The Constitution and Its Amendments

Michael Smith

Target Audience Demonstration

Grade 7-12

Estimated lesson time=60 minutes

Overview: Understanding the Constitution is key to knowing your rights. Discussing and evaluating the basic principles of the Constitution, students can understand why amendments were created and show what their basic rights are.

From Theory to Practice: Many students don’t know some of their most basic rights. A possible reason is that they find the Constitution difficult to interpret. James Moffet and Betty Jane Wagner describes that reading can be coached to make comprehension easier to accomplish. The two go on to say that writing, whether it’s a script, poem, or song, can increase meaningful comprehension of content (Moffet and Waner). In this lesson, students will be coached while reading to get understanding of Constitutional principles, and will collaborate and write a script, flyer, or brochure of the meaning of one of the amendments of the United States Constitution.

Agenda

I. What is a Constitution?

II. Direct Instruction-Constitutional Principles

a. Limited Government

b. Popular Sovereignty

c. Federalism

d. Separation of Powers

e. Checks and Balances

f. Judicial Review

III. Guided Practice-Basic Principles

a. Read Aloud/Modeling-Except 1

1. Get into groups/partners

2. Discuss and share answers to excerpts with groups/partner

3. Discuss and share with class

b. Amendment Skits/Flyers

1. Watch videos of samples and examples

2. Choose amendments

IV. Independent Practice-Amendment Skits/Flyers

a. Analyze and interpret chosen amendment

b. Write a script or draw the meaning of chosen amendment

c. Present to audience

References:

Moffet, James and Betty Jane Wagner. Student-Centered Language Arts, K-12. New Hampshire.

Boynton/Cook. 1992.

Smith, Jane and Carol Sullivan. American Government: Foundation Series. Massachusetts, 2010.

Materials Needed:

Pencils, crayons, markers

Construction Paper

Scissors

Bill of Rights

Phone/Camera