Essential Questions:
• How does the Constitution protect a citizen’s rights
through due process?
• Why do we have a process to make amendments?
• How are amendments to the U.S. Constitution
made?
• What is a democracy?
• How has the amendment process to the U.S.
Constitution maintained a representative
democracy?
Why Do I Need to Learn This
Material???
• SS5CG1: The student will explain how a citizen’s
rights are protected under the U.S. Constitution.
• Explain the responsibilities of a citizen
• Explain the freedoms granted by the Bill of Rights
• Explain the concept of due process of law
• Describe how the Constitution protects a citizen’s
rights by due process
• SS5CG2: The student will explain the process by
which amendments to the U.S. Constitution are
made.
• Explain the amendment process as outlined in the
Constitution.
More StandardS…
• Describe the purpose for the amendment
process.
• SS5GC3: The student will explain how the
amendments to the U.S. Constitution have
maintained a representative democracy
Lesson 3- Let’s review rights and
responsibilities and the Bill of Rights!
• http://www.brainpop.com/social
studies/usgovernmentandlaw/b
illofrights/
• Discuss the main idea of the
video with your neighbor.
Essential Questions:
• What is a democracy?
• How does the Constitution protect a
citizen’s rights through due process?
• Why do we have a process to make
amendments?
• How are amendments to the U.S.
Constitution made?
• How has the amendment process to the
U.S. Constitution maintained a
representative democracy?
Note-taking Guide
• Use your note-taking guide as we
watch the PowerPoint, and fill in the
information as you learn it.
Let’s Review: Becoming a Citizen
•
In the United States, citizens have a lot
of freedoms, but they also have a
responsibility to the country.
• responsibility - a duty that people are
expected to fulfill
Because citizens cannot expect their
governments to do everything, they must
do their part by becoming a volunteer.
• volunteer – helping other people without
being paid
Rights and Responsibilities of citizens
of the United States
Responsibilities
Rights
•To vote
•Join groups of your choice
•Fair trial
•Practice religion of choice
•Not be discriminated
against in jobs
•Get an education
•Help in your
community
•To vote
•Obey laws
•Pay taxes
•Serve on juries
Where do they
overlap?
Principles of Democracy
• All nations have governments.
• A government is a group of people who make
and enforce the laws of a region or country.
• The United States has a democratic
government.
• A democracy is a government in which the
people decide (govern themselves) how the
government should be run.
• In the United States the majority decides who
will win an election. Majority means more than
half.
• Watch “Democracy” on www.brainpop.com.
United States Motto
•
“E pluribus
unum” is one motto
of the United States.
This phrase means
“out of many, one”.
• This motto is a
reminder that the
original thirteen
colonies formed
one country. It can
be found on our
American coins.
The Rule of the Law
• The Constitution
is the plan for the
United States
government.
• It promises to
protect everyone
equally.
Due Process of Law
• A citizen’s life,
liberty, or property
cannot be taken
away without a fair
trial. All citizens
must be treated
equally under the
law.
• 5th Amendment
Roles of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution
As Related to the 5th Amendment
• Special Note: Due Process, in the context of the
United States, refers to how and why laws are
enforced. It applies to all citizens and corporations.
– Right to a fair and public trial conducted in a
competent manner
– Right to be present at the trail
– Right to an impartial jury
– Right to be heard in one’s own defense
– Laws must be written so that reasonable person
can understand what is criminal behavior
– Taxes may only be taken by the government only
for public purposes
– Property may be taken by the government only for
public purposes
– Owners of taken property must be fairly
compensated
Bill of Rights
•
Because some
people believed that
the Constitution
gave the national
government too
much power, the Bill
of Rights was
written to protect
people’s freedoms.
How the U.S. Constitution Can Be Amended
• The Framers of the Constitution knew that over time, the document might
But, they thought that it should not
be changed too often. The process that they
created for amending the Constitution makes it
possible, but not easy to do. Why do you think
they did this? Discuss.
need to be changed.
• Article V (or 5) of the Constitution creates the process for making
amendments. The first step is to propose, or suggest, the amendment.
Two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House of
Representatives have to vote for the proposed amendment to put it
into the ratification, or approval, process.
•
The proposal is then sent to the governors of every state. The state
legislature then votes on ratification of the new amendment. As soon
as the proposal has been ratified by three-fourths of the states (38
states total), it becomes an official amendment to the Constitution.
How Does a Proposed Bill
Become a Law?
Watch How a Bill Becomes a
Law on www.brainpop.com.
Watch “I’m Just a Bill” on
www.schoolhouserock.com.
Discussion
• Tell your neighbor how an amendment
can become a law.
Let’s make
a Flow
Chart to
help us
remember
the process.
Flow Chart: How a Proposed Congressional
Bill Becomes an Amendment
The bill to amend the
Constitution may
originate in Congress.
1.
2. The bill must first be approved by
a 2/3 vote in both the U.S. Senate
and the House of
Representatives.
3. Once approved by Congress, the
proposed bill passes to the states. If
approved by 3/4 of all state legislatures,
it becomes a Constitutional amendment.
It must be noted that at no point does the President have a role in the formal
amendment process (though he would be free to make his opinion known).
He cannot veto an amendment proposal, nor a ratification. This is clear in
Article 5 of the United States Constitution.
Amendment Process Summarized
Proposal Process
Two-thirds of
Congress or
convention called by
two-thirds of state
legislatures
Ratification Process
Three-quarters (3/4ths)
of state legislatures
Way to
rememberquarters have
the state names
on them.
Why did they write it to be difficult to change? Discuss.
They thought that it should not be changed too often. The
process that they created for amending the Constitution
makes it possible, but not easy to do.
Let’s review the Constitution on
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/
ushistory/usconstitution/
Can you answer the essential questions?
• How does the Constitution protect a citizen’s rights
through due process?
• Why do we have a process to make amendments?
• How are amendments to the U.S. Constitution made?
• What is a democracy?
• How has the amendment process to the U.S.
Constitution maintained a representative democracy?
Partner Talk: Discuss with
your neighbor what you
learned today.