Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to… Objectives Agenda By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to… Distinguish civil rights from civil liberties Create and identify scenarios relating to specific amendments Analyze the impact of the Bill of Rights on daily life Bill of Rights summary Amendment scenario creations “Can They Do That?” Amendment- Story matching Standards: GC.35 Analyze the meaning and importance of each of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is secured (e.g., freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, and privacy).

Warm Up When you hear the phrase “Civil Rights and Civil Liberties” what terms or ideas come to mind? What are some of the guarantees of the Bill of Rights?

Bill of Rights Debate? Think back to the Federalists and Anti-Federalists… What were their stances on listing rights when writing the Constitution? Federalists thought the gov’t would be strong enough to protect the rights of its citizens; thought it would be dangerous to write them down. Anti-Federalists wanted rights listed in the Constitution.

Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties The basic rights to be free from unequal treatment based on certain characteristics (race, gender, disability, etc.) in settings such as employment and housing Civil Liberties Basic rights and freedoms that are protected Either explicitly identified in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, or interpreted through the years by courts and lawmakers

Civil Liberties If civil liberties are found in the BoR, what are some of those guarantees? Freedom of speech The right to privacy Freedom of religion The right to be free from unreasonable searches of your home The right to a fair court trial The right to marry The right to vote

Example Based on the definition, is the following a violation of a civil right or a civil liberty? Congress passes a law that police can search your home whenever they want to Civil liberties Your mom is denied a promotion at work because she is a woman Civil rights

Bill of Rights Summary By yourself, you will summarize your assigned amendment. Be sure to list all rights that are guaranteed in your amendment. When you are done, you will get with other students who have your amendment and come up with a group summary. Be prepared to share your summary! 15th Amendment Actual Text: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Summary:

1st 5th 2nd 6th 3rd 4th 8th

Court Cases Involving Civil Liberties District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Maryland v. King (2013) New York Times v. United States (1971)

ACLU Nonpartisan, non-profit organization (1920) Mission “Defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States” Litigation, lobbying, community empowerment

Activity! You will be assigned a specific amendment. Keep it a secret! With your group, develop a scenario where Congress passes a law where that amendment comes into play. I need to check your scenario before you transfer it to your piece of paper! EXAMPLE: Congress passes a law that says one U.S. solider will be assigned to live in every house on the eastern coast. Which amendment does this concern? The 3rd Amendment

All right, let’s wrap it up! Take everything off your desk except your amendment summaries and something to write with. Read the scenarios and determine which amendment they are discussing.

I dyed my hair green because I wanted to make a statement I dyed my hair green because I wanted to make a statement. I didn’t think that statement would be, “Search my backpack!” A police officer stopped me and said that he was going to search my backpack because he didn’t like my hair color. Do I have a right to privacy in this circumstance? Amendment # ______ I was arrested 12 months ago. I’ve been accused of speeding, but I haven’t been given an opportunity 
to defend myself against the 
charge. I think they’re just going to leave me in this jail forever! Do I have a right to a speedy and fair trial? I do not like our mayor at all. I think he has made some very bad choices and is not managing our town very well. I’m going to practice my free speech by writing a blog post about how I disagree with his leadership. I am Buddhist, which means that I practice the religion of Buddhism. I just moved to a new town that has banned all religion. The sheriff has threated to arrest me if I don’t take an oath against religion. Do I have a right to practice religion? As punishment for accidentally breaking my neighbor’s window, I have to replace all the windows that break in our town for the 
next year... while wearing a silly hat and embarrassing outfit! Do I have a right to fight my punishment?

Homework Go to aclu.org Find a court case that interests you and write an essay explaining the background of the case, the constitutional question, and the decision. You will also need to include how this court case protects civil liberty.