TITLE: It's My Right
Grade Level
8th
Curriculum Objective
Demonstrare understanding of individual rights and how they are impacted by Due
Process.
Time required
1 week.
Content Area
Social Studies
Social Studies TEKS Addressed
(5.21) Citizenship. The student understands the fundamental rights of American
citizens guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The student is expected to:
(A) summarize the reasons for the creation of the Bill of Rights;
(B) describe important individual rights including freedom of religion, speech, and press
and the right to assemble\and petition the government;
(C) describe important due process rights including trial by jury and the right to an
attorney; and
(D) summarize selected amendments to the U.S. Constitution such as those that extended
voting rights of U.S. citizens.
Resources
Procedure
- Read "Matthew's Story".
Use Matthew's Links
to develop an understanding of why Americans were worried about Hitler's political
beliefs.
- Review the individual rights protected in our Bill of Rights.
Construct a court room senario in which Hitler and his beliefs are on trial. Show how due
process maintains his individual rights while still upholding our rights as United States
citizens.
- Using the character cards, have each student role
play the given character as described on the card. Background research should be done by
each student in order to understand the perspecrtive of the character he or she is
playing. You may also want to make your own character cards
using the template.
Evaluation
Student accurately plays character role throughout trial.
Extension
Go to Mathew's Uncle's scrapbook
and give a written interpretation of the political cartoon pictured there. (matt/cartoon.htm)
