Background:
At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, delegates
analyzed, argued and debated the new Constitution.
George Mason, a Virginian, pleaded with the fifty-five
delegates for a list of guaranteed rights. Mason
(sometimes referred to as the "Father" of
the Bill of Rights) wanted the new Constitution
to guarantee freedom of speech, press, and religion,
and the right to a fair jury trial. He also wanted
to include the freedom to vote.
Earlier in his career, Mason had worked hard at the
Virginia Assembly to help write a state constitution
along with sixteen human rights. Other colonies liked
this idea and added rights to their own state constitutions.
By 1783, all thirteen colonies had some version of
a bill of rights.
On September 17, 1787, Mason proposed that a bill
of rights be add to the Constitution, but the idea
was voted down. George Mason, along with Patrick Henry,
John Hancock, and other Anti-Federalists opposed ratifying
the Constitution. However, upon the promise from George
Washington and other Federalists to add a bill of rights,
the Constitution was ratified by nine of the thirteen
states.
The states sent 189 suggested changes for the Constitution.
James Madison narrowed them down to seventeen amendments.
Congress approved twelve and the states rejected two.
Finally, the ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights
was adopted.
Essential Question:
- What does the Bill of Rights guarantee American
citizens?
- How is the Bill of Rights still relevant today?
- What do American citizens need to do to uphold
the Bill of Rights?
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Identify the parts of the Constitution and their
purposes
- Explain the first ten amendments and how it affects
people today
- Describe the rights and responsibilities of American
citizens
Materials:
Motivation:
These lessons are taught after the students have an
understanding of the basic principles and functions
of the U.S. Constitution. Students should be able
to recognize the three major parts of the Constitution (the Preamble, the Articles,
and the Amendments).
Students should also have a basic understanding of
the road to independence. They should be able to make
connections and draw from prior knowledge to help understand
the foundational reasons for the Bill of Rights (i.e.
Amendment III: "No soldier shall, in time of
peace be quartered in any house…" Students
may recall the Quartering Act imposed by the British).
The Bill of Rights has some difficult terms for elementary
students; therefore, taking the time to review some
key terms may be beneficial before the students become
engaged in the activities. Some terms include: amendment,
bail, capital crime, common law, due process, enumeration,
grievance, indictment, infamous crime, infringed, jeopardy,
oath, petition, ratify, redress, seizure, warrant,
and writ. A dictionary skill practice would be appropriate
here. Writing the words and definitions on a chart
would be helpful as students read the Bill of Rights.
There are also many additional resources that simplify
the Bill of Rights for elementary students.
One powerful tool to use for elementary students is
music and songs. A great resource is the song "Bill
of Rights Rag" from Tunes that Teach American
History by Ken Sheldon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439385202/kensheldon
Primary students may have difficulty understanding some
of the amendments. The First Amendment would probably
be the most relevant to early primary students. Intermediate
(fourth and fifth grade) students will be to understand
most amendments with a little guidance. |
