Grade 5
Social Studies
Unit: 03
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 2 days
Nuestros documentos históricos
Lesson Synopsis:
This lesson is designed to help districts meet the state and federal mandates for Celebrate Freedom Week. The lesson
focuses on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It provides a brief overview of the founding documents.
TEKS:
5.15
Government. The student understands important ideas in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution,
and the Bill of Rights. The student is expected to:
5.15B
Explain the purposes of the U.S. Constitution as identified in the Preamble
5.15C
Explain the reasons for the creation of the Bill of Rights and its importance.
5.17
5.17D
5.20
5.20A
5.20B
The student understands important symbols, customs, celebrations, and landmarks that represent American
beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity. The student is expected to:
Describe the origins and significance of national celebrations such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Constitution Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day.
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:
Describe the fundamental rights guaranteed by each amendment in the Bill of Rights, including freedom of
religion, speech, and press; the right to assemble and petition the government; the right to keep and bear arms;
the right to trial by jury; and the right to an attorney.
Describe various amendments to the U.S. Constitution such as those that extended voting rights of U.S. citizens.
Social Studies Skills TEKS:
5.24
5.24B
5.24D
5.25
5.25A
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences
and conclusions.
different points of view about an issue, topic, or current event;
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
Use social studies terminology correctly.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator(s):

Create a collage with words and pictures to illustrate the important ideas of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
as applied to our contemporary society, including how the documents reflect the protection of rights of individuals.
Explain, orally or in writing, why you included the words and pictures you did. (5.15B, 5.15C; 5.25A)
1C, 1E
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:

Los documentos gubernamentales en una nación democrática reflejan las creencias de sus ciudadanos.
— ¿Cuál es el propósito de la Constitución de los Estados Unidos?
— ¿Por qué se agregó la Declaración de Derechos a la Constitiución de los Estados Unidos?
— ¿Qué derechos fundamentales están garantizados en la Declaración de Derechos y otras enmiendas a la
Constitución de los Estados Unidos?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
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
Constitución
Preámbulo
©2012, TESCCC
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enmienda
posteridad
04/04/13
page 1 of 5
Grade 5
Social Studies
Unit: 03 Lesson: 02
Materials:
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Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials.
Attachments:
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Handout: The Preamble with Images (cut apart, 1 per group)
Teacher Resource: The Preamble KEY
Handout: U.S. Constitution (1 per student)
Handout: Constitution Scavenger Hunt (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Constitution Scavenger Hunt KEY
Handout: Explanation of the Bill of Rights (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Explanation of the Bill of Rights KEY
Handout: Constitution and Bill of Rights Notes (1 per student)
Resources and References:


