pictures and interesting side bars. Mini-biographies of the delegates and a timeline are also included.
Fritz, Jean, and Tomie DePaola. Shh! we're writing the Constitution. New York: Putnam, 1987. This book is a narrative which tells the story of the Constitutional Convention through the ratification of the Constitution. It includes interesting stories of the delegates and side notes of the environment the delegates were experiencing.
Hennessey, Jonathan, and Aaron McConnell. The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation. New York: Hill and Wang, 2008. This is a comic book which explains each Article of the Constitution including the Preamble. It also has a short chapter titled Federalist vs. Anti-Federalists. This comic book also includes illustrations and writing on all 27 amendments.
Ransom, Candice F.. Who wrote the U.S. Constitution?: And Other Questions About the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2011. Written as a chapter book this book tells the story of the Convention through the ratification of the Constitution. It includes various pictures and side bars to keep the reader's attention.
Student Websites
"Liberty`s Kids: #40 "We the People" (1/2)- YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNTNueTl904 (accessed July 25, 2012).
"Liberty`s Kids: #40 "We the People" (2/2)- YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZoCuXJZcsg&feature=relmfu (accessed July 25, 2012). These videos are a 23 minute cartoon which depicts the scene of the Constitutional Convention. It starts with events leading up to the Convention and includes key debates of the Convention.
"Three Branches of Government School House Rock- YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EISWIY9bG8 (accessed July 25, 2012). This video clip is a classic 3 minute song that uses a 3 ring circus as a metaphor for the 3 branches of government.
"Congress for Kids: [Constitution]: Introduction to the Constitution." Congress for Kids - Interactive, Fun-filled Experiences About the Federal Government. http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_index.htm (accessed July 25, 2012). This website includes different sections on the Convention and after the Convention. It also includes a mini-quiz for each section.
"Congress for Kids: [Executive Branch]: The President." Congress for Kids - Interactive, Fun-filled Experiences About the Federal Government. http://www.congressforkids.net/Executivebranch_president.htm (accessed July 25, 2012). This website includes sections on the jobs of the President, impeachment, and the relationship between Congress and the President. It also includes a mini-quiz for each section.
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