Bill of Rights Day - December 15
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Bill of Rights Day in Public Schools
Many educators welcome input from the residents of their community. Even if you do not know students attending local schools, this is a good opportunity to suggest ideas for their observances of Billof Rights Day:
- Contact the principal of an elementary, middle, or high
school in your area and offer to help plan an activity:
http://www.justicelearning.org/
and
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson347.shtml
- Contact the administrative office at your local community
college and offer resources for Bill of Rights Day events.
- Work with student groups on campus to plan events.
- Offer to read the Bill of Rights or the Constitution to
a class in your neighborhood school, or provide speakers
for a school program.
- Order copies of Rights Matter: The Story of the Bill of Rights (70 page book, $2 each), for use in the classroom:
- Contact school debate clubs and organize a public debate
on the Bill of Rights. Students can research some of the
debate topics about adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution
to make their arguments. See “Bill of Rights History”
under the “Resources” section.
- Start an essay contest for school children, and
have readings of selected essays at a public event.
- Put on a local reading of the Bill of Rights.
The National
Constitution Center invites schools, workplaces, and organizations
to participate in America
Reads the Constitution. Their downloadable kit contains instructions,
press materials, parts for 109 readers, and 50 optional additional
readings from speeches of famous people. Also see the NCC's
extensive list of materials, guides and toolkits relating to
Constitution Day.
- Distribute copies of the Bill of Rights to schools in your community. Download a copy.
ACLU of Massachusetts
211 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 482-3170 ext. 314
Find your local school
BORDC's K-12 resource page
Bill of Rights Day Lesson Plans
BORDC
- Find Someone Who (by Elizabeth Hanson)
- Frequently Asked Questions (by Elizabeth Hanson)
- Indirect Representation (by Meagan Magrath)
- Words of Liberty (by Elizabeth Hanson)
- Fundamental Principles of the Bill of Rights for K-2 (by Kali Cohn)
- Fundamental Principles of the Bill of Rights for 9-12 (by Kali Cohn)
American Constitution Society
- Fourth Amendment Lesson Plan (High School)
- First Amendment (High School):
- Fourth Amendment Lesson Plan (College):
Missouri Bar Association: Bill of Rights Lesson Plan (5-12)
Bill of Rights Institute: Bill of Rights Lesson Plans
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Bill of Rights in Action Lesson Plan
Bill of Rights Essay Contests:
Kansas: The Bill of Rights and the George Mason Prose or Poetry Contest
Other Bill of Rights Educational Materials:
Constitution Society: Documentary History of the Bill of Rights
Library of Congress: Bill
of Rights Day