Explaining the Bill of Rights

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students work in groups to rewrite the Bill of Rights in their own words.

Subjects: Social Studuies, Language Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• define the terms Bill of Rights and amendment,
• successfully explain the meaning of each amendment to the Bill of Rights, and
• work together in cooperative groups.

Keywords
Bill of Rights, amendment, Constitution, glossary

Materials Needed

• copies of the Bill of Rights from textbook or library sources or printed out from the following sites:
• The Bill of Rights
• The First 10 Amendments to the Constitution as Ratified by the States

Procedure

Ask students to define the terms Bill of Rights and amendment in their own words.

Tell the class that they are going to study the first ten amendments to the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. Read and discuss this document with students from textbook or library sources or from the site noted in the Materials section.

Divide the class into ten groups. Assign each group one amendment. Tell the students that each group must work together to explain the amendment by rewriting it in their own words. If Internet access is available to everyone, students may use the following glossary of Constitution-related terms: CongressLink Glossary.

Assessment
Have each group read its revised amendment to the class. Have other groups ask questions to the presenters.

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