Name: Hour: Bill of Rights Stations Activity Directions: As you move from station to station, connect each amendment of the Bill of Rights with the rights guaranteed by that amendment. Additionally, for each amendment, draw a picture and think of an example of a situation where that right is relevant in order to help you remember. Amendment Picture Rights Guaranteed Example AMENDMENT I “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Freedom of Religion Freedom of religion is the first freedom mentioned in the Bill of Rights. This shows how important it was to the Founding Fathers of the United States. Many of the people who first came to America did so in order to have religious freedom. They did not want the new government to take this freedom away. The First Amendment allows people to believe and practice whatever religion they want. They can also choose not to follow any religion. The government can, however, regulate religious practices such as human sacrifice or illegal drug use. Freedom of Speech Another very important freedom to the Founding Fathers was freedom of speech. They didn't want the new government to keep people from speaking up about issues and concerns they had with the government. This freedom prevents the government from punishing people for expressing their opinions. It does not, however, protect them from repercussions they may have at work or in the public from voicing their opinions. Freedom of the Press This freedom allows people to publish their opinions and information without the government stopping them. This may be through any type of media including the newspaper, radio, TV, printed pamphlets, or online. There are some things that you can't publish including printing lies about people to damage their reputation (this is called defamation) or copying someone else's work (copyright law). Right to Assemble This freedom gives people the right to gather in groups as long as they are peaceable. The government must allow people to gather on public property. This allows people to hold protests and rallies against the government calling for changes. In some cases, the government may get involved in order to protect the safety of the citizens. Permits may be required to hold large protests, but the requirements for the permits cannot be too difficult to meet and must be required for all organizations, not just some of them. Right to Petition the Government The right to petition the government might not sound very important today, but it was important enough to the Founding Fathers to include in the First Amendment. They wanted a way for the people to officially bring issues to the government. This right allows individuals or special interest groups to lobby the government and to sue the government if they feel they have been wronged. Ex: The New York Times writes a story about a scandal involving the governor of NY. Amendment II “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” This amendment protects the rights of citizens to "bear arms" or own weapons such as guns. Ex. Many Americans own hunting rifles. Amendment III “No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.” The Third Amendment protects private homeowners from having the military take over their home to house soldiers. Ex. Citizens did not need to house/feed soldiers during the War of 1812. Amendment IV “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” It protects people from unlawful searches and seizures. This means that the police can't search you or your house without a warrant or probable cause. Ex. The police wanted to search your cell phone to look at your texts, but you don't have to allow this because they did not have a warrant from a judge. Amendment V “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” The Grand Jury The first part of the amendment talks about a grand jury. The grand jury is a jury that decides if a trial should be held. They look at all the evidence and then decide if a person should be charged with a crime. If they decide there is enough evidence, then they will issue an indictment and a regular trial will be held. The grand jury is only used in cases where the punishment for the crime is severe such as life in prison or the death sentence. Double Jeopardy The next section protects the person from being tried for the same crime more than once. This is called double jeopardy. Taking the Fifth Perhaps the most famous part of the Fifth Amendment is the right to not testify against yourself during a trial. This is often called "taking the fifth." The government must present witnesses and evidence to prove the crime and cannot force someone to testify against themselves. Miranda Warning You've probably heard the police on TV say something like "you have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law" when they arrest someone. This statement is called the Miranda Warning. Police are required to tell people this before they question them as part of the Fifth Amendment. It reminds citizens that they don't have to testify against themselves. Due Process The amendment also states that a person has a right to "due process of law." Due process means that any citizen charged with a crime will be given a fair trial that follows a defined procedure through the judicial system. Eminent Domain The last section says that the government can't take a person's private property without paying them a fair price for it. This is called eminent domain. The government can take your property for public use, but they have to pay you a fair price for it. Ex. Lynn refused to testify at her criminal trial. Amendment VI “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” Speedy Trial One of the first requirements of the Sixth Amendment is that people have a right to a speedy trial. How fast is speedy? Well, the law doesn't say. What this means is that the government shouldn't needlessly delay the trial. They can't hold someone in jail while purposely delaying a trial. Some trials still take a long time for various reasons. Public Trial The amendment next says that the accused will have a "public" trial. This is to keep the government from having secret trials away from the eyes of the public. This happened under the rule of the British and the Founding Fathers didn't want this to occur under the new government. Public trials can help to insure that government officials are following the law. Impartial Jury The right to a trial by jury is guaranteed in the Sixth Amendment. This only applies, however, to serious offenses where the punishment is more than six months in prison. The jury must also be impartial. This means that each of the jurors is unbiased. To help make sure the jurors are impartial, the lawyers from each side get to interview potential jurors and choose who becomes a part of the jury. Notice of Accusation The amendment requires that the person will be told what crime they are charged with. This is called a "notice of accusation." This sounds obvious to us, but without this requirement the government could lock up people for years without ever telling them what they did wrong. This happened under British rule and still occurs today in some countries. Confrontation In order to make trials as fair as possible, the people who say they witnessed the crime must testify in court. This gives the person accused of the crime (or their lawyer) the chance to question and "confront" them. Assistance of Counsel The last part of the amendment guarantees the defendant a lawyer or "assistance of counsel." If the person cannot afford their own lawyer, the government will provide a lawyer. These lawyers are called public defenders. Ex. Pete could not afford a lawyer, so the state provided a lawyer to defend her at no charge. Amendment VII “In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.” This amendment protects the right to a trial by jury in civil court cases. Ex. Josh took Carol to court because she owed him $10,000 and didn't pay it back. Amendment VIII “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” This amendment insures that the punishments for crimes are not excessive, cruel, or unusual. Ex. In the US, you will not be sent to jail for illegal parking. Amendment IX “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” All the rights not listed in the Constitution belong to the people, not the government. In other words, the rights of the people are not limited to just the rights listed in the Constitution. Ex. Tim has the right to dye his hair green. Amendment X “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This amendment states that any power not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution belongs to the States and the people. Ex. Michigan is responsible for establishing and overseeing election procedures.
