‘The US Constitution 101’ PBL

For APUSH and AP Gov Teachers Seeking a Post-Exam Project

For APUSH (and APGov) teachers looking for a PBL to assign their students after the annual May exam, I’ve created “The US Constitution 101 PBL.”

This PBL calls on students to assume that they have been hired by a book publishing company to write a chapter for a book titled The US Constitution 101. The PBL culminates with the students pitching their chapter to the teacher, who acts as the publishing company editor. Each pitch should be no more than three minutes, followed by an oral or written Q&A session.

Students will be assessed on their ability to answer logically anticipatable questions that arise from their chapter rather than on the quality of their written chapters or their pitch. These questions will be addressed either orally or in writing. Written responses will be completed using a lockdown browser installed on the students’ devices to ensure academic integrity.

Students are permitted but not required to use AI to produce their chapters.

The Structure

This e-book, when done, might consist of 55 chapters (depending on the size of your class(es), with each chapter ranging from 800 to 1000 words and to include:

1. A captivating header image
2. Five MCQs and five True/False Questions
3. An answer key for the MCQs and True/False Questions
4. An Academic Honesty Statement declaring whether the student used AI in any way.
5. A Research Sources section

Students are also encouraged to include 1–3 YouTube videos, each no longer than two minutes, to enhance their chapters, but only if these videos are relevant and add value to the readers’ understanding.

The Table of Contents

Below is the table of contents for The US Constitution 101 PBL that I presented to my APUSH students this past year. For some chapters, I have included links to the students’ Medium articles, with their names appearing after the title in parentheses.

1. What is a Constitution?
2. A Federal Republic
3. America’s First Constitution
4. A Little Rebellion (Daniel W. and Nikki Y.) They only used AI when it came to the writing of the MCQs.
5. The Constitutional Convention
6. The Ratification Debate
7. A Strong Central Government
8. Checks and Balances
9. Aspirations of the Preamble
10. The Structure of the Constitution
11. Interpreting the Constitution
12. The Bill of Rights (Stephen H. and Brian H.) Work in progress; due end of May)
13. Judicial Review
14. The Fourteenth Amendment (Fei W.) He did not use AI at all.
15. The Incorporation Doctrine
16. Freedom of Expression (Tammy S. and Valeri Z.)
17. The Right to Bear Arms (Austin Y. and Steven H) They did NOT use AI
18. Rights of the Condemned (Tony D.) Work in progress; due end of May
19. Rights of the Accused (Leah D.)
20. Cruel and Unusual Punishments
21. The Right to Privacy (Roy S. and Nathaniel Y.)
22. The Rights of the States
23. The Abolition of Slavery (NA)
24. The Right to Vote (NA)
25. The Legislative Power (NA)
26. The House of Representatives (NA)
27. The United States Senate (Howard C. and Evan B.) Work in progress; due end of May
28. The Taxing Power (NA)
29. Borrowing Money (NA)
30. The Commerce Clause (NA).
31. The Immigration and Naturalization Clause (Jack L.)
32. Coining Money and Punishing Counterfeiting (Daniel W.) Work in progress; due end of May
33. The Executive Power (NA) Executive Departments (NA)
34. The Commander in Chief (NA)
35. Calling Forth the Militia (Anton P.)
36. Maintaining a Navy (Essien G. and Caleb N.) Work in progress; due end of May
37. Reprieves and Pardons (NA)
38. The Treaty-Making Power
39. The Veto Power (NA)
40. Electing the President (NA)
41. The State of the Union (NA)
42. Impeaching the President (Brandon Y, Phillip Q, and Jonathan J.) They didn’t use AI, with two minor exceptions.
43. The Vice Presidency (Tomey S.)
44. The Judicial Power (NA)
45. The Supreme Court (NA)
46. During Good Behavior (NA)
47. Treason Against the United States (Caitlyn C. and Jasper C.) They did NOT use AI)
48. Full Faith and Credit (NA)
49. Admission of New States (Nathan C.)
50. Constitutional Guarantees to the States (NA)
51. The Supremacy Clause (NA)
52. The No Title of Nobility Clause (Leo F. and Geoffrey F.)
53. Amending the Constitution (NA)
54. The Power to Declare War (Brady B. and JJ Wilson)
55. The Power to Declare War (Alice T. and Daphne K.)

Sidenote #1

The students who produced this work during their super busy and anxiety-causing junior year and who earned a B or better in my APUSH course will receive a California Seal of Civic Engagement.

Sidenote #1

Here’s a pic of all the students who produced a chapter for this book.

Sidenote #2

Here’s a template for a letter of rec I’m willing to write for the students featured above.

Fall, 2024

My name is Peter Paccone, and I am a social studies teacher at San Marino High School. I am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of San Marino High School senior, [Student’s Name].

I enthusiastically recommend [Student’s Name] for admission to [College/University Name].

I have known [Student’s Name] for nearly two years, having gotten to know [him/her] best through [his/her] enrollment in my 2023–2024 year-long AP US History class.

Throughout the academic year, [Student’s Name] consistently demonstrated all the qualities a teacher could ask for: intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, a strong work ethic, and excellent communication skills. [He/She] engaged deeply with historical content, contributing meaningfully to class discussions and excelling in every assignment. [Student’s Name]’s ability to analyze complex historical events and present well-reasoned arguments was truly impressive.

What truly distinguishes [Student’s Name] is not just [his/her] performance leading up to the APUSH exam but also [his/her] exceptional effort and achievement after the exam. At a time when most juniors were taking it down a knotch, claiming exhaustion, [Student’s Name] took on the challenge of “The US Constitution 101” e-Book Project-Based Learning (PBL) assignment with remarkable enthusiasm and dedication.

