U.S. Constitution Worksheets Step by Step -- Article III Worksheet

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Liven up your teaching of the American form of government with this guided Constitution worksheet that takes students through the details of Article III, which covers the judicial branch.

I BELIEVE IN CRITICAL THINKING

The worksheet is more than a reading comprehension activity. At key points, it asks students the critical "why?" questions that are so essential to true understanding. To complete the worksheet, students will have to do a close reading of Article III to discover key details, but then they will have to apply critical thinking skills to figure out what reasons the Framers probably had in mind for including certain provisions regarding the judiciary branch.

For example, the Constitution specifies that the pay of judges cannot be lowered during their term of office. No reason for this prohibition is given, but of course there is a very good one. Students are challenged to think for themselves as to why it was a good idea for Congress to lack the power to reduce a judge's paycheck.

Students are also challenged to think through what some of the somewhat advanced vocabulary used in Article III must mean. What are "original jurisdiction" and "appellate jurisdiction?" The Constitution uses the terms without explanation; with this worksheet, students are asked to go beyond the surface level of the text to reach a level of true understanding.

TEACHER CONVENIENCE IS NUMBER ONE WITH ME!

As a teacher myself, I know that you have plenty to do. You need support materials that make your life easier, not harder. When it comes to this Article III Constitution Worksheet, that means:

---The whole worksheet fits on one sheet of paper, front and back. This means that it is quick to copy off a class set, and you won't have to worry about stapling pages by hand if the office copy machine is out of staples. It also means that a set of the worksheets, used year after year if students are directed not to write on them, will take up very little space in your file cabinet.
---A full answer key is provided. It includes not just the bare answer, but also helpful ancillary information to help guide class review and discussion and keep the Constitution interesting.

keywords: Constitution, Article III, federalism, judicial review, judicial branch, judicial power, federal judges, Supreme Court, government worksheets, Constitution worksheets