AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION
The purpose of this assignment is to write an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that addresses a problem faced by Americans in 2012. This is a collaborative assignment, so students will be working in groups of two to four people. First, teams will identify an issue facing the nation that can be resolved by amending the Constitution. A list of possible topics can be found on the other side of this page. Teams will then research the issue they have chosen and present a proposed solution to the class. The presentation can be made in one of these formats--a commercial, a press kit, or an alternative presentation proposed by the research team.
Commercial: Team members will create a 60-second video presentation explaining their proposed amendment. The commercial should be designed to air on television or on the internet. In the commercial, team members must explain how their proposal would solve a national problem and make America stronger. This is a persuasive piece, so use techniques that will convince your audience your solution will work. We will be discussing campaign advertising in class in the near future.
Press kit: A press kit is a set of promotional materials designed to advertise a particular idea or organization. It is distributed to members of the media to promote a campaign.
In this case, the campaign is for the proposed amendment. The press kit for this assignment must include a campaign poster, a brochure, and a PowerPoint presentation explaining the amendment and the issue it addresses. Like the commercial, the materials in the press kit should be persuasive.
Alternative presentation: Groups may also propose a presentation of their own creation.
The proposal must first get the approval of Mr. Olds. An alternative presentation must be comparable to the commercial or press kit in terms of the purpose of the assignment and the amount of work required.
All teams must also complete a proposal worksheet. The proposal worksheet identifies the issue being addressed and places it into historical context. Teams will also use the worksheet to explain how their amendment solves a problem, as well as what opposition their proposal might face during the ratification process. Only one worksheet is required for each group. The proposal worksheet is attached to the directions and is also available on the class website.
Work for this project is due in two stages:
THE PROPOSAL WORKSHEET IS DUE ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28.
THE PRESENTATION (COMMERCIAL, PRESS KIT, OR ALTERNATIVE) IS
DUE ON MARCH 14.
No late work will be accepted for this project. Good luck and bring honor to your family.

Possible topics for amendment proposals:
Change the national voting age
Term limits for Supreme Court justices
Term limit revision for the President and/or members of Congress
Gay marriage--legalize or prohibit
Repeal the 16th Amendment--abolish the federal income tax
Income tax reform
1st Amendment protection for corporations--see Citizens United (2010) decision
Universal health care
Legalize school prayer
Native American reparations--government compensation for land taken
Do away with the Electoral College in presidential elections
Repeal the 2nd Amendment--the right to bear arms
Establish English as the official language of the United States
Abolish the death penalty
Citizenship requirements--revise 14th Amendment "born in the U.S." clause
Immigration reform
Campaign finance reform
Require a balanced federal budget each year
You can also think of your own topic for this assignment--the possibilities are endless.
What is an issue facing the United States that you think could be resolved with an amendment to the Constitution?

AMENDMENT PROPOSAL WORKSHEET
Due February 28, 2012
Team members __________________________________________________________
Proposed amendment:
What is the historical background of the issue your amendment addresses? Why is this an important issue for the United States? Put your proposal into historical context.

What is the expected outcome of your proposal? How does your amendment solve the problem you identified?
What opposition might your proposal face during the ratification process? What are the arguments against your amendment?