Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1, SS 1, SSS1, SSS 1)
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 3
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Government
Curriculum Theme: Government
Previous Lesson: Constitution.
Topic: Types of Constitutions
Subject Matter: Written constitution, unwritten constitution, rigid constitution, flexible constitution, unitary constitution, federal constitution

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain:

define written and unwritten constitutions.
differentiate between rigid and flexible constitutions.
differentiate between unitary and federal constitutions.
give examples of countries that practice each type of constitution.

Affective Domain:

show respect for lawful procedures and rules in school and society.
value fairness and peaceful coexistence under agreed constitutional rules.

Psychomotor Domain:

draw a simple comparison table showing pairs of constitution types.
classify short statements or scenarios under the correct constitution type.

work in groups to discuss differences and present examples clearly.
participate in class discussion and listen to others respectfully.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
State Unified Scheme of Work
Government for Senior Secondary Schools (relevant textbook)
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Constitution
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Federalism
UK Parliament: How Parliament Works in Government

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

comparison charts of constitution types
sample constitution extracts/handouts
prepared table template for class activity
chalkboard/whiteboard and marker/chalk
worksheet for classification and examples

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils to understand that constitutions are not the same in every country and that the form of a constitution affects how power is shared and how laws are changed. It also enables pupils to compare systems and answer examination questions correctly using clear points and examples.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can define constitution and state its functions and features, and they are familiar with the idea of rules guiding groups and society.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

TYPES OF CONSTITUTIONS

Written Constitution

A written constitution is a constitution that is contained in a single written document or a set of written documents accepted as the supreme law.

The following are features of a written constitution:

contained in written form and easy to reference.
clearly states the structure and powers of government.
usually has a formal procedure for amendment.
often described as supreme over other laws.

The following are examples of countries with written constitutions:

Nigeria
United States of America
Ghana

Unwritten Constitution

An unwritten constitution is a constitution that is not contained in one single document; it is based on customs, conventions, statutes, and court decisions.

The following are features of an unwritten constitution:

not contained in one single written document.
drawn from different sources such as conventions and judicial decisions.
can be easier to adjust through normal law-making.
may be less clear to citizens because rules are scattered.

The following is an example of a country with an unwritten constitution:

United Kingdom

Rigid Constitution

A rigid constitution is a constitution that is difficult to amend because it requires a special procedure that is more complex than ordinary law-making.

The following are characteristics of a rigid constitution:

amendment requires special majority or special approval.
protects key provisions from frequent changes.
promotes stability and continuity in governance.
can be slow to adjust to new situations.

Flexible Constitution

A flexible constitution is a constitution that can be amended easily, often through the same process used to make ordinary laws.

The following are characteristics of a flexible constitution:

easy to amend through normal legislative process.
adapts quickly to changing needs and conditions.
may lead to frequent changes if not well managed.
can be influenced easily by the ruling majority.

Unitary Constitution (Unitary System)

A unitary constitution concentrates major powers in a central government, and local authorities exercise powers delegated by the central authority.

The following are features of a unitary constitution:

single central authority is supreme.
local governments are created and controlled by the centre.
uniform laws and policies across the country.
decision-making can be faster due to central control.

The following are examples of unitary states:

France
United Kingdom (unitary in structure, with devolved arrangements)

Federal Constitution (Federal System)

A federal constitution shares powers between the central government and regional or state governments, and each level has powers defined by the constitution.

The following are features of a federal constitution:

division of powers between central and state/regional governments.
constitutional powers of each level are clearly stated.
existence of a written constitution is common.
often has an independent judiciary to interpret the constitution.

The following are examples of federal states:

Nigeria
United States of America

Key Differences Between Selected Types

The following are differences between written and unwritten constitutions:

written is contained in a main written document; unwritten is based on several sources.
written is easier to cite in one place; unwritten is scattered across statutes, conventions, and court decisions.

The following are differences between rigid and flexible constitutions:

rigid is difficult to amend; flexible is easy to amend.
rigid uses special procedure; flexible uses normal law-making procedure.

The following are differences between unitary and federal constitutions:

unitary concentrates power at the centre; federal shares power between centre and states.
unitary local authorities depend on the centre; federal states have constitutionally defined powers.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: Revises the previous lesson by asking pupils to mention two functions and two features of a constitution, then introduces the topic by asking pupils why countries may have different types of constitutions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer revision questions and share ideas on why constitutions may differ.
Learning Point: Constitutions can take different forms and still guide governance.

Step 2: Written and Unwritten Constitutions

Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: Explains written and unwritten constitutions using a comparison chart and gives examples of countries.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy definitions and list two features of each type with examples.
Learning Point: Constitutions can be written in a main document or drawn from many sources.

Step 3: Rigid and Flexible Constitutions

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration
Teacher’s Activity: Explains rigid and flexible constitutions and guides pupils to identify amendment difficulty as the key point.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils list characteristics and state one advantage of rigid and one advantage of flexible constitutions.
Learning Point: The ease of amendment distinguishes rigid and flexible constitutions.

Step 4: Unitary and Federal Constitutions

Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: Leads discussion on unitary and federal systems, emphasizing power concentration and power sharing, with examples.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils describe each system and mention one country example for each.
Learning Point: Power distribution distinguishes unitary and federal constitutions.

Step 5: Group Activity (Comparison Table)

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Group Work
Teacher’s Activity: Provides a table template and guides groups to fill in differences between written/unwritten, rigid/flexible, and unitary/federal constitutions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils complete the table in groups and present one comparison to the class.
Learning Point: Clear comparison helps correct examination answers.

Step 6: Summary of Lesson Points

Time: 2 minutes
Teaching Skill: Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: Summarizes definitions, features, and examples on the board for pupils to copy.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the summarized points.
Learning Point: Definitions, features, and examples are key areas for tests.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Define written constitution and state one country that practices it.
Define unwritten constitution and mention two sources of an unwritten constitution.
Differentiate between rigid and flexible constitutions.
Differentiate between unitary and federal constitutions and give one example each.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Recap/Summary
Teacher’s Activity: Reviews the main types of constitutions and gives an assignment to write short notes on each type with features and examples.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the assignment and ask final questions where necessary.
Learning Point: Types of constitutions can be explained using clear definitions, features, and examples.

Lesson Keywords

Written Constitution – constitution contained in written documents accepted as supreme law.
Unwritten Constitution – constitution not contained in one single document; based on customs, conventions, statutes, and court decisions.
Rigid Constitution – constitution that is difficult to amend due to special procedures.
Flexible Constitution – constitution that is easy to amend through normal law-making process.
Unitary Constitution – constitution where major powers are concentrated in the central government.
Federal Constitution – constitution where powers are shared between central and state/regional governments.
Amendment – legal change made to a constitution.

Differentiation

Pupils who need support will use guided comparison tables with prompts, while fast learners will write short paragraphs explaining how each type affects amendment and distribution of power, using at least one country example.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure pupils can define each type and support answers with at least one feature and one example. Emphasize comparison points using short, clear lists and encourage pupils to use tables to avoid mixing up the types during tests.