Name: ______________________________!

Mod: ________
Date: _______________________________! U2.LP7.BillofRights
Objective
SW describe the Bill of Rights and how it protects the rights of citizens from a powerful central
government in order to act as a member of the Supreme Court in making judicial decisions.
Warm-Up
The answers for all of the questions below are on the board.
1. A treaty signed by the President of the United States 4. “After dividing the several classes of power, as they
must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate before may in their nature be legislative, executive, or
it can go into effect. judiciary, the next and most difficult task is to provide
Which principle of government does this reflect? some practical security for each, against the invasion of
the others.” –The Federalist, No. 48
2. Which of these is an example of separation of Which of these principles of government is
powers? described in the excerpt?

3. Which of these excerpts from the United States 5. If the President and Congress disagree over a tax
Constitution best reflects the principle of checks bill, the President can veto the bill.
and balances? Which of these applies to a presidential veto?

Critical Reading

1. What is the Bill of Rights? ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What is habeas corpus? ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Many of the delegates ratified the Constitution on the condition that Congress promise to do more
to protect the civil liberties of the people from possible abuses by the newly formed government.
Civil liberties are the individual freedoms and rights we expect as citizens. Consequently, in
September 1789, soon after the Continental Congress ratified the Constitution, Congress
proposed 12 amendments (additions) to the document, ten of which were approved in December
1791, creating the Bill of Rights.

Many of the congressional delegates didnʼt believe that additional protection of civil liberties was
necessary because the Constitution already guaranteed citizens several liberties.
- You are liberated from cruel kings because the Constitution forbids anyone from taking a title of
nobility.
- If you are accused of a crime, you are guaranteed a trial by jury.
- If you travel to another state, you are protected by that stateʼs laws, as if you lived in that state.
- The police are not allowed to keep you in jail unless you have been charged with a crim. Your
liberty is protected through a writ of habeas corpus.
- Habeas Corpus translated means, “produce the body.” A writ of habeas corpus is a court order
directing police to bring you into court and explain to the judge why you are in jail. If a judge
determines that you are being jailed unlawfully, the judge must order your immediate release.
- You cannot be prohibited from serving in a public office because of your religious beliefs.

There are many more protections granted to us by the Constitution. The Bill of Rights, however,
provides us even more protections and limits the powers of government even further. Today we
will see why this is a good, as well as possibly a bad thing.
 Intro to New Material
Main Idea Supporting Details
The Bill of The first ___________ amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Rights All written to ___________ the powers of the national government and to protect
________________ rights.

First Provides for the separation of ___________ and state.

Amendment Permits people to practice any ______________ that they choose without
_____________________ from the government.
Provides the right to “peaceably _________________.”
Provides freedom of ___________ and freedom of _______________.

2nd and 3rd The ___________ Amendment guarantees the right to maintain and bear
Amendments ___________ (guns) as part of a state __________________.
State militias no longer exist. Instead we have the ______________ ___________.
The ___________ Amendment prohibits the government from forcing families to let
________________ stay in their homes.

Fourth The ___________ Amendment protects against improper ______________ by

Amendment requiring the police to have a search ________________.
The police must ___________ that they have a good _______________ for
searching a place or person in order to receive a search warrant.
If police conduct a search without a warrant, the evidence ___________ be used in
court.

Protects individuals _________________ of serious crimes.

Fifth
It requires that a grand _______ reviews accusations/charges against a defendant.
Amendment
It prohibits ___________ ___________ and ______________________________.
Provides ___________________________, or a set of rules that prevents those in
government from abusing their powers when taking somebody into custody.

Provides the following rights to an individual charged with a criminal offense:

Sixth
Amendment - a speedy trial by an _______________ jury
- be ______________ of the charges against them
- ___________ ____________________________ (a lawyer)

The Seventh Amendment guarantees a __________________ in civil law disputes.

7th and 8th
The Eighth Amendment provides the right to freedom until proven ___________ by
Amendments
preventing excessive _________________.
It also ___________ the government from punishing convicted persons with
excessive fines or ___________ and ___________ punishment.

