U.S. Government Constitution Project
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
Become familiar with the Constitution as a document and as a body of law.
Gain a broader understanding of the applications of the United States Constitution in our
lives today.
Recognize and define constitutionality in our legal system today.
Project Requirements:
1. You will collect ten (10) articles from current news periodicals such as: Newsweek, Time,
USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Post and Courier or other
newsweeklies, newspapers, journals, or foreign press. You will then need to relate all your
articles to various locations within the Constitution. (It is important to note that not all
newspaper and magazine articles pertain to the Constitution.)
Your collections will be graded on appropriateness of the articles to the section of the
Constitution to which they are matched, the scope of your coverage of all parts of the
Constitution (including the Amendments), and the breadth of the periodical sources you found.
(It would be expected that you would utilize 5-8 different sources)
Guidelines for the Articles: (see Sample Layout)
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•
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Each article may only be used once. (No Xeroxed copies, nor anything off the internet
may be used)
Highlight each article where it directly pertains to the portion of the Constitution to
which you are referring.
Each page must quote the portion of the Constitution which applies to that page’s article.
Each article must also be summarized briefly on the page.
The source citation must be clearly labeled and cited in its entirety following MLA form
(identified on the Media Center) Website)
Guidelines for each page:
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Use of word-processing is highly recommended for constitutional location, article
summary, and constitutional quotation. If you choose to hand letter this portion of the
project, you will need to be extremely attentive to neatness.
Each page must be numbered.
2. You will write a 2-3 page (typed) argumentative (persuasive) paper which either
supports or opposes the following thesis:
"The United States Constitution is a healthy document which still serves our nation exceptionally
well and does not need drastic change or revision."
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The evidence and support for your argument will be your collection of ten articles from
current periodicals. In other words, you should make references in your paper to some of
the articles you collected.
The essay must be typed and double spaced. It must be 2-3 pages in length and with one
inch margins and 12 pt. type.
3. Organization of Project (in this order)
Title page (incl. Title of Project, Class, Name, and the date)
Table of Contents (Must include the following components in this order)
Articles must be organized in ascending order according to their Constitutional "address"
Constitutional "Address" of the article. For example, Article and Section number,
Amendment Number
Title of the page
Source (ex. name of newspaper or magazine)
Page number (in Arabic numerals)
Article Pages
Paper
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At the end of the project
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Page numbers
The entire project is due at the beginning of your class period (or prior),
regardless of attendance, on January 15. (A) or January 16 (B) If the project has not
been turned in at that time, it will be considered late. If it is turned in late on Monday, it
is considered 1 day late and you lose five points for each additional day late. (5 minutes
late will be considered a full day. In other words, bring it to class completed and stapled
together etc.)
This is the format & order of appearance
your article pages should follow.
New $20 Bills......
Worth about $20
Title
Article
Constitutional Reference and
Quotation
Article I Section 8 Clause VI
"To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting
the securities and current coin of the United
States."
Summary:
New twenty dollar bills are being issued so they
will be more difficult to counterfeit. The old bills
were often counterfeited by cutting off the corners
and putting them on one dollar bills.
Hopkins, John. "Collector's note: Revamped $20
bill likely worth….$20". Cincinnati Enquirer 24
September 1998: 7A.
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Summary
Source Citation
Page Number
Sample Table of Contents
Constitutional Address
Title of Page
Source
I, 2, 5
House Votes to Launch
Inquiry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
1
I, 5, 3
House Votes 258-176 For
Impeachment Inquiry
USA Today
2
I, 7, 2
Clinton Won’t Shut Down
Government Over Budget
The Cincinnati Enquirer
3
I, 8, 1
The New Tax File
Newsweek
4
I, 8, 4
Bankruptcy Reform Unlikely The Wall Street Journal
5
I, 8, 7
Senate Passes Post Office
Bill
6
Linn’s Stamp News
Page
II, 1, 1
Governor Bush Ready to
Play
U.S. News & World Report
7
II, 2, 2
Lawless Offices
The New York Times
8
II, 4
To Fulfill Our Constitutional
Duty
Time
9
IV, 2, 1
Harassment, Census Test on
Agenda
The Kentucky Post
10
Amendment 1
O, Say, Can You Pray
Newsweek
11
Amendment 2
The Armed Citizen
American Hunter
12
Amendment 4
FBI Defends Encryption
Legislation
USA Today
13
Amendment 5
Strong Case For Perjury Seen The Washington Post
14
Amendment 6
Shortage in Jury Pool Delays The Cincinnati Enquirer
Trial
15
Amendment 7
Man Sues Woman in His
Sibling’s Death
The Boston Herald
16
Amendment 10
Ohio Ranks Near Top in
Funding Libraries
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
17
Amendment 14
Intimidation Case Ends
USA Today
18
Amendment 16
Marginal Rates Reemerge
The Wall Street Journal
19
Amendment 25,1
Gore Assumes Presidency
Newsweek
20
Persuasive Paper
You Put The Title of Your Paper Here
Grading
Organization 5 pts
Attractiveness 5 pts
MLA 5 pts
Each article with highlights and analysis 6 pts
Essay 25 pts
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