Avi Hockfield

10.24.2014

45 minutes

Introduction to the Bill of Rights

Overview/Rationale:
Today we will be starting a new chapter on the Bill of Rights. Today will serve as an
introduction day where students will become re-exposed to the first 10 Amendments of
the Constitution with a particular focus on the importance of civil liberties. Students
finished our previous unit on the U.S. Constitution being able to answer the essential
historical question of how and why did the framers design the constitution? Students
will use this newfound awareness to critically examine the Bill of Rights and ultimately
answer the question how are your rights defined and protected under the Constitution?
Enduring Understanding:
Students will be able to evaluate how their respective rights are defined and protected
under the Bill of Rights.
Goals and Objectives:
Students will examine the Bill of Rights and Supreme Court decisions and explain the
evolution of the first 10 amendments.
Students will discuss the meaning and significance of each right secured by the Bill of
Rights.
Students will draw parallels between their individual rights and the civil liberties afforded
to them by the Bill of the Rights.
Materials:
3 minute video from TED Ed entitled A 3-minute guide to the Bill of Rights Belinda
Stutzman
o http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-3-minute-guide-to-the-bill-of-rights-belinda-stutzman
IPads for students to access online notebook
PowerPoint to guide civil liberties discussion
Procedures:
Opener (5 minutes):
Hand out IPads when students walk in and take assigned seats. Inform students that we
will be starting Unit 5 on the Bill of the Rights. During this unit students will examine the
first 10 amendments of the Bill of the Rights with a particular focus on students
individual civil liberties.
Body of the Lesson (25-30 minutes):
Class will begin with a school-based situation in which a conflict of rights is at issue.
Students will answer three questions related to the scenario presented to evaluate whether
the situation was fair. We will discuss answers when everyone answers the 3 questions in

their online notebooks (approximately 5 minutes). I will then explain the connection
between these three questions and the rest of the unit on the Bill of Rights.
After the discussion, I will show a 3 minute-video on the Bill of the Rights. This will
provide students with background information and remind them of what they have
previously learned both in our previous unit on the Constitution and in previous U.S.
History classes. This video will enable students to see how the Bill of Rights is relevant
to their daily lives.
During the video and in a brief PowerPoint, students will be exposed to the key terms and
ideas in the unit so they are ready to engage in the activity portion of class.
Students will be asked to volunteer to participate in a fish bowl activity. I designed a
PowerPoint with 4 rounds of controversial civil liberties-related questions. The questions
ask students to describe how they feel and how they would react in certain situations
related to the Bill Rights. I will ask for 4 sets of volunteers (3 students each) to engage in
debate over these 4 rounds. Students will sit at a table in the back center of the classroom
to debate the issues. During this, the students not participating in the discussion will have
to choose one of the volunteers to observe closely. Students will turn these observations
into me at the end of the period.

Closure (5 minutes): Introduce essential historical question for the unit and explain that they are
now on their way to be able to answer it. This activity as well as the background information
provided puts students one step closer to understanding how their rights are both defined and
protected under the Constitution. Hand in Ipads and exit ticket of observations.
Accommodations: Students with a documented need through an IEP and or 504-service
agreement will be given the accommodations necessary for them to complete this assignment.
This includes, but is not limited to access to less complex, yet parallel readings, preferential
seating and extended time. English language learners will been given additional time to read the
articles using their translators as needed.
Assessment/Evaluation:
Students will be submitting their observations and their responses to the 3 questions at the
end of the period.
Students will be leading the fishbowl activity and I will be taking a back seat so I will
have the opportunity to closely listen and observe the class during this time.
Expectations: Students will be able to identity the 10 Amendments in the Bill of Rights and be
able to evaluate how they affect their daily lives. Students will engage in meaningful debates
drawing on past personal experience and their knowledge of the Constitution.