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Last updated: November 7, 2002

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Texas Activities
Activities for Children
Ages 12-17

This activities was submitted by:

Brad Davis
Extension Program Specialist 4-H
South Plains District 2

World History and Geography:

Growth and Conflict


Overview

The eighth grade History-Social Science curriculum United States History and Geography: Growth and Conflict begins with a review of the major ideas, issues and events leading to the founding of our nation. The course of study concentrates on the period between the framing of the Constitution to World War I.

As students review key developments in the founding of our democratic and economic system, they will also explore regional differences in terms of geography, values, economic base, and culture. They will review the concepts that led to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: "natural rights," "natural law," "equality" and "unalienable rights."

To develop a greater understanding of our Constitution, students should review the major ideas of the Enlightenment which they encountered as seventh graders. They should have a chance to discuss the ideas and issues that divided the Founding Fathers and examine the compromises they adopted. As a part of understanding our system of government, students should discuss moral thinking of that time and the role religion played in shaping our Constitution. They will begin to understand that some of the values and compromises that shaped the Constitution continue to pose problems for policy-makers and citizen advocates today.

Coordination with Instructional Materials

The lessons and activities in this unit coordinate well with the eighth grade social studies textbook A More Perfect Union (Houghton Mifflin). The Focus Lessons provide students with an excellent introduction to some of the basic rights covered in the Constitution. The lesson on Freedom of Religion not only discusses religious freedom, but also helps students identify regional differences in religion and values. The second Focus Lesson The Right to Counsel helps students explore the importance of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution, and the various Supreme Court cases that have attempted to define the rights outlined in those amendments.

The Extension Lesson, How the Bill of Rights Affect Our Lives, helps the students understand that the law and the Bill of Rights affect every aspect of their lives. The second Extension Lesson, A Visitor From Outer Space, provides an "out of this world" simulation to help the students explore the importance of the Bill of Rights.

The two Additional Activities offer teachers an ability to present new insights into the Constitution.

Related readings include:

  • Chapter 4, lesson 3 (pp. 124-131) in the Eighth grade text, A More Perfect Union, which provides excellent background information on the Bill of Rights. There is also an annotated copy of the Bill of Rights on pp. 647-655.
  • Pages 211-218 in James Garraty's The Story of America (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991), which presents an annotated copy of the Bill of Rights.

Framework Connections

The unit supports the goals and curriculum strands of the History-Social Science Framework while connecting to the eighth grade topic, United States History and Geography: Growth and Conflict (see pages 68-75 of the History-Social Science Framework.)

Topic Connection(s)

  • The Constitution of the United States


Goals and Curriculum Strand Connections

The chart below lists goals and curriculum strands from the Framework. The phrases printed larger and in bold type are History-Social Science Goals and Curriculum Strands that are addressed in the lessons and activities for the eighth grade. Using simulated activities, actual Supreme Court cases, and research documents, students will explore the major concepts included in the Bill of Rights. Through the lessons and activities, they will begin to see that the Constitution ¾ far from being a "dead" or dull piece of history ¾ is very much a part of their lives today.

Knowledge &
Cultural Understanding
Democratic Understanding
& Civic Values
Skill Attainment &
Social Participation

Historical Literacy

Ethical Literacy

Cultural Literacy

Geographic Literacy

Economic Literacy

Sociopolitical Literacy

National Identity

Constitutional Heritage

Civic Values, Rights and Responsibilities

Basic Study Skills

Critical Thinking Skills

Participation Skills






Selected Topic: The Constitution of the United States

Focus Lesson: Freedom of Religion

BACKGROUND

The quest for and appreciation of religious freedom have deep roots in the history of America. Religious intolerance and oppression have afflicted humankind for centuries before and since the founding of this country. Many people have come to our shores in search of religious freedom. America's experience with religious freedom has not been without its problems, struggles and costs. Periods of tension, conflict and coercion have had to be confronted and overcome.

Today, the First Amendment's guarantees of separation of church and state and free exercise of religion are among our most important and treasured rights. These guarantees have done much to promote religious diversity, understanding and independence, but the struggle is not yet over. These rights are not self-executing. Their realization depends heavily on an informed and committed people and an enlightened and courageous judiciary.

