Module 2: The Constitution

Media is a powerful tool used to disperse information among large groups of people. During the time of the ratification debates, James Madison contributed a group of essays known as The Federalist Papers to The New York Independent Journal. What if James Madison had been able to stream a podcast to Americans? What do you think he would have said?

Imagine that you are James Madison and create a podcast that includes the following:

• Information defending Madison’s position in the ratification debates.
• Information about Madison’s contributions during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.
• Information about one philosopher who may have influenced Madison’s views on government.
• Information about one early English government document that may have influenced Madison’s views on government.

Your podcast should be well-organized, creative, and interesting. Instead of simply presenting your information, try to weave the information together as Madison would have, attempting to persuade his audience. In addition to your audio file, you should submit a transcript of your podcast. Use the audio recording information found in the Developmental Module to help you create your podcast.

Before you begin, access the James Madison Federalist Podcast Rubric to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You will need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment, so please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you use.

Reflection

After you have finished your podcast, take a moment to consider how technology has changed the way information is shared. In three to four sentences, explain the impact modern technology could have had on The Federalist Papers. Would Madison's message benefit from the use of technology or would there be negative consequences?

Once you have completed your podcast, please submit the audio file, the transcript, and the reflection to the dropbox.

Once you have completed this module, please complete the module test.