Alabama Social Studies SS24.USG.3b

Social Studies12th GradeFoundations of American Government

The Standard

SS24.USG.3: Analyze the major features and structural organization of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

Summarize the formal process of amending the Constitution of the United States.

2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify two ways to propose an amendment: a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress, or a convention Congress calls when two-thirds of state legislatures apply. They explain that three-fourths of the states must then ratify it, through state legislatures or state conventions as Congress directs.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can draw both proposal routes and both ratification routes with the right thresholds. With 50 states, they know 34 state applications can trigger a convention and 38 states must ratify an amendment.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think a simple majority in Congress is enough or that the president must sign an amendment. They may confuse a state's request for a convention with ratification, or think a national popular vote approves amendments.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: With 50 states, how many state legislatures must apply to call a proposal convention, and how many states must ratify? Name the other proposal route and one ratification method.

Lesson moves

Give pairs 6 House cards, 6 Senate cards, and 8 state cards; have them model 4 votes per chamber and 6 state ratifications.
Ask students to write why 38 states must ratify an amendment when 34 state legislatures can request a proposal convention.
Play threshold sort: teams place cards marked two-thirds of each chamber, two-thirds of state legislatures, and three-fourths of states under propose or ratify.
Write 1789 and 1992 on the board for the 27th Amendment; students label its congressional proposal and state ratification.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.USG.3b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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