The ABA's poster on religious freedom provides an excellent opportunity for middle school students to begin a series of lessons reflecting on the meaning and importance of religious freedom. This lesson is intended to initiate such a unit. It uses the poster to aid students in exploring the nature of religious diversity and its implications. It is assumed that in subsequent lessons students will encounter specific historical and contemporary situations requiring the balancing of rights and needs of individuals with those of society at-large. In this way, students will acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment and how it guarantees religious freedom. It should help students respect religious diversity and understand that the rights of the Constitution also bring responsibilities.

OBJECTIVES

  1. To understand how the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion.
  2. To understand the meaning and importance of religious freedom.
  3. To understand the diversity of religious affiliation in the United States.
  4. To effectively perform assigned roles in classroom groups.
  5. To improve student skills in reporting on their observations and inferences and in drawing conclusions.

MATERIALS

TIME NEEDED

Two class periods

PROCEDURE

Into

  1. Begin by having students examine the poster "The Bill of Rights guarantees religious freedom..."

    • Display the poster in a prominent place in the room.

    • Divide the class into groups of four students each. Assign and explain roles to the students according to Teaching Strategy #1.

    • Give each group a photocopy of the poster. Instruct students to focus only on the pictorial portion of the poster. Ask them to identify what is depicted, including as much detail about the person and the scene as they can. Give students three to five minutes to do this.

    • When groups finish, call on the "communicators" to share findings. Record responses on the chalkboard or newsprint. First have communicators identify what specifically is shown in the scene (e.g., a man wearing a hat, with a beard, wearing dark clothing, two horses and two, an Amish man in a rural area). Confirm that the scene depicts an Amish man.

  2. Show the video, The Amish published by Encyclopedia Britannia.

  3. Then, write or display the following unfinished statement: "When I think of the Amish, I think of...." Use this to explore what students know about the Amish.

    • Keep students in their groups. Give groups five to seven minutes to list as many responses to the statements as possible.

    • Call on the communicators of the groups to share one or two responses. Record them on the chalkboard or newsprint.

    • Briefly discuss student responses , giving the students the opportunity to share any personal knowledge or experience with the Amish.

    • Analyze responses, pointing out how the responses could be clustered (e.g., responses about religion, dress, lifestyle, areas inhabited, beliefs). [Note: As an alternative, give the groups an additional three to five minutes to develop categories. Then have groups share their categories and their reasoning for them.]

    • Conclude this sequence by discussing the Amish lifestyle, pointing out the integral role that Amish religious beliefs play in shaping their way of life (e.g., why they dress as they do, why they reject motor vehicles and rely instead on horse-drawn vehicles, why they do not use electricity).

Through

  1. Focus student attention on the nature and range of religious affiliations in the United States.

    • With students still in their groups, distribute one almanac to each group and give them five minutes to prepare a list of as many different religions found in the U.S. as they can. Have students circle those religious groups located in their community or city.

    • When finished, call on the communicators of the groups to share a response. Record responses on the chalkboard or newsprint. Clarify and discuss responses. Highlight the number of different religious groups living in your city.

  2. On the following day, have students focus on the written portion of the poster.

    • Write "similarities" on one side of the chalkboard and "differences" on another side.

    • Within a large group format, ask students to indicate examples of similarities among the various religious groups found in the United States (e.g., many share the same holidays, believe in the Bible, and follow similar rituals, such as being baptized or repeating the Lord's Prayer). List responses in the "similarities" column.

    • Next, ask students to indicate examples of differences among the various religious groups found in the United States (e.g., different holidays and holy days, different holy books or versions of the Bible, different religious leaders, different rules and rituals). List responses in the "differences" column.

    • Ask students to read Amendment 1 of the United States Constitution at the back of their texts. Ask students to identify how the Amish illustrate both clauses of the religious reference (establishment and free exercise).