This innovative project required students to research, write, and defend a comprehensive chapter on the US Constitution, using AI if they wish.

In this regard, [Student’s Name] produced a chapter entitled, “[Title of Student’s Chapter],” which included a captivating header image, a well-curated Research Sources section, a series of thought-provoking multiple-choice and true/false questions, and an Academic Honesty Statement. [His/Her] work was not only informative but also creatively presented.

More importantly, in their [oral/written] defense of their chapter, [Student’s Name] not only demonstrated an ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and confidently but also a profound understanding of the comtents of [his/her] chapter.

I have been teaching various social studies classes at San Marino High School for nearly 30 years, and in that time, I have encountered many outstanding students. [Student’s Name] stands out as one of the [best/better] I have had the privilege to teach.

Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend [Student’s Name] for admission to [College/University Name]. I am confident that [Student’s Name] will excel in [his/her/their] future academic endeavors and make meaningful contributions to your community.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any further information.

Sincerely,

Peter C. Paccone
APUSH Teacher
San Marino High School

PS: In recognition of [his/her] work on this PBL, the grade of [A/B] that [Student’s Name] received at the end of the second semester in my APUSH course, and the score of [3/4/5] that [Student’s Name] received on the APUSH exam, [Student’s Name] will receive the California Seal of Civic Engagement at graduation.

Sidenote #3

A special thanks to Jodie Chon, Kailey Woo, and Caitlin Chwang. These three students served as editors-in-chief for this project. They faced an incredibly challenging task, especially since this was the first time I had ever attempted something of this magnitude. The project involved numerous twists and turns, false starts, and unexpected obstacles.

The three especially came through in the end when it was their responsibility to ensure that all completed chapters followed a consistent format, maintained a unified look, and appeared cohesive in several other ways. This was no small feat, particularly given that the junior year, as everyone knows, is the most challenging year in high school, especially at a high-achieving school such as San Marino.

The bottom line is that this project would never have been completed without their support. I know it wasn’t easy for them, and I’m extremely grateful that they persevered as they did.

To any college or university considering Jodie Chon, Kailey Woo, or Caitlin Chwang for admission, I assure you that each of these students possesses the qualities necessary not only to succeed academically but also to excel in difficult leadership roles. They have demonstrated remarkable dedication, resilience, and the ability to manage complex projects effectively.

Sidenote #4

If I were to assign this project again next year, I would start the assignment at the beginning of the school year. This approach would allow students to research their chapters more thoroughly. Then, in the period following the APUSH exam, I would call on the students to create a video, no longer than three minutes, designed to “pitch” their chapter to me, their teacher, acting in the role of the “publishing company editor.”

This pitch would need to do more than merely list the things described in the chapter. It would also need to go one step further.

For example, a student writing about the Bill of Rights would be discouraged from simply saying, “In this chapter, you will learn about amendments A, B, C, and D.” Instead, they would need to briefly mention some of the specific things readers would learn about one or more of these amendments from the chapter.

My hope is that this approach would ensure students engage more deeply with the material. It would also give students a chance to demonstrate their tech and digital media skills, as well as their public speaking skills.

Additionally, it would provide me with concrete evidence to support any claim I might make about the student's public speaking skills in a college application letter of recommendation.

Sidenote #5

Here’s the rubric I plan to use to assess my students' ability to respond to this project’s close-out questions.

• Total Possible Points: 24
• A: 21–24
• B: 16–20
• C: 10–15
• D: Below 10

Sidenote #6

To assess the work of one of the students, I first asked ChatGPT to “read the chapter” the students had written. This required that I copy and paste the student's chapter in ChatGPT along with the request to read.

Then, I provided ChatGPT with the prompt that follows:

Now that you’ve read the student’s chapter, create a large number of questions that could be asked of the student who produced this work:

The first set of questions should test the student’s knowledge of basic grammar and specific terms mentioned in the chapter. This should include questions about capitalization, punctuation, and word choice.

The next set of questions should aim at a higher level of understanding of the content, requiring analysis and critical thinking. This should include questions about the accuracy of claims, responses to potential criticisms, and detailed explanations of concepts.

The third set of questions should explore the implications and applications of the student’s findings. This should include questions about how the findings influence modern practices, lessons learned, and future applications.

The fourth set of questions should relate to the student’s use of AI, as expressed in the student’s academic honesty statement. This should include questions about why AI was or wasn’t used, the benefits and challenges of using AI, and the accuracy of AI-generated content.

The fifth set of questions should focus on the student’s research process. This should include questions about the sources used, ensuring credibility and reliability, and the organization of research findings.

The sixth set of questions should be about the student’s writing process and engagement with the material. This should include questions about the structure and content of the chapter, writing strategies and techniques, and handling revisions and feedback.

The seventh set of questions should focus on multimedia integration. This should include questions about the selection and relevance of multimedia content, and how it complements the written material.

The eighth set of questions should focus on peer collaboration. This should include questions about the benefits, challenges, and learning experiences of collaborating with classmates.

The ninth set of questions should ask the student to go beyond the focus of their topic to reveal their broader historical knowledge related to the topic. For example, if the title of the chapter is Equine Care and Management During World War I, you might ask: “Tell me about the history of horses in America in the twenty years leading up to the war and the twenty years after,” or “Tell me about the history of the horse in war in America from the War of Independence through modern times.”

The tenth set of questions should be reflection questions, asking the student to consider what they might do differently if they were to do this project again. This should include questions about what they learned from the process, what challenges they faced, how they might approach similar projects in the future, and their thoughts about a project that allows for the use of AI but assesses the students on their ability to answer questions related to the work.