1. Warm-up Update Table of Contents
Write your homework – leave it out to be stamped
Article 5 of the Constitution describes how the Constitution can be amended, or formally changed…why was this such an important idea for our Founding Fathers to include?
Date
Session #
Activity
Page
11/27 28
The Structure of The Constitution 47
The Bill of Rights 48

2. The Bill of Rights The First 10 Amendments to the Constitution
How many amendments are there total?

3. 1st Amendment
1st Amendment: Religious and Political Freedom guarantees freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and petition.
This means:
we can practice any religion we want to
to speak freely
to assemble (meet)
to address the government (petition/protest)
to publish newspapers, TV, radio, Internet (press)

4. 1st Amendment Quiz
Do you know your first amendment rights?

5. 2nd Amendment The 2nd Amendment: The Right to Bear Arms This means:
we have the right to own a gun

6. 3rd Amendment The 3rd Amendment: Quartering Troops This means:
that we cannot be forced to house or quarter soldiers.

7. 4th Amendment 4th Amendment: Search and Seizure This means:
that the police must have a warrant to enter and search our homes
it also means the government cannot take our property, papers, or us, without a valid warrant based on probable cause (good reason)

9. 5th Amendment 5th Amendment: Rights of Accused Persons
This Means: protects people from being held for committing a crime unless they are properly indicted (accused)
You may not be tried twice for the same crime (double jeopardy)
You don’t have to testify against yourself in court. (self-incrimination)

10. 6th Amendment 6th Amendment: Right to a Speedy, Public Trial
This Means: you can’t be kept in jail for over a year without a trial
an impartial jury (doesn’t already think you are guilty)
that the accused can confront witnesses against them
the accused must be allowed to have a lawyer

11. 7th Amendment 7th Amendment: Trial by Jury in Civil Cases This Means:
A civil trial differs from a criminal trial. A civil trial is when someone sues someone else. A criminal trial is when the state tries to convict someone of a crime.

12. 8th Amendment 8th Amendment: Limits of Fines & Punishments This Means:
punishments will be fair and not cruel, and that extraordinarily large fines will not be set.

13. 9th Amendment 9th Amendment: Rights of People This Means:
all rights not stated in the Constitution and not forbidden by the Constitution belong to the people.
This means that the states can do what they want if the Constitution does not forbid it.

14. 10th Amendment 10th Amendment: Powers of States and People This Means:
states that any power not granted to the federal government belongs to the states or to the people.

15. Amendment Charades
Take 5 minutes with a partner to read through and make clarifying notes on all 27 amendments on your “Structure of the Constitution” hand out (pages in Creating America)
You will pick an amendment out of the bowl to act out, and your team will have 30 seconds to guess the amendment

16. Words to Know Suffrage Bail Abolish/Abolition Civil vs. Criminal
Repeal Assembly
Quartering Succession
Seizure
Petition
Prohibit/Prohibition

17. Amending the Constitution
If the Constitution were being written today what would you add, get rid of and clarify?
Chose one thing from the Constitution for each and create a chart to explain your “amendments”

18. Amending the Constitution Example
Add, Get Rid of and Clarify
Reason for changing
I would clarify what is meant by “cruel and unusual” punishment in Amendment 8.
This needs clarification because some states support the death penalty…
I would add…
I would get rid of…