LESSON PLAN SOCIAL STUDIES: Determine How the Bill of Rights Corresponds

to Everyday Life
Victoria Sibelu
American History Before 1865
10-12 Grade
2/3 Class Periods (3hrs)
Standards of Learning
USI.1

The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible
citizenship, including the ability to
b) make connections between the past and the present;

USI.7

The student will demonstrate knowledge of the challenges faced by the new nation by
b) describing the historical development of the Constitution of the United States;
Introduction to the Lesson

I.

II.

Bill of Rights: is the term used to describe the first ten amendments. During the
American Revolution many states attached statements known as bill of rights
to their constitutions. These bills of rights specified fundamental liberties that
government might never abridge or infringe. Antifederalist opponents of the
federal Constitution argued that it too should contain a bill of rights in order to
guarantee basic liberties. In some states ratification of the constitution was
made contingent on the addition of such a bill. Federalists and, initially, James
Maddison argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary since the Constitution
itself specified what government could and could not do. However, bring to
popular pressure, Maddison drafted twelve amendments to the Constitution.
Initial Questions to Peek Class Interest
a.

What are some rights that you feel are important?

b. How do the bill of Rights correlate to the English Common Law?

c. After the American Revolution, how would you feel about property, life and
rights?
d. What caused anger in colonists prior to the Revolutionary War?
e. What are some basic rights that we want protected?
III.

Objectives: In groups of four, students will research one of the Bill of Rights.
Students will discover how their amendment (given by the teacher) related to
society at the time of drafting and how it affects them now. Use Internet to
research their designated amendment.

a. Determine the history behind the designated amendment and how

controversy shaped the installation of the Bill of Rights
b. Integrate the use of technology as a vehicle for presenting information.
c. Provide students with the ability to analyze one of the first 10
amendments as well as expand the students ability to use technology
d. Identify the freedoms granted by the Bill of Rights.
e. Connect the amendment to a current news story.
f.

Present information in a multimedia format using Power Point or another

presentation method.

g. Presentations will be uploaded to the classroom website

IV.

Lesson, Materials and Resources: Handouts, the Constitution, websites, computer

programs, and smart boards
a. Explain: I will show a sample Power Point project and demonstrate how
students will perform basic functions of Power Point. Allow one day for
students to work/play on Power Point to learn how to use and discover the
capabilities of Power Point. Take students to the library to research their
amendment. (Books, periodicals, SIRS Researcher, CD-Roms and Internet.)
Give students useful Internet addresses as examples.

V.

Homework: An assignment will be given so that each student will have a basic
understanding of each of the first 10 amendments. In the assignment each
student will be responsible for two or three sentences on each amendment
putting it into common language. This assignment will coincide with the
presentations so that proper understanding is assured. These notes will be used
in the question and answering portion of review.

VI.

Assignment: Using Power Point, students will create Power Point presentation for
their amendment. Which will include the following: Title page, amendment,
amendment written in everyday language, rights and restrictions of the
amendment, illustration/cartoon and a connection to a current event.

VII.

Evaluation After completing the assignment, a rubric will be used to determine

how well the students understood the different crises that occurred during the
formation of the Bill of Rights. Additionally a question and answer secession will
determine whether or how much time will need to be spent reviewing. A short
review before the presentations are formatted will involve students seeing
examples of presentations to determine how to best approach the topic.

VIII.

Closure At the conclusion of the unit, I will address the classroom and ensure
that any questions on the Bill of Rights. A question and answer session will
ensue to ensure that each student understands the questions to be addressed
on the exams. Further use of this session will determine whether the students
need more time during the unit. The classroom website will be updated with all
of the presentations on the Bill of Rights