Mr. Gibson  jgibson@ajusd.org  ph# 480-982-1110 ext. 5442

 

American Civics & Economics

 

October 8th Lesson Plans

 

 

Monday

OBJECTIVES

After completing Section 1, students should be able to

1  Explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.

2  Examine how the First Amendment protects personal freedom.

3  Identify the other rights that the Bill of Rights guarantees.

 

LET’S GET STARTED!

As students enter the classroom, organize the class into three or four groups. Remind students that the states ratified the Constitution only when assured that a list of the rights of the people would be added. Ask each group to create a list of 10 rights that its members believe are important. (Students might suggest the right to free speech or religious worship, the right to vote, and so on.) Compare lists to find the 10 rights mentioned most often. Write that final list on the chalkboard for later reference. Finally, conduct a class vote to determine whether a three-fourths majority of students would support all of the rights listed on the board. Tell students that in Section 1 they will learn more about civic rights and responsibilities and the privileges of freedom.

 

TEACH Objective 1

LEVEL 1: Lead a class discussion about why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. (Students should indicate that upon ratification of the Constitution, a number of states recommended that a Bill of Rights be added.) Ask students to imagine that they live in colonial America and are members of a committee urging the inclusion of a bill of rights. Have each student create a handbill listing five reasons why a bill of rights will be an essential part of the Constitution. English Language Learners

 

LEVEL 1: Discuss with students why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Then ask students about real-life situations in which various freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights affect teenagers. On the chalkboard, write each of their suggestions as well as which of the first 10 amendments they correspond to. (Students might indicate how freedom of the press affects their activities in working on the school newspaper. Students might also indicate how the freedoms of speech and of petition protect their right to have their concerns heard by their student government.)  English Language Learners

REVIEW AND ASSESS

Have students complete the Section 1 Review on page 95. Then have students complete Daily Quiz 4.1. As Alternative Assessment, you may want to use the handbill or essay activities in this section’s lessons.

RETEACH

Have students complete Main Idea Activity for English Language Learners and Special-Needs Students 4.1. Then assign each student one of the sections in this chapter. Ask students to create a study guide for the sections that they have been assigned. After they have finished their study guides, ask volunteers to present their guides to the class. English Language Learners

 

Tuesday

 

ALL LEVELS: Copy the following graphic organizer onto the chalkboard, omitting the italicized answers. Ask each student to complete the chart to list the rights that are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Then lead a class discussion about why the inclusion of the Bill of Rights was important. English Language Learners

 

TEACH Objective 2

LEVEL 1: Lead a class discussion about how the First Amendment protects personal freedoms. Then organize students into small groups. Ask each group to create a poster that illustrates the freedoms that the First Amendment guarantees. (Students’ posters should depict the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition.) Display the groups’ posters around the classroom. English Language Learners, Cooperative Learning

 

LEVELS 2 and 3: Review with the class the freedoms described in the First Amendment. (See the Level 1 lesson for the freedoms.) Then ask students to imagine that they have been assigned to work in a foreign country that does not enjoy the same freedoms that U.S. citizens do. Ask each student to write a letter to a family member back home, describing what it is like to live without particular rights that he or she possessed prior to moving abroad. Have volunteers read their letters to the class.

HOMEWORK Tell each student to create a political cartoon illustrating a freedom protected by the Bill of Rights.

 

Wednesday

Read Section 3 and Copy Chapter 3 Summary on page 104

Complete Chapter Review pgs 104 & 105

Review Graphic Organizer on page 103 Responsibilities of Citizenship

 

Thursday

Chapter 4 Test

 

Friday

Second Prompt—Essay Compare and Contrast

 

Have students read the Ninth Amendment. Then ask each student to write an essay discussing how this amendment further establishes the flexibility of the Constitution. Students might name other basic rights and freedoms that are not specified in the Bill of Rights or the rest of the Constitution.