Education
By Marci Pasierb
Grade Levels:
Grades 7-8
Grades 9-12
Overview:
The delegates of the 1979 Arkansas Constitutional Convention were average Arkansans from different areas of the state. The convention embodied many delegates from different occupations, different religious preferences, and more importantly, different political agendas, all of which are indicative of the areas they represent.
Students will be introduced to the different demographics of the four districts (in 1979) represented at the convention.
Grade Levels:
Grades 7-8
Grades 9-12
Overview:
The State of Arkansas has had five different constitutions. Each constitution reflected the time period under which it was written. The first constitution was adopted in 1836 when Arkansas became a state after the Missouri Compromise. The 1861 Constitution was adopted when Arkansas chose to follow other Southern states and secede from the Union and join the Confederate States at the onset of the Civil War. The 1864 Constitution resulted from the Union occupation of the majority of the state during the final years of the war. The 1868 Constitution was submitted to the U.S. government as a condition for re-admittance to the Union when the Confederate States were defeated. The final and current constitution was re-written one last time in 1874 to reflect the national changes that occurred after the war, as well as a response to the corruption of the Republican Reconstruction inflicted on the South.
Students will read the preambles to each constitution and reflect on and identify the differences between each one.
Grade Levels:
Grades 7-8
Grades 9-12
Overview:
The Arkansas Constitutional Convention of 1979 set out to change the Arkansas Constitution of 1874. By 1979, many financial, social, and cultural issues during the Reconstruction Era became obsolete over time. Delegates came together to make changes that reflected the modern era, such as population growth, industrial growth, and agricultural changes. Many proposed constitutional changes came from individuals, while other proposals came from collective groups of the state legislative committees.
Students will research the 1979 Arkansas Constitutional Convention: Daily Digest and identify the issues particular delegates and committees were interested in changing.
Grade Levels:
Grades 7-8
Grades 9-12
Overview:
During the 1979 Arkansas Constitutional Convention, delegates worked to revise the existing 1874 Constitution. One issue that became a topic of discussion and revision was the real estate property assessment and taxation. Taxes are generally a controversial subject and can lead to difficult debate and compromises.
The purpose of this lesson is for students to critically analyze and think about the reasons why real estate taxes could be a controversial issue, but why they are necessary for the function of a city and county government.
Grade Levels:
Grades 7-8
Grades 9-12
Overview:
Since the 1874 Constitution, there have been three other major attempts to rewrite the Arkansas Constitution. Interestingly, all three attempts have failed. These attempts occurred in 1918, 1970, and 1980.
The purpose of this assignment is for students to analyze and compare the similarities and differences of the 1918, 1969 and 1979 conventions.
About the Author:
Marci Pasierb is an AP History and Social Studies teacher at England High School. Mrs. Pasierb has a BA in History and an MA in Teaching from Harding University, with additional graduate hours in History from the University of Memphis.