Our Bill of Rights

Maureen Greenly

I created this unit for my 7th grade Social Studies class to teach them the meaning, purpose, and different interpretations of the Bill of Rights. I want my students to understand that the struggle for freedoms and liberties in our country came from many years of debate, compromise, and forward thinking of our Founding Fathers. Freedom and liberty are simple everyday words we use every day to describe our government, our history and our American culture but the interpretation of these words change over time in response to events in our society. The purpose of this unit is to guide my students to understand that The Bill of Rights reflect our American values and our belief in individual freedom, justice, and equal rights. The students will analyze opposing viewpoints of the Anti-Federalists and Federalists towards the ratification of the Constitution. Then they will study Landmark Supreme Court Cases and identify specific aspects of the court decision. Lastly, they will identify the amendments to The Bill of Rights and the historical purpose of each amendment.