Why is it important for students to renew their understanding of the Constitution?

On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine of fifty-five delegates signed the new U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia. It was not ratified by the nine states needed to enact it until June 1788, and the thirteenth state (Rhode Island) did not ratify until May 1790.

At the last date, lingering concerns about increased government power were a hot topic of debate. This led, in 1791, to the creation of the first ten amendments to the Constitution (the Bill of Rights) designed to protect the individual rights of citizens.

To celebrate the birth of our unique form of democracy, Congress has declared September 17 of each year to be National Constitution and Citizenship Day. All schools that receive federal funding are required to integrate activities that day or week to help students understand the benefits and importance of the U.S. Constitution.

Recently, several issues have been debated by our leaders that are directly affected by the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. These include:

Gun control
2nd Amendment
Shootings at Virginia Tech

Right to privacy from search and seizure
4th Amendment
Patriot Act

Women's rights
Battle to overturn Roe v. Wade
Partial-birth abortion

Government financial support for religious schools and charities
1st Amendment

Each of these issues involves continuing debates between citizen groups who have credible arguments for their opposing causes.

The Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to decide to uphold any existing law that is challenged by citizen groups, or have it repealed because it is in violation of the Constitution.

The pendulum of individual vs. societal rights continues to swing back and forth over time, but the trend has been to rule in favor of the rights of individual (e.g. gender, race, and existing rights contained in the Bill of Rights).

These constitutional freedoms and our checks and balances system of government have made the U.S. one of the most prosperous and stable countries in the world.

Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Standards

Reading:
1.1.4 -- The student will apply reading strategies when comparing, making connections, drawing conclusions about, and synthesizing significant ideas between print and non-print text.

Composing:
2.3 -- The student will locate, retrieve, and use information from various sources to accomplish a purpose.
2.3.2 -- The student will use various information retrieval sources (traditional and electronic) to obtain information on a self-selected and/or given topic.

Political Systems:
Indicator 1 (grade 8) -- Investigate the evolution of the U.S. political system as expressed in the United States Constitution; (high school)
1.1 -- The student will demonstrate understanding of the structure and functions of government and politics in the United States;
1.2 -- The student will evaluate how the United States government has maintained a balance between protecting rights and maintaining order.

The SIRS Leading Issues feature provides more than 100 important issues for students to research and debate. Many of them have their basis in the Constitution's Bill of Rights.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were created to provide a compelling reason for the states to finally adopt the Constitution. The Bill of Rights ensures the individual rights of citizens and was not found in any other governmental system of the world at that time.

Here is a list of Leading Issues that have their primary basis in the Bill of Rights:

• Abortion; Affirmative action
• Capital punishment; Censorship; Church and state; Civil rights
• Death penalty
• Freedom of religion; Freedom of speech; Freedom of the press
• Gun control
• Privacy, Right of
• Racial profiling
• School prayer
• Treatment of prisoners

Teachers should assign students different issues from the list above. This will provide a variety of reports and reasoned opinions. Each report should refer to the specific Bill of Rights amendment that is its basis.

Students should be assigned a two- to three-minute oral report using the special Leading Issues templates for either the mini-research report with note cards, or the PowerPoint presentation (click More Issues . . . in the Pro vs. Con box > scroll down to the bottom right for links to download the student guides).

Oral presentations are required by state standards and help to develop essential language arts skills necessary for success in higher education and in careers. Oral presentations also motivate greater preparation and help to share academic knowledge among students.

Students will be using MyAnalysis, a unique five-step research and reporting process from SIRS that's integrated within each Leading Issue. It provides the necessary structure to help students organize, analyze, synthesize, and report their reasoned conclusions.

SIRS Leading Issues supports the school's and teacher's goal of integrating technology, information literacy, state standards, critical thinking, and real world academic content (21st Century Skills) while making the teacher's and the students' work less complicated.

There are many news events related to issues that have their basis in Constitutional rights that are presented each day on TV and covered in newspapers and magazines. Students in schools who use SIRS Discoverer are most likely aware of many of these events but probably not aware of their connection to the Bill of Rights of the Constitution.

Teachers can help students to make these connections by assigning mini-research activities that focus on these events and issues:

1. Burning the American flag
2. Government secretly checking your email and telephone calls
3. Mass killing of fellow students by a Virginia Tech student
4. Faith-based charities getting federal funding
5. The Pledge of Allegiance in public schools
6. Two new Supreme Court Justices can help to change our laws
7. Religious displays including the Nativity and Ten Commandment on government property
8. Outlawing of the juvenile death penalty
9. Bible study elective courses in schools
10. Limiting the powers of the President
11. Banning books like "Harry Potter" in school libraries

Teachers should assign each of these topics to different students. Students should prepare a two-minute oral report (or PowerPoint) that uses information from at least two resources. These reports are an opportunity for students to practice presentation skills and to share their new knowledge and ideas with each other.

Each report should address the following questions:

• What happened to bring attention to this issue and event?
• What Amendment in the Bill of Rights to the Constitution is affected?
• How would you have ruled on this case if you were a Supreme Court Justice?
• What are the reasons for your decision?

Pathfinder for resources on this assignment:
Click the icon HISTORY & GOVERNMENT > United States of America > Constitution

Students can explore some of the most significant decisions in Supreme Court history in the 20th Century to discover how the Court has changed and can change its perspective on laws that favor individual vs. societal (government) rights over time.

The Constitution, through the Bill of Rights, provides the individual freedoms to U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court defines these rights in light of current events and philosophies of its Justices. Here are some pathfinders for topics that relate to the rulings of the Supreme Court.

Click the Decades icon and select the following topics:

1. 1910s | Income Tax: What was the ruling of the Supreme Court and why did it change later?
2. 1930s | Supreme Court and the New Deal: Use the DBQ and So What features for excellent activities.
3. 1950s | Race and Ethnic Relations: What was the role of the Supreme Court on this issue over time?
4. 1960s | The Warren Court: What direction did the Warren Court have on individual vs. societal rights?
5. 1970s | Civil Rights: What was the Court's position on Civil Rights and what was their rationale in at least two cases?
6. 1970s | Gender Equality and Sexuality: What was the Court's position on gender rights and what was their rationale in at least two cases?
7. 1980s | Immigration, Race and Gender: What was the Court's position on rights and what was their rationale in at least two cases?