Bill of Rights Activities and Amendments 11-27 Unit

About this resource

What's inside this resource

The purpose of this 49-page mini-unit is for students in grades 6-12 to develop a clear understanding of what their rights are under the Constitution, particularly our rights under the Bill of Rights. Increasingly, Americans, especially students, are not able to name many of the rights we are entitled to in the Bill of Rights. They are well aware of Amendment 2 and parts of Amendment 1, and the “I plead the fifth” clause of Amendment 5, but they are woefully uninformed of the other rights that protect us. This mini-unit is designed to give students not only a complete understanding of these rights but opportunities to put their knowledge into practice through the various worksheets and a culminating project at the end of the unit, which is available separately in my store,, “A Great Good Place for Teachers,” called The Bill of Rights: A Project to Assess Knowledge and Understanding. The ultimate goal is for them to have a healthy and complete understanding of why these basic rights are so necessary for our democracy.

This mini-unit is part of my unit: “Our Living Consitution” which is designed using the Into, Through, and Beyond model of lesson planning. The lessons in the Our Living Constitution unit can be used independently or as a supplement to what you already teach or as a whole. Here is a summary of what is in the unit. Check out my store: A Great Good Place for Teachers

Here are the links

Into Lessons: Creating Schema

Lesson 1: Overview of the Constitution of the United States of America
Lesson 2: Origins of the Constitution and Essential Terms
Lesson 3: The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Through Lessons: Learning the Content

Lesson 4: The Preamble: The Goals of the Constitution (not included in Our Living Constitution)
Lesson 5: The Three Branches of Government: Articles 1, 2, and 3
Lesson 6: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Lesson 7: Federalism, Separation of Powers, and Checks and Balances
Lesson 8: Articles 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the United States Constitution
Lesson 9: The Bill of Rights Unit (and a Little About Amendments 11-27)

Extras (from the Unit: Every Four Years… The Presidential Election)

Lesson 10: What Are Your Political Viewpoints? (not included in Our Living Constitution)
Lesson 11: Major and Minor Political Parties (not included in Our Living Constitution)
Lesson 12: A Brief History of Who Can Vote in the United States (not included in Our Living Constitution)
Lesson 13: The Nuts and Bolts of the United States Presidential Election (not included in Our Living Constitution)

Beyond Lessons: Summative Assessments

The Consitution is a Living Document (not included in Our Living Constitution)
The Bill of Rights Explained Project: A Project to Assess Knowledge and Understanding (not included in Our Living Constitution)

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Students explain who the Federalists and Anti-Federalists were and why they supported or opposed ratification of the Constitution.
Students explain why the Anti-Federalists believed a federal bill of rights was necessary.
Students identify each right listed in the Bill of Rights and explain what protection each amendment provides.
Students analyze and interpret real-world events, applying the correct amendment and explaining whether a right was violated or protected.

Teaching tips

Have students draft their own guesses at the ten amendments before reading, then compare to the actual text.
Show the referenced video overview of the Bill of Rights before assigning the reading, then discuss what students saw.
Have students underline or highlight textual evidence as they answer the comprehension questions, then review answers as a class before finalizing.
Work through the first scenario of the 'Our Living Bill of Rights' worksheet as a class before assigning the rest for independent or partner work.

Skills covered

Constitutional analysis — students apply specific Bill of Rights amendments to real and hypothetical current-events scenarios and judge whether a right was violated or protected.
Primary-source close reading — students read amendment text alongside plain-language explanations and answer comprehension questions using textual evidence.
Historical argumentation — students explain the competing Federalist and Anti-Federalist positions on ratification and a bill of rights.
Civics vocabulary application — students use terms like due process, double jeopardy, eminent domain, and self-incrimination in context through the crossword and worksheets.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How should teachers treat the scenarios in 'Our Living Bill of Rights,' since the guide notes some are factual and others invented?

Most scenarios are based on real current and historical events, but the guide states a few — such as the Amendment 9 example — are entirely invented or blend fact and fiction, so teachers should treat them as illustrative rather than as a verified historical record.