    • Then, direct student attention to the written part of the poster. Using a transparency, Handout #1 or individual student copies, display the following:

    "We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. We guarantee the freedom to worship as one chooses. We make room for as wide a variety of beliefs and creeds as the spiritual needs of man deem necessary. We sponsor an attitude on the part of government that shows no partiality to any one group and lets each flourish according to the zeal of its adherents and the appeal of its dogma."

    (From the majority opinion in the 1952 U.S. Supreme Court case of Zorach v. Clauson, written by Justice William O. Douglas.)

Beyond

Elicit student interpretations of the meaning of the words on the poster and this excerpt from a Supreme Court decision.

Conclude by asking students to identify examples of religious freedom that people in the United States enjoy (e.g., to be religious or not, to choose which particular religion to join, to follow the practices of one's religion of choice). Have students speculate on how different things might be if the Constitution did not guarantee the freedom of religion.

ASSESSMENT

In small groups have students create posters that demonstrate the meaning and importance of religious freedom. Then have students individually write about another freedom that they value.

SOURCE

Developed by David T. Naylor, professor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Director of the Center for Law-Related Education at the University of Cincinnati. Bill of Rights Poster Series. American Bar Association, Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship.

TEACHING STRATEGY 1: USING GROUPS IN THE CLASSROOM

Divide the class into groups of four students each. assign the following roles to the students in each group:

Communicator: Responsible for reporting the group's findings. Must check with others to ensure that what is to be said accurately reflects the group's views.

Recorder: Responsible for writing down an accurate account of what was said in the group. Must check with others to ensure that all important points have been recorded.

Manager: Responsible for ensuring that all members of the group understand what they need to do; also keeps each member involved on task.

Timer: Responsible for keeping the group aware of the amount of time available to complete a task.



Selected Topic: The Constitution of the United States

Focus Lesson: The Right to Counsel

BACKGROUND

The question is really very simple.
I requested the court to appoint me an attorney and the court refused.

Earl Clarence Gideon wrote the above statement in his petition for review to the United States Supreme Court. The question was actually quite complicated, not simple at all.

A photograph of a man behind bars is a reminder that two of the most basic rules of criminal procedure are the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent; the Sixth and Fifth Amendments. There are three landmark Supreme Court cases that deal with issues related to these rights: Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), Miranda v. Arizona (1966), and Harris v. New York (1971). In this lesson, the first case, that of Clarence Earl Gideon, will be used to present the case study method.

Although the case study method is used in law schools, business schools, and in graduate programs, the basic elements and procedures can be taught in middle schools. Through this method, students read or listen to information about a particular case and analyze it by determining the facts and issues. In discussing the case, both sides should be argued, for it is often by arguing for the side with which you disagree that you can clarify your thinking.

OBJECTIVES

  1. Understand the importance of the right to an attorney.
  2. Introduce students to the basic elements of the case study method.
  3. Provide opportunity for students to evaluate significance of major arguments.

MATERIALS

TIME NEEDED

Three class periods

PROCEDURE

Into
  1. Begin the lesson by making reference to a current, preferably widely known situation, involving an attorney representing a client (e.g., a recent court decision, a trial, an arrest). [An alternative is to show a few previously-recorded legal services advertisements that have appeared on television.] Elicit reactions to that situation and attorneys in general. Then distribute and have students complete the exercise, "What's Your Opinion?" (Handout #2).

  2. When students complete the exercise, use a show of hands to tally responses. Record results on a transparency or the chalkboard. Select a few items for discussion. Have students share reasons for their choices. [Note: Save responses for use later in the lesson.]

  3. Use as transparency or write on the board "The Bill of Rights guarantees an accused person the right to an attorney." Ask students to find this guarantee in the Bill of Rights.

  4. Divide students in small groups. Distribute a copy of Handout #3 to each group and ask each to list on it reasons why the right of counsel is important. When the groups complete their task, have them share their reasons. Record responses on the chalkboard. Discuss the reasons given.

Through

  1. On the following day, explain to the students that they will be reading the actual transcript from the beginning of one of the most important trials involving the right to counsel. For maximum student participation, give each student a copy of Handout #4. Divide the class into groups of three and have them select parts to read aloud.

  2. Discuss what happened in the court. Ask students whether or not this seemed fair. What problems could arise if the court had to appoint counsel to all persons who requested it? What problems could arise if a person does not have counsel?

  3. Paraphrase, read or photocopy the Summary of the Gideon Case for your class to read. Ask them to take notes on the following questions to help them identify the facts and issues. The notes should include details about the person involved, what he was accused of doing, what happened to him and whether the jury found him guilty or innocent.

  4. Discussion:

    • Who is Clarence Earl Gideon?

    • What were the charges against him?

    • What happened at the trial?

    • What was the verdict of the court?

    • Do you think the United States Supreme Court should hear this case? Why or why not?

  5. On the third day, tell the students that the Supreme Court agreed to review the case and would decide it on four major issues (Transparency #2).

  6. Tell the students that they will be trying to sort out and evaluate arguments that were actually used in court. Ask each group to select a spokesperson. Distribute Handout: Arguments related to the Gideon Case. Each group can discuss several arguments.

Beyond

  1. One of the difficult aspects of a case study is deciding what arguments are relevant and which of those are most convincing. Attorneys do not do this all by themselves. They have colleagues to assist, law libraries in which to research other cases, and their own experience to rely upon. In this next step, divide students into groups of five so that they can help each other. This is also an excellent time to invite an attorney to your classroom to assist the groups. It's best to familiarize students with the case before bringing in the attorney, otherwise the guest is put in the position of just providing information. The time with the attorney will be much more fruitful if the class has done some preliminary study.

  2. Write the following questions on the board and check periodically with groups to be sure they are focused on them. If your class is accustomed to group tasks they may be able to work more on their own.

    • Is this an argument in favor of Gideon? Or is it an argument against Gideon's plea?

    • Is this a relevant point? Does it have anything to do with the issues of the case? The group should be prepared to defend their answer by giving specific reasons.

  3. Ask the spokesperson for each group to discuss the group's response to the questions. Use the teacher's resource to comment on the responses.

ASSESSMENT

Assign students to answer the questions posed on Transparency #2 individually or in groups.

SOURCE

David Naylor and Arlene Gallagher. Bill of Rights Poster Series. American Bar Association, Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship. Reprinted with permission.



EXTENSION LESSONS

A. How the Bill of Rights Affect our Lives

BACKGROUND

This exercise demonstrates the many ways in which the law affects our lives and the importance of knowing about them. It seeks to impress on the students the idea that the law can affect every aspect of a person's life, no matter what the subject or the activity. Students learn that laws have a reason; they are made not only to control social behavior but also to regulate and protect citizens. It can be used as an introductory lesson to any area of the law being taught.

OBJECTIVES

  1. To identify at least five ways in which laws affect them.
  2. To compare their favorite activities with the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

MATERIALS

PROCEDURE

  1. Tell students that you are going to narrate a "story" and that they should stop your narration when they think you have mentioned something that is affected by a law. The first time through the sequence, students may not spot many laws. Repeat the sequence and jog their imagination by asking a few leading questions:

    • Are there laws about the content of gasoline in the tank? The nozzle used on the fuel hose?

    • Are there laws about the cars you drive?

    • Are there laws about the clothes you wear and about the money used to pay for food and clothing?

  2. Begin to narrate your typical daily activities. For example, "This morning, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. I took a bath, got dressed, and ate a breakfast of orange juice, cereal and coffee. While eating, I listened to the radio and then watched some TV. After breakfast, I placed the newspaper and the empty orange juice bottle in recycling containers. Before leaving, I took the dog for a walk. I got in my car, put on my seatbelt, filled the car with gas, and drove to school (or office). I telephoned a cousin in Reno, Nevada and told her I planned to fly there on Saturday to attend a family reunion. During lunch, I found a statement in a book that I was reading that I wanted to use at the family get-together. I made a copy of the statement on the copy machine. After work, I picked up my paycheck."
    The students should have stopped you at a number of places to mention points such as the following:

    • Your name is a legal device that cannot be changed without court approval.

    • Time is regulated by law. The official clock in Washington, D.C. is set in accordance with Greenwich Mean Time.

    • Water for bathing is inspected by city officials and must meet health, safety, and environmental regulations enforced by local and national governmental agencies.

    • Clothing and furniture must have the contents and cleaning instructions listed on a label.

    • Cereal boxes are required by law to list the ingredients. Milk must be pasteurized and meet health standards.

    • Cars must have safety and pollution control devices that are regulated by law. The car must be licensed.

    • Drivers must be licensed and must obey traffic laws.

    • Streets are built and maintained under standards regulated by law.

    • Income tax and social security taxes are withheld from paychecks by law.

  3. As an extension of the prior exercise, ask students to generate a list of all the legal documents they will
    be required to have during their lifetimes. Among them could be included:
  4. List of legal documents

  5. Distribute Handout #5 "Ten Things I'd Rather Be Doing Right Now Instead of This." Ask students to list the ten things they would rather be doing instead of sitting in class. Brainstorm a master list or ask students to offer the most interesting (or fun) alternatives. Ask students to comment if these activities have any connection with the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Eventually, ask the class if they can identify any listed activity with no connection to the Bill of Rights. After the master list is exhausted, you may ask for substitute activities: Tell students, "The goal is to create a list of activities you would rather be doing which have no possible connection or relevance to the Bill of Rights." Finish by challenging students to come up with any action they can think of that has no constitutional ramifications.
    • In order to make this lesson more challenging for competitive students, you might create teams and develop a scoring system. When a student from one team spots an activity as correctly relating to the Bill of Rights and amendments he/she is referring to, the team might receive one full point. If the student is able to spot the activity but is unable to give an adequate explanation as to how it is affected most points (a scorekeeper can be assigned to the blackboard) wins. For younger groups, it might be possible to use some sort of sounding device (a bell) for the students to "ring in" when they want to answer a question. The teams might be selected randomly by picking colored papers from a hat (a blue team would consist of all of the students that picked a piece of blue paper from the hat, red for the red team, yellow for the yellow team, etc.)

  1. Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students each. Distribute newspapers and a magic marker to each group. Give students ten minutes to circle all the law-related articles with nominations from each group. In turn, each group presents and explains a law-related article. The other groups may challenge the nomination contending that the article is not law-related. The teacher or resource person rules on all challenges. The group who loses a challenge also loses a nomination turn.

  2. Do the same activity as described in the newspaper exercise but challenge the students to identify articles related to the Bill of Rights. In nominating an article to be posted on the master bulletin board, the group must identify the amendment involved. Any other group may challenge the nomination as not related to the Bill of Rights or that the identification of the amendment involved was incorrect. The articles are placed on a bulletin board under the appropriate amendment. The first nomination for a particular amendment might earn the group double points in a contest.

  3. This lesson can be used to suit the needs of the particular class you are teaching. While teams and a scoring contest may be very effective for one class, it may to be too disruptive for others. It is the teacher's or visiting attorney's task/challenge to support each activity as relating to the law. There is virtually no activity which does not relate in some way to the law. The teacher and resource person should recognize that the students may be able to find connections to the law that are difficult to spot. Always make sure the students have an opportunity to find the legal connection; sometimes they will find connections to the law you will miss.

SOURCE

Temple-LEAP Project. The Bill of Rights -Alive! 200 Years Young. Temple University School of Law, 1992. American Lawyers Auxiliary, Law-Related Education Handbook, Chicago, 1989.

 

B. A Visitor From Outer Space

BACKGROUND

This activity requires students to think about the relative importance of the guarantees of the Bill of Rights. It can serve as an excellent introduction to the study of the Bill of Rights. Either script students as narrator and alien or duplicate as a handout. Students can work individually or in groups of three.

OBJECTIVES

  1. To explain the Bill of Rights and how it relates to them.
  2. To discuss which Right is the most important to them personally.

MATERIALS

PROCEDURE

It is the year 2000. You are living a quiet, prosperous life in California. You are quietly watching television with your family when a special news bulletin comes over the TV station. You immediately see that this is not the normal type of news bulletin because there is what looks like a very strange creature on the screen--the only thing familiar is that he is speaking English. He tells you that he and his people have gained control over all of the communications networks in the United States and that everyone had better pay attention to what he has to say. You change the channel--and just as he said -- there he is on every station. He begins to speak very loudly. You gather your family around you because you are beginning to worry about what he is going to do. His speech is as follows:

My name is STHGIR. I am from the planet NOITUTITSNOC in another galaxy where the inhabitants are far superior to the beings on this planet EARTH. Just as we have gained control over the communications of the United States, we have the ability to take complete control over every one of your lives. We do not want a war between our planet and yours, but we do want to control some things so that we can live in peace and harmony with you. We have looked at some of your laws and the way your government operates and have found that they give too much freedom to the individual. Therefore, we are going to conduct a survey to try and arrive at a decision about which both you and I will be happy. As I have said, I do not want to take everything away from you. But I can't allow you to continue to live as you have in the past. Therefore, I am giving you a list of ten of the rights that you now have according to your Constitution. You are to look over the list and decide which of the ten are most important to you. I will allow you to keep FIVE of the ten rights, the five which get the most votes from all the citizens of the United States. You are to rank the following rights in the order in which you would give them up, with 1 being the one you would give up last and 10 being the one you would give up first. After you have completed your ranking, you will receive further instructions."

Distribute Handout #6 or list the ten rights directly on the board. Poll the class on their ranking of each freedom. Ask students to give their reasoning behind their choices.

SOURCE

Vettie, Donald and Linda Ford. Responsibilities and Rights in the Schools. Carroll County Public Schools, Westminster, MD, 1978.


ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

A. The Free Exercise of Religion

Have the class read "The Students Who Wouldn't Salute" in Liberty Under Law. Then lead a short discussion at the close of the case description: Do you think that the West Virginia State Board of Education acted constitutionally? Do you agree with the Jehovah's Witness that the order to salute the flag violated their religious liberty? Then have the class read the court's opinion on page 16. Questions that might stimulate discussion of the opinion include the following:

    • Why do you think the court reversed the Gobitus decision?
    • Is the decision fair?
    • Had the times changed?

If Liberty Under Law is not available, the Gobitus case can be found in Commager, Documents of American History, and the Barnette case can be found in Konvitz, Bill of Rights Reader. Both cases can be found in James, The Supreme Court in American Life.


SOURCE

The Bill of Rights. A Sourcebook for Teachers. California State Department of Education, 1967.


B. All Roads Lead to Philadelphia

Involve your students in reliving the Constitutional Convention by following the excellent guidelines of Camille Leanhardt's All Roads Lead to Philadelphia: A Simulation of the Constitutional Convention. California History - Social Science Project. University of California. Los Angeles, California, 1994. Students assume the roles of the Constitution's framers (aided by role profiles provided in the simulation) and write a biography of their character. Students then participate in compromise groups and debate the issues.

 

RESOURCES


Bill of Rights in Action: Freedom of Religion. A Bernard Wilets Film, BFA Education Media, 1969. This film presents a hypothetical case in which the need for medical treatment conflicts with religious beliefs forbidding its use.

McKay, Susan W. and Alita Letwin. "Lesson Plans in Civic and Legal Education". Social Studies Review. California Council for the Social Studies, Fall Issue, 1974. The concept of freedom is the major discussion topic suggested for grades 10-12. Students read a description of the case Wisconsin v. Goder and identify conflicting claims and values. Students review and discuss the first amendment as it applies to this case and make a decision based on their interpretation of this amendment.

Leonhardt, Camille. All Roads Lead to Philadelphia: A Simulation of the Constitutional Convention. California History - Social Science Project. University of California, Los Angeles, 1994. A well-presented guide to a re-enactment of the Constitutional Convention. Students role-play the Constitution's framers and participate in compromise groups where they debate the major divisive issues of the Convention.

Naylor, David and Arlene Gallagher. Bill of Rights Poster Series. American Bar Association, Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship.

Temple - LEAP PROJECT. The Bill of Rights - Alive! 200 Years Young. Temple University School of Law, 1992. American Lawyers Auxiliary, Law-Related Education Handbook, Chicago, 1989.

Vettie, Donald and Linda Ford. Responsibilities and Rights in the Schools. Carroll County Public Schools, Westminster, MD, 1978.

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