You will learn about the Bill of Rights and several of its key amendments.

 

Assignments to hand in:
Reading Notes 15 Handout
Bill of Rights Illustration (See below in Step 4)
Processing 15 Handout

 

Step 1: Introduction: Look at the transparency below of British soldiers plundering a Colonist's home. This lesson will explain why a bill of rights was important to Americans, especially given their experiences with British rule before and during the Revolutionary War.

British soldiers plunder a Colonist's home

 

Step 2: The Bill of Rights - A Protective Shield: Read America's Past Section 15.1. Look at the picture below "The Bill of Rights: A Protective Shield." The Bill of Rights is represented by the shield, protecting key rights of all citizens. The people on the left are citizens protected against the power of the government, represented by Uncle Sam on the right.

 

Step 3: Reading Notes: Read America's Past Section 15.2 - 15.8. Then complete the Student Handout Reading Notes 15 by examining the illustrations on the shield to determine which part of the shield represents which amendment. Also, write in the specific write each illustration represents for each amendment.

 

Step 4: Bill of Rights Illustration: Choose one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights and draw an illustration or political cartoon on a blank piece of paper that symbolizes what the amendment stands for. See the examples below for ideas.

 

First Amendment - Freedom of Speech: Here the person who was expressing their opinion on the wall was stopped (maybe violently) from writing "Support the First Amendment." Citizens disagree as to what you should be able to say or write and what you should not.

First Amendment - Freedom of Speech: The mouth symbolizes speech and the jail cell symbolizes restricting that speech.

Second Amendment - Right to Bear Arms: Many local police have "Gifts for Guns" programs where anyone can turn in a gun and get some money. The goal is to get guns off the streets so people don't get shot. Here the criminal is happy, because now his victims will be less likely to have a gun to protect themselves from him.

 

First, Second, Fourth...Amendments: Freedom of Speech, Press, Right to Bear Arms, Search and Seizure, etc: Here the Democrats are represented by a donkey who is waging a "War on Guns" (gun restrictions, like banning handguns) that restricts our right to bear arms. The Republicans are represented by an elephant that are waging a "War on Terror," after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Laws passed after 9/11 restricted our fourth amendment rights, allowing wire-taps on phone lines or searching us at airports and more.

 

Step 5: Processing: Complete the Student Handout Processing 15. Read and follow the directions carefully.

 

Supplemental Videos:

Amendments to the U.S. Constitution (video clip)
Constitutional Amendments (Video clip)

 

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