Lesson 4- Everyday Activities

Objective- Students will review all the different documents that influenced the U.S.
Constitution. They will also take a look at the purpose of the Constitution. They will
learn that the Constitution of the United States of America, including the Bill of Rights,
established the structure of the United States government: guaranteed equality under the
law, with majority rule and the rights of the minority protected, affirmed individual worth
and dignity of all people, protected the fundamental freedoms of religion, speech, press,
assembly, and petition. Afterwards students will finish adding any final details to their
Zines. If anyone finishes early they can add color accents to their Zines.

Snapshot- Take one of the sheets of paper from the middle of the table and make a list of
things you like to do.
Q: Who would like to share one thing they like to do?
Hook- (Bring up an image of a fictional character.) To start off class we are going to do
an activity game. What we are going to do is figure out what sort of activities this
fictional character engages in.
What kind of food does it eat?
How does it get ready in the morning?
What does it do during the day?
Does it have a job?
What does it do for fun?

Does it go to school? If so, what does it study?

Instructional Input- After the Articles of Confederation dont work out, the now
independent states have to decide what their central government is going to look like. A
committee is formed to write a plan for a new government. What they come up with is
what is known as the Constitution. This Constitution becomes the government of the
United States of America. Unlike the Articles of Confederation the central government is
much stronger. Because of this they can protect the rights that are written in the Bill of
Rights.
These rights are:
Freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
Lets break this down:
Q: We have been talking about rights, but what does it mean to have a right?
All right, so we have the right to these freedoms (speech, religion, press, etc.).
Q: What does it mean to be free?
Q: Then what would it mean to have freedom of religion?
Q: What is speech? What do we use speech for? (What do people talk about?) Then what
would it mean to have freedom of speech?
Q: What is press? Are there different types? What does it mean to have freedom of press?
Q: What does it mean to assemble? What would it mean if you have the freedom to
assemble?
Q: Finally, what does it mean to petition something? How can you have the freedom of
petition?

Guided Practice- (Pass out worksheet.) Today, our goal is to finish up our fictional
government Zines, but to do this we have to fill up the last two pages. So far we have
written our constitutions, designed our citizens, and planned out where they live.
Today, we are going to finish up our Zines by adding activities that our citizens do. To
help you get started I want you to fill out a worksheet that asks you different questions
about what your citizens does throughout the day. When you are finished you can show it
to me and begin drawing at least one of those activities into your Zines.

Independent practice- Once you have finished drawing on all your pages and check it
by me, you will get a pen and begin outlining your drawings. If you have extra time you
can add color to your Zines or draw on the back cover.

Closure- (Hand out review worksheet.)

Once you have cleaned up, fill out this review worksheet, which we will go over as a
class.

Review Worksheet:
1) Name one document that influenced to Constitution.

2) What did the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom promise?

3) Why did the colonists decide they wanted to be free from Great Britain?

4) What is a Zine?

5) Name one way people communicate that we talked about in class.

6) What is the Constitution?

Citizen Activity Sheet:

1. What do they do for fun? Do they have any hobbies?

2. What kind of work do they do?

3. What do they do at night? During the day?

4. How do your citizens interact with each other?

5. What do they do at home?

6. How do they greet people?