U.S. Constitution : http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
Bill of Rights: http://billofrightsinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/BillofRights.pdf
Advance Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson, including the founding documents.
Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.
Preview websites according to district guidelines.
Collect pictures for the collage. (Collecting enough pictures and a variety of pictures is critical.)
Prepare attachment(s) as necessary.
Background Information:
The two founding documents that have been influential in the development of our national identity are the Declaration of
Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The Declaration of Independence was written as an open letter to explain the
colonists’ position on the purpose of government; list of grievances against King George III; get sympathy and support;
and ask foreign nations for help. The U.S. Constitution, intended to unite the colonies, defines and limits the powers of the
government and establishes a framework for the government of the United States. As part of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill
of Rights delineates individual rights and ensures individual human rights protections.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
ENGAGE – Preamble
1. Group students into threes.
2. Read aloud the Preamble to the Constitution and display the
Constitution.
3. Provide each student with an envelope with the words and
picture/images of the Preamble from the Handout: The
Preamble with Images, a sheet of paper, and access to a glue
stick.
4. Students arrange the phrases in order and then match the
phrase with the picture that best fits the phrase.
©2012, TESCCC
04/04/13
NOTE: 1 Day = 30 or 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 15 minutes
Materials:
 Constitution of the United States
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/const
itution.html
 Envelope (for words and pictures of the
Preamble)
 glue sticks (one per group)
 paper (1 sheet per group)
Attachments:
 Handout: The Preamble With Images (cut
apart, 1 per group)
 Teacher Resource: The Preamble KEY
Page 2 of 5
Grade 5
Social Studies
Unit: 03 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
5. Ask students what the PRE represents. (before) (The Preamble
is the introductory paragraph to the U.S. Constitution.) and
facilitate a discussion to discuss the meaning and purpose of
the Preamble.
TEKS: 5.15B; 5.24B
Purpose:
Students decipher and interpret the Preamble
through logic and inferencing.
6. Display and read the Preamble so students can check their
order.
7. When correct, students glue the pieces of the Preamble to a
piece of paper.
8. Facilitate a discussion about the purposes of the Constitution as
identified in the Preamble using the Teacher Resource: The
Preamble KEY. Include discussion of the important beliefs of
the founders that are included in the Preamble.
9. Students use their Preamble “puzzle” as together they read the
Preamble aloud.
EXPLORE – The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights
Suggested Day 1 and 2 – 45 minutes
Materials:
 Constitution of the United States (1 per group)
2. Display the U.S. Constitution for students to view. (Projecting
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/const
the document from the National Archives website will allow
itution.html
students to view the primary source.)
 Background information on the Constitution
 Bill of Rights (1 per group)
3. Provide students with background information about the
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_o
Constitution. The background might include information such
f_rights.html
as:
 Background information on the Bill of Rights
 The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787 by
 Information about opposition to the
representatives from the different colonies (states). The
Constitution
document contains about 4,400 words; it was written in
about three months in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Attachments:
is the oldest and shortest Constitution of any major
 Handout: U.S. Constitution (1 per group)
government.
 Handout: Constitution Scavenger Hunt (1
 The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by
per group)
39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. We
 Teacher Resource: Constitution Scavenger
recognize that day by celebrating Constitution Day on
Hunt KEY
September 17 each year. We celebrate America, our
 Handout: Explanation of the Bill of Rights
founding documents, and their emphasis on ensuring
 Handout: Explanation of the Bill of Rights
our freedom this week in Celebrate Freedom Week.
KEY
 The Constitution defines the structure of the
 Handout: Constitution and Bill of Rights
government. After more than 200 years, the
Notes (1 per student)
Constitution remains the law of the United States.
 The Constitution is divided into 7 Articles (sections or
TEKS: 5.15B; 5.17D; 5.24B
chapters). Each article provides an explanation and
rules/laws for the government.
1.
Place students in groups of 4.
4.
Display the Bill of Rights for students to view. (Projecting the
document from the National Archives website will allow
students to view the primary source.)
5.
Provide students with background information such as:
 The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the
©2012, TESCCC
04/04/13
Page 3 of 5
Grade 5
Social Studies
Unit: 03 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
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Notes for Teacher
Constitution. They were ratified and enacted in 1791,
four years after the Constitution was ratified. The
adoption of the Bill of Rights was an important event
related to the existence of the Constitution.
There were 2 points of view regarding the need for a Bill
of Rights, and the discussion affected whether some
people voted for the Constitution or not.
When the Constitution was being written in 1787, not
much time had passed since the Revolutionary War had
been fought. People still remembered how the British
monarchy had violated their civil rights, and they didn’t
want any possibility of that happening again. They
wanted individual rights spelled out in the Constitution
so there was no question about what the government
could and could not do. These people agreed to ratify
the Constitution only with the understanding that
amendments guaranteeing individual rights would be
offered.
6.
Distribute the Handout: Constitution Scavenger Hunt and a
copy of the U.S. Constitution to half of the groups of 4 students.
7.
Distribute the Handout: Explanation of the Bill of Rights to
the other half of the groups of 4 students.
8.
Students in the Constitution groups read appropriate sections of
the textbook and other classroom materials to learn about the
U.S. Constitution. They also scan through the U.S. Constitution
to answer the questions in the Handout: Constitution
Scavenger Hunt, highlighting or underlining important or
interesting parts. (This can be completed as homework.)
9.
Students in the Bill of Rights groups read appropriate sections
of the textbook and other classroom materials to learn about
the Bill of Rights. They also scan read through the Handout:
Explanation of the Bill of Rights (amendments 1-10),
highlighting or underlining important ideas or interesting parts.
(This can be completed as homework.)
10. Distribute the Handout: Constitution and Bill of Rights Notes
to all students.
11. Facilitate a discussion where students report what they found
about their document and describe the information they learned
from their readings about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
12. During the discussion, students take notes regarding the
important facts and ideas related to their documents. Include
discussion of the purposes of the U.S. Constitution as identified
in the Preamble and the reasons for the creation of the Bill of
Rights and its importance.
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 10 minutes
EXPLAIN
1.
Students create a timeline of the three major founding
documents.
 Under the entry for the Declaration of Independence
(studied in Lesson 1), students list the key elements and
purpose of the Declaration of Independence.
©2012, TESCCC
04/04/13
Page 4 of 5
Grade 5
Social Studies
Unit: 03 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
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
Notes for Teacher
Under the entry for the Constitution, students list the
purposes of the U.S. Constitution as identified in the
Preamble.
Under the entry for the Bill of Rights, students explain the
reasons for the creation of the Bill of Rights and its
importance.
ELABORATE – The Bill of Rights and other Amendments
1.
Students read articles from the newspaper and magazines that
connect to the Constitution and Bill of Rights, explaining what
important idea it connects with and what they see as the
connection.
2.
Encourage students to tie their ideas to the guiding questions
and Key Understanding.
 Governing documents in a democratic nation reflect the
beliefs of its citizens.
— What is the purpose of the U.S. Constitution?
— Why was the Bill of Rights added to the U.S.
Constitution?
— What fundamental rights are guaranteed in the Bill
of Rights and other amendments to the U.S.
Constitution?
EVALUATE

Create a collage with words and pictures to illustrate the
important ideas of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as
applied to our contemporary society, including how the
documents reflect the protection of rights of individuals. Explain,
orally or in writing, why you included the words and pictures you
did. (5.15B, 5.15C; 5.25A)
1C, 1E
©2012, TESCCC
04/04/13
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 10 minutes
Materials:
 Articles from magazines or newspapers that
relate current events connected to ideas in the
Constitution and Bill of Rights
TEKS: 5.15C; 5.20A, 5.20B
Instructional Note:
The daily newspaper often addresses topics
related to the Constitution and Bill of Rights in the
letters to the editor, front-page news, and editorials
(elections, freedom of speech, right to assemble,
federalism and states’ rights, etc.)
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 20 minutes
Materials:
 Magazines and newspapers for cuting apart
 Drawing paper for collage
 Scissors
 Markers
Instructional Note:
Some words and pictures may be drawn and not
cut from magazines and newspapers.
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