9th and 10th

The ___________ Amendment ensures that the government cannot deny people
Amendments
their ___________ liberties.
The ___________ Amendment provides the ___________, or the people, with the
powers not delegated to the national government by the Constitution.
This ensures that the __________________ govʼt canʼt take any more power.
 Group Practice

Please be quiet as we work through the first problem.

You will read a scenario.
There are three basic questions that you will have to answer for any given case:
1. Is this legal?
2. Which amendment can be applied?
3. How do you know that this is the correct amendment? Respond in 2 sentences.

A man is arrested for yelling “fire” in a crowded movie theater.

1. Do you think this is legal? ! ! ! ! Yes! ! or ! ! No

2. Which amendment can be applied? ______________________________________________
3. How do you know that this is the correct amendment? Respond in 2 sentences.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Independent Practice

On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions from above for each of the scenarios.

1. A man in a crowded airport yells “Bomb!” He is read his rights, arrested and taken into custody.

2. A man who is a U.S. citizen and member of the Taliban is captured in New York City attempting to
detonate a car bomb. He is taken into custody in accordance with the law. In order to obtain
information from him the police practice new torture techniques.

3. The state of Utah, being predominantly Mormon, decides to pass a law that requires all students
across the state to attend a Mormon church meeting once a week. If students neglect to attend this
meeting, they will be suspended from school and will not graduate from high school.

4. The Governor of Maryland decides to pass a law extending the school day to 10 hours a day, 6
days a week, 12 months a year. To show their anger, the students of Maryland decide to burn a
picture of the Governor and the Capitol, along with all of their textbooks.

5. The students of Mr. Whiteʼs class are enraged at him because they had to complete a mandatory
detention. Despite the fact that each of their grades rose an average of six percentage points a
person (half a grade level), they decide to organize a protest against his class outside of school. Each
student gives a speech expressing their hatred for him.

6. A new law is passed by Congress and the President that says guns will no longer be available for
sale in America. All firearms are to be destroyed and all gun manufacturers must stop producing
guns of any sort. Any citizen that currently owns a gun must turn it over to the government for
complete and utter destruction.

7. Students of Fairmont Heights High School cannot get enough books to read at their local library,
because they all figure out that those who read more make more money in the future. Rioting and
fighting over books has become such a problem that the U.S. armed forces sent out the National
 Guard to keep the peace. The government has recently notified families that National Guard
members will be staying with them.

8. Police suspect students of Fairmont Heights HS of possessing illegal drugs and firearms. Police
have been watching and have targeted a few nameless students and visited the homes of these
students one night, charging in and taking backpacks and personal belongings to search.

9. You have been accused of cheating on the LSN Government FAST test. You are taken to court and
forced to answer all of the questions the judge or lawyers ask.

10. 10 years ago a former student of Fairmont Heights was put in jail for copyright infringement
(downloading music illegally and selling it). Last year he was tried behind closed doors. The jury
consisted entirely of big-time music executives. He was also tried in New York City--far away from
Maryland, where he committed the crime.

11. Recently, a cheerleader from Surrattsville became enraged after her team lost to the Hornets of
Fairmont Heights. After the game she threatened a Hornets cheerleader and broke her leg. Early
Monday morning, the girl was brought in front of a judge who sent her to prison for life because he
didnʼt like cheerleaders.

12. Two police officers pull over a man because he is playing the new Young Jeezy song way too
loud. While getting him to turn down the music, they smell smoke coming from the car. One officer
believes it is the smell of marijuana. The other is unsure. There is no drug dog present. Both
officers decide to search the manʼs car.

Homework

Complete the final three cases on your own at home, or choose any of the ones from above that
your group was unable to complete.

13. A man is arrested for being belligerently drunk in public. When the man refuses arrest, the police
begin to beat him senseless. He is then thrown into the police car and taken to jail.

14. A woman is arrested shoplifting from Macyʼs department store in downtown Washington D.C.
Upon meeting with the judge she is sentenced immediately to two months in jail without any legal
representation.

15. The government of Prince Georgeʼs County has recently forced your family to move out of your
house in order to destroy it for the construction of a freeway system. Although this is a huge
burden for your family, they provide you and your family with $20,000 to compensate you for the
loss.

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All make up work must be in by Thursday.

Grades will be final after that.