A series of 85 articles written anonymously by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Originally published in New York newspapers, the papers were designed to convince New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution. Today, the Federalist Papers help clarify what the Constitution’s authors intended.
Students will understand the arguments set forth by Publius in Federalist 10 by reviewing and memorizing the document’s terms. Students will also scrutinize the text by mapping the argument sequentially in a concept (tree) map. Finally, students will judge the overall message set forth in Federalist 10 by writing a letter to the editor either as a supporter or a detractor of the message. Common Core-aligned.
In this lesson, students read a version of Madison’s famous Federalist Paper 10 that has been “translated” into more modern, comprehensive language. Through a series of scaffolded steps, students read, analyze, and draw connections to this complex yet vital text. Finally, students are asked to consider to what extent Madison’s arguments explored in Federalist Paper 10 apply to 21st century America.
A major obstacle teaching sophomore AP Government for semester duration is the implementation of outside reading and the comprehension of primary sources. Namely, the incorporation of the Federalist Papers, which are both relevant and necessary, pose a challenge for students not yet exposed to AP United States History or have limited reading comprehension.
In this lesson, students will analyze primary and secondary sources using the OPTIC strategy. Students will be able to accurately compare the United States Constitution and related documents to the French document: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the French Revolution. Students will work in groups to analyze and discuss documents and then will write an individual short essay reflection on their conclusions.
Federalist 10 is part of a remarkable public discussion between Federalists and Anti-federalists on the nature of republican government.
This lesson provides students an opportunity to use primary source documents as they examine the philosophical origins of the natural rights philosophy of consent using Federalist # 1. It also uses John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government and the Mayflower Compact. The idea is to show how consent and choice are enlightenment ideas for government a nd could be done in America. This gave America a pragmatic view of the Enlightenment rather than an ideological view.
The students will read Federalist #10 in small groups. Using guided reading questions, the students will be able to understand James Madison’s argument against faction.
This resource contains multiple lesson plans from the James Madison Fellows that trace the foundations of American democracy, featuring lessons on the Founding Fathers, the Federalist Papers, and the Bill of Rights.
Alexander Hamilton, the subject of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s eponymous Broadway show, influenced the drafting the United States Constitution, ensured its ratification, and helped to save the fledgling nation from financial ruin. Learn more about Hamilton’s role at the Constitutional Convention, New York Ratifying Convention, and in drafting the famous Federalist Papers by exploring historical documents in the ConSource digital library.
