Name:	HR/IG: 	

Date: __________________________________________________________________

Dear fifth graders,
Today, you will prepare one of your position papers for our Mock Constitutional Convention.  Our topic today will be slavery.  As you write, think about the following questions:
•	Should slavery be legal?
•	Should former slaves return to their home countries or remain here as Amercians?
Please think carefully about these issues and choose one as a focus for your position paper.  Complete the t-chart and other activities on the reverse of this paper; they will be collected at the end of class.  To help you, I have included a sample below.  I look forward to hearing your ideas next time we meet.

Take care,
Mr. jeda

Part I: Choose topic focus
Topic Focus: 	
Should slavery be legal?	

Part II: List pros and cons (i.e. good points and bad points)
Pros	
Cons	

•	Slavery should be legal because:
o	It is important for our economy
o	Farmers rely on slaves

•	Slavery should be illegal because:
o	It is unjust and unfair
o	Farmers should pay their workers and treat them fairly	

Part III: Explain how your delegate might feel about this issue
My delegate is George Washington of Virginia.  Although I am not sure, I think	

he would probably have wanted slavery to be illegal.  He freed most of his slaves  	

when he died and he arranged for them to be paid with part of his land.	

	

Part IV: Outline my main points
George Washington would argue that slavery should be illegal because:	

•	It is unfair	

•	It could ultimately tear our country apart	

•	It is an “old world” custom and we are a NEW nation	

	

Part I: Choose topic focus
Topic Focus: 		

Part II: List pros and cons (i.e. good points and bad points)

Pros	Cons	

		

Part III: Explain how your delegate might feel about this issue

	

	

Part IV: Outline my main points