Bill of Rights
How Important Are
Our Rights?
A Two-Part Activity
Made With Love By:
Jenifer Bazzit
Table of Contents
Page 3: Letter to Students from Planet Montack- asks for
help in choosing the five most important rights from the
U.S. Bill of Rights
Page 4: Cooperative Group Checklist: Lists steps to
complete the activity
Pages 5-9: Rights Cards: Gives ten rights in kidfriendly language- one right per card
Page 10: Rights Checklist #1- Students indicate the
order of importance they chose for the rights
Pages 11-12: That Right Is Not Important…Think Again!
Each right is listed along with what could happen if that
right did not exist in the United States
Page 13: We’ve Changed Our Minds!- After reading and
discussing “That Right is Not Important…Thank Again!”,
students will probably need to change the order of
importance for their rights. Students often do not
realize how much their life would change without one
right or another!
Page 14: Bill of Rights for the Citizens of MontackStudents write the five rights they determined were most
important.
Pages 15-20: Bill of Rights Mini-Book: Each right is
listed on one page, in kid-friendly language. Students
will write why each right is important to them and make a
pictorial representation of the right.
Dear Earthlings…
We come in peace from Planet
Montack. We are here on a special
mission!
Montack is a fairly new planet. We
are building our government to include
laws and rights. We admire the rights
that your citizens have in the Bill of
Rights. We want to learn about these
rights. Our leader will allow us to
include only 5 rights in the Montack
Bill of Rights, so we must ask for your
advice. Which rights are the most
important to you? Will you help us
write the Montack Bill of Rights?
Would you please help
us?
Planet Montack
Our Leader
Help Planet Montack
Cooperative Group Checklist
Group Members:
_______________________________
The Bill of Rights for our country, The United States, is made
up of the first 10 Amendments to our Constitution. You will
examine some of our rights as American citizens to decide
which are the five most important rights. You will write a new
Bill of Rights for the Planet Montack with the five rights
your group decides are the most important.
Check off the steps as they are completed.
____ As a group, read and discuss the Rights Cards. Place them
in the order of most important to least important.
____ Rate the rights #1-10 on Rights Checklist #1
____ Read and discuss with your group That Right is Not
Important…Think Again!
____ Fill out We’ve Changed Our Minds with your old and new
ratings.
____ Write the new Bill of Rights for the Citizens of Planet
Montack
We have the right to choose
our own religion.
We have the right to say what
we want, in most cases.
We have the right to sign a
petition and present it to the
government.
We have the right to assemble
peacefully in large groups.
We have the right to own guns.
We do not have to let
soldiers live in our homes.
We have the right to privacy.
The police cannot search our
property or bodies without a
warrant.
We do not have to say things
that make us sound guilty if
we are accused of a crime.
We have the right to a speedy
trial if we are accused of a
crime.
If we commit crimes, fair and
reasonable punishment will be
used.
Rights Checklist #1
Group Members: _____________________________________
Instructions: Rate these rights by order of
importance, numbers 1-10. Write “1” next to the most
important right, and so on.
Order of
Importance
Right
We have the right to choose our own
religion.
We have the right to say what we want, in
most cases.
We have the right to sign a petition and
present it to the government.
We have the right to assemble peacefully
in large groups.
We have the right to own guns.
We do not have to let soldiers live in our
homes.
We have the right to privacy. The police
cannot search our property or bodies
without a warrant.
We do not have to say things that make us
sound guilty if we are accused of a crime.
We have the right to a speedy trial if we
are accused of a crime.
If we commit crimes, fair and reasonable
punishment will be used.
That Right is Not Important
…Think Again! (page 1)
What would life be like without certain rights?
We have the right to
choose our own religion.
*************************
Without this right, the
government may tell us
how to worship. The
government will choose
the church that you must
attend.
We have the right to say
what we want, in most
cases.
*************************
If you don’t agree with
something the government
does, that’s too bad! If
you complain, you may be
put in jail.
We have the right to sign
a petition and present it
to the government.
*************************
Even if we collect a
million signatures from
people who are concerned
about an issue, government
leaders don’t have to look!
We have the right to
assemble peacefully in
large groups.
*************************
No more sporting events,
concerts, public swimming
pools, movie theaters or
skate parks! Large
gatherings of people are no
longer allowed.
We have the right to own
guns.
*************************
All guns must be turned in
to government officials.
You may not have a gun in
your home for protection.
You may not hunt with guns
anymore.
That Right is Not Important
…Think Again! (page 2)
What would life be like without certain rights?
We do not have to let
soldiers live in our
homes.
*************************
You no longer live with
only your family. Soldiers
will move into your home if
they need a place to stay.
They may even take over
your bedroom!
We have the right to
privacy.
*************************
The police may search you
or your belongings at any
time and for any reason.
It doesn’t matter if you
are guilty or innocent,
you can be searched.
We do not have to say
things that make us sound
guilty if we are accused
of a crime.
*************************
If you are accused of a
crime, you may be taken to
court and forced to admit
your guilt, whether you are
actually guilty or not.
We have the right to a
speedy trial if we are
accused of a crime.
*************************
If you are accused of a
crime, you may have to
wait many years for your
trial to begin.
3 years…5 years?
If we commit crimes, fair
and reasonable punishment
will be used.
*************************
Without this right, your
hand may be cut off for
stealing. You may spend
50 years in jail for
breaking a window.
We’ve Changed Our Minds!
Group Members:
____________________________
After learning more about your rights, what changes do
you want to make? Have you decided certain rights are
more important than others? Fill in the chart with your
previous choices first. Then, fill in your changes.
First
order of
importance
Right
We have the right to choose our own
religion.
We have the right to say what we want,
in most cases.
We have the right to sign a petition
and present it to the government.
We have the right to assemble
peacefully in large groups.
We have the right to own guns.
We do not have to let soldiers live in
our homes.
We have the right to privacy. The
police cannot search our property or
bodies without a warrant.
We do not have to say things that make
us sound guilty if we are accused of a
crime.
We have the right to a speedy trial if
we are accused of a crime.
If we commit crimes, fair and
reasonable punishment will be used.
Our new,
revised
order of
importance
Bill of Rights
for the Citizens of Planet Montack
1. ___________________________________
__________________________________
2. _________________________________
________________________________
3. _________________________________
_________________________________
4. _________________________________
__________________________________
5. ___________________________________
____________________________________
Bill of Rights Mini-Book
Name: ______________________
I have learned so
much about the
Bill of Rights!
We have the right to choose our own
religion.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We have the right to say what we want, in
most cases.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We have the right to sign a petition and
present it to the government.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We have the right to assemble peacefully in
large groups.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We have the right to own guns.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We do not have to let soldiers live in our
homes.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We have the right to privacy.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We do not have to say things that make us
sound guilty if we are accused of a crime.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
We have the right to a speedy trial if we
are accused of a crime.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
If we commit crimes, fair and reasonable
punishment will be used.
This right is important to me because…
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Draw a picture to represent this right:
I absolutely cannot live without this
right: ____________________________________
Explain why you cannot live without this
right: ____________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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Made With Love By:
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