Primary Learning Outcome
A.The students will visit the National Constitution Center and record and capture important information and facts.
B. The students will work as a group to create a brochure of the museum using the information learned at the center.
C. The students will work as a group in one of the three activities: recording historical facts, making notes on interactive exhibits and videos, and taking notes on the delegates of the Constitution.

Assessed QCC(s)
Social Studies
Core Social Study Skills
43
Topic: Civic Participation
Standard: Observes set rules of procedures.

Social Studies
Core Social Study Skills
24
Topic: Information Processing
Standard: Gathers information through reading, listening, observing and surveying.

Social Studies
Core Social Study Skills
42
Topic: Civic Participation
Standard: Shows respect toward others.

Technology Integration
Productivity
8
Uses multimedia tools to express ideas.

Total Duration: This lesson will take several days to complete.

Materials and Equipment
paper
pencil
glue
scissors
display board
camera
anecdotal note cards

Procedures

Step 1:
The teacher will organize a field trip to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The exhibit experience at the museum is designed to take people through important events in our nation's history and explain in unique, interactive media how the United States Constitution is as important today as it was 216 years ago. The teacher will make sure that all of the students have permission slips turned in and that there are the appropriate number of chaperones to go on the trip. The teacher will also make sure that all legal forms are completed to go on a field trip.

Step 2:
The teacher will inform the students of the assignment they are to complete while attending the National Constitution Center. The teacher will also remind the students of expected behavior. After the field trip, the students will complete a group project and their behavior and completion of the assignment will result in their final grade. The teacher will tell the students the three activities they are to complete while visiting the museum. The students will participate in one of the three groups: recording important and significant facts, pictures and notes on interactive activities, and a travel brochure.

Step 3:
During the school visits at the National Constitution Center, they take students a trip through The Story of We the People, which is a cooperative learning experience that encourages observation, a search for and an interpretation of object based clues, predictions, and group discussion. The experience begins in the spectacular Grand Hall Lobby, an awe-inspiring space featuring the flags of each of the United States and territories. From there, the teacher and students enter The Story of We the People, in the Richard and Helen DeVos Exhibit Hall, and are introduced to the extraordinary beginnings of our nation and its foundation - the Constitution of the United States. The students will enjoy wondering through a "street scene" in 1787 Philadelphia and eavesdropping on fellow citizens discussing the issues of the time. Then you enter the state-of-the-art Kimmel Theater and view "Freedom Rising." This dazzling, multimedia experience features a live actor with video and film projected on a 360 degree surround screen, bringing to life the historical context of the Constitution and its impact on our lives today. Next, the teacher and students will journey through "The American Experience." Interactive, group oriented exhibits, showcasing the significance of the Constitution, will let the students directly participate in the ways it has shaped American democracy. They will be invited to vote for their all-time favorite President, take Oath Office, and even take their seats on a replica of the Supreme Court bench! The museum staff will be ready to help the students make the most of the Interpretation Stations by engaging them in conversation and hands-on activities. The students will have over 100 exhibits and artifacts to explore together! Then the class, will take a walk among life-sized statues of the 42 delegates who participated in the signing of the Constitution in "Signers' Hall." The teacher can even capture the moment by taking the students picture with Ben Franklin or George Washington. They will discover the moving feeling of signing the United States Constitution. The teacher and the students will get to reaffirm their beliefs in the principles of citizenship laid out in the Constitution, and truly learn what it means to be an American. (www.constitutioncenter.org)

Step 4:
Once the class is back from the field trip, the activities to evaluate the effectiveness of the field trip will start. The teacher will tell the class that they will work together to create a brochure for the National Constitution Center using the information and pictures from the field trip. The groups were established before leaving for the field trip. There are three groups: Group 1 - recorded important historical facts. Group 2 - took notes on interactive exhibits and videos. Group 3 - made notes concerning the delegates of the United States Constitution. The teacher will tell students to form their groups and discuss and organize their findings. Each group should list five important details and a brief description for each. The teacher will organize all the photos that were taken. The groups may come up and get the pictures that connect with their notes. After all groups are finished organizing their information, the teacher will give them one section of a display board. The students will work together as a class to organize, illustration, and type or write the information they fill would make an outstanding brochure. The teacher will tell the students that their brochure they create should be appealing and contain factual information. The board should also be prepared neatly. The teacher will tell the students that the board will be placed in the school library.

Assessment
The students will be assessed according to their participation in the project. The teacher will keep anecdotal notes on each student. A rubric will be used to assess each student for their participation individually and as a group.

Rubric
The student participated in the field trip and acted appropriately at the National Constitution Center.
___ (5-4) Very Good        ___ (3-2) Good        ___ (1-0) Needs Improvement

The student participated in his or her group and completed the assignments.
___ (5-4) Very Good        ___ (3-2) Good        ___ (1-0) Needs Improvement

The student worked well with others in his or her group.
___ (5-4) Very Good        ___ (3-2) Good        ___ (1-0) Needs Improvement

Pre/Post Test
1. What city is the National Constitution Center located?
    a. Philadelphia                         b. Pennsylvania
    c. United States                       d. Lancaster

2. What was the most interesting thing about the National Constitution Center? Why?
(Rubric: Answers will vary. A check will be given as long as one item of interest is listed and a complete sentence of why  follows.)