NCDPI – AIG Instructional Resource: Background Information
Resource Title: Constitutional Amendments and the “Common Good”
Subject Area/Grade Level (s): Social Studies/5
Time Frame: 1 class period for introduction and discussion, 3-4
class periods for student research and performance task
Common Core/Essential Standard Addressed:
5.C&G.1 Understand the development, structure, and function of government in the United States.
5.C&G.2 Analyze life in a democratic republic through the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
5.C&G.2.2 Analyze the rights and responsibilities of United States citizens in relation to the concept of “common good” according to the United
States Constitution (Bill of Rights)
Additional Standards Addressed:
RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
RI.5.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the
high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
W.5.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase
information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
SL.5.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to
support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
SL.5.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the
development of main ideas or themes.
SL.5.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project
Brief Description of Lesson/Task/Activity: In this lesson, students begin by discussing the meaning of “common good” and the impact of this concept
on rights and responsibilities in the lives of US citizens. They then examine the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the US Constitution, focusing on
how amendments over time have focused on the common good and have responded to current issues and problems. Finally, the students apply their
understanding of common good and individual rights and responsibilities to the proposal of a new amendment to the US Constitution.
Type of Differentiation for AIGs (include all that apply):
Adaptations for AIGs:
Content
Process
Enrichment
x Extension
Acceleration
x Product
Explanation of How Resource is Appropriate for AIGs: This task encourages AIG students to apply their understanding of a basic principle of US
democracy (“common good”) to a current issue/problem. Along the way, they must summarize, analyze, and evaluate past amendments. The
task performance, a RAFT, is multi-faceted and demands a high level of thinking and a great degree of independence.
Needed Resources/Materials
 The Bill of Rights (available at http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html)
 Amendments 11-27 as needed (available at http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html)
 Computer access
Sources: NA
TEACHER NOTES: NA
NCDPI AIG Curriculum Resource Outline
STAGE ONE: ENGAGE
Agree/disagree (Provide a sign for each word on opposite sides of the room. Students will move to the side of the room that matches their
opinions.): The common good is more important than individual rights. Allow students to debate this statement for a few minutes. Discuss the
meaning of “common good” as needed. Then, explain that the students will need to think about this debate as they study the Bill of Rights and
other Constitutional Amendments.
In order to quickly review the time period in which the Founding Fathers worked, ask small groups of students (3-4 students per group) to create
a Top-5 list of words/phrases to describe the time period and to be ready to explain the words/phrases they choose. These groups share their
lists and explanations, and the whole group discusses similarities and differences among the lists. Pose the following questions:
 How did the Founding Fathers address the “common good” in the US Constitution?
 Where do you see evidence that the Founding Fathers considered individual rights?
 Were there any problems or issues present at the time that the Founding Fathers did not adequately address in the US Constitution?
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project
STAGE TWO: ELABORATE
Point out that some delegates to the Constitutional Convