You Have the Right to.....

By: Mary Ellen Wessel

Indicator

• 2.2.1 Explain that the United States government is founded on the belief of equal rights for its citizens. (Individuals, Society and Culture)

• http://www.indianastandards.org/files/soc/ss_2_2_1.pdf

Definitions

Citizen – someone with rights and responsibilities in a particular community, city, state or country.

Rights - that which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, moral principles, etc.: women's rights; Freedom of speech is a right of all Americans.

Responsibilities - answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often fol. by to or for): He is responsible to the president for his decisions.

Research

Some of the freedoms and rights protected in the Bill of Rights include:

· Freedom of Religion

· Freedom of Assembly

· To Keep and Bear Arms

· Freedom of Speech

· Freedom of the Press

· Protection for those Accused of Crimes

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/rights.html

Activity Day 1

Make a 2 column chart on the board. Label 1 rights and the other responsibilities.

Tell students that, as citizens of the US, they have certain rights.

Guide students to think about some rights they have as citizens of the community and list these under “Rights.”

Ask students what rights they have at school.

List the responses in the “Rights” column.

Explain to students that for each right there is a responsibility.

Ask students what responsibilities they have as a student. Put responses under the “Responsibilities” column.

Ask students what responsibilities they have as a citizen of the community. Put responses under the “Responsibilities” column.

Activity Day 2

Divide the class into four groups.

Give each group a poster board and a set of markers.

Explain to students that they are going to make a poster that illustrates some of the rights they just discussed.

Have two groups create a Classroom Bill of Rights and the other two groups to make a Community Bill of Rights.

When students are finished with the posters post them on the board for the class to compare.

Activity Day 3

Review rights and responsibilities with students.

Review the rights and responsibilities for the school and for the community.

Discuss with students which responsibilities go with which rights.

Discuss what we do to fulfill our responsibilities.

Discuss if every right has a responsibility that goes with it.

Activity Day 4

Share books with the students that discuss the Bill of Rights. Such as A Kids' Guide to America's Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound Giant, A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution, and Bill of rights (true books).

Have students in groups look through the books. Tell them to look for rights that they have as citizens in the books and jot them down.

Then as a class go over the rights the students jotted down.

Discuss the Bill of Rights with the students.

Make a list as a class showing the Bill of Rights.

Activity Day 5

Review the rights and responsibilities for school and the community.

Then discuss the rights of the country.

Make 4 new posters as a class. 1 for rights in the classroom, 1 for rights in the school, 1 for rights in the community, and 1 for rights in the country.

Hang posters around the room.

Resources

Dictonary.com. Retrieved (2009, November 2) from http://dictionary.reference.com/

Krull, K, & Divito, A. (1999). A Kids' guide to america's bill of rights: curfews, censorship, and the 100-pound giant . U.S.A.: First Avon Camelot Printing.

Maestro, B, & Maestro, G. (1990). A more Perfect union: the story of our constitution. New York: Willam Morrow & Company Inc..

Taylor-Butler, C. (2008). Bill of rights (true books). New York: Children's Press.

Standard Indicator: http://www.indianastandards.org/files/soc/ss_2_2_1.pdf

(2002, July 8). Rights of citizens: the bill of rights. Retrieved from http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/rights.html