The U.S. Constitution is the structure that the United States government is built upon. Taking this course will help you build a more thorough understanding of this foundational piece of legislation.
In this U.S. Constitution course, you’ll discover the challenges the Founding Fathers faced in creating a document ensuring the nation would be built on principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence. You'll learn about the evolution of the United States of America’s supreme law and how the government created amendments based on historical changes to ensure the rights of all citizens.
The course will first go through the preamble and the seven articles. Then we’ll look at the Bill of Rights and its ten amendments, which cover some of Americans’ most fundamental rights. After that, we’ll look at the amendments that cover Americans’ crucial civil rights. The next set of lessons will look at those amendments that deal with the United States’ governmental authority. After that, we’ll finish things up by going over the amendments that have to deal with electoral procedures.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the structure of the U.S. federal government
- Identify the responsibilities of the three branches of government
- Understand the amendment process
- Know the evolution of civil rights
- Examine the federal government’s authority and limitations
Skills you’ll gain
Civil DraftingConstitutional DocumentsConstitutionsLegal Document RevisionPolitical LawsUnited States HistoryWhat You'll Learn
- Explain the structure of the U.S. federal government, including its three branches
- Identify the responsibilities of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
- Understand the amendment process as outlined in Article V
- Trace the evolution of civil rights through the constitutional amendments
- Examine the federal government's authority and its limitations
- Review the Preamble, the seven articles, the Bill of Rights, and subsequent amendments
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Constitution is the structure that the United States government is built upon and is the nation's supreme law.
- The Founding Fathers created the document to ensure the nation would be built on the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
- The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments, covering some of Americans' most fundamental rights.
- The government created amendments based on historical changes to ensure the rights of all citizens.
- The course organizes the amendments into groups covering civil rights, governmental authority, and electoral procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this U.S. Constitution course cover?
It covers the Preamble and the seven articles, the Bill of Rights and its ten amendments, the amendments dealing with civil rights, those covering the federal government's authority, and those dealing with electoral procedures.
What will I learn about the structure of government?
You will learn to explain the structure of the U.S. federal government and identify the responsibilities of its three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Does the course explain how the Constitution changes over time?
Yes. It teaches the amendment process (Article V) and the evolution of the United States' supreme law, showing how the government created amendments based on historical changes to ensure the rights of all citizens.
What skills does this course help build?
The course is associated with skills in Civil Drafting, Constitutional Documents, Constitutions, Legal Document Revision, Political Laws, and United States History.
How is the course organized?
It begins with the Preamble and seven articles, then the Bill of Rights (Amendments I-X), followed by amendments covering civil rights, governmental authority, and electoral procedures, before a concluding lesson.
Transcript
Show transcript (free preview lesson)
Transcript of the free preview lesson. Remaining lessons unlock with the full course.
(bright synthesizer music) (cymbals lightly clanging) Welcome to KnowledgeCity's course on the U.S. Constitution. In the following lessons you'll explore the original text of the Constitution as it was drafted at the Constitutional Convention. You'll understand how this document has shaped the nation and served as the foundation for all of the nation's future laws and rights. You'll examine the government structure outlined by the document and the universal rights it guarantees. You'll get an in-depth look at the different sections of the Constitution, starting with the Preamble, which introduces this necessary successor to the earlier Articles of Confederation. After this introduction, you'll move on to the various sections of the document itself. You'll study the Bill of Rights and the key roles of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. You'll also discover how and why the Constitution has evolved over time to incorporate more than two dozen amendments that further address civil rights and the limits on governmental authority.
Learn on the Go
Take your learning anywhere — the KnowledgeCity mobile app lets you watch lessons on the go.