Social Studies:

• KH8B3I1-8: Explains the concept of popular
  sovereignty under the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
• CG12B4I4: Examines issues regarding political
  rights.

Knowledge:

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed popular
  sovereignty to determine the issue of slavery for
  the state of Kansas.

Skills:

• cause and effect
• reading comprehension (organize and analyze
  information)
• problem solving

• How was the issue of slavery to be decided in
  Kansas?
• What threatened the success of popular
  sovereignty in Kansas Territory?

• Cause and effect graphic organizer
• Compare, contrast, and analyze graphic
  organizer

1. Quickly review the Kansas-Nebraska Act, popular sovereignty, and the steps in developing a constitution in
   Kansas Territory (see the Teaching Instructions section of this lesson).
2. Use the Student Reading and the cause & effect worksheet, “Making Sense of the Lecompton Constitution,”
   to explore the creation of the Lecompton Constitution.
3. Assign groups of students to use the 1858 Congressional Debate cards and the worksheet “Congress Must
   Act!” to analyze the Lecompton Constitution in terms of popular sovereignty. Have students share
   possible solutions they believe Congress should have considered.
4. Tell the class what Congress actually decided and the final outcome for the Lecompton Constitution using
   information in the teaching background portion of this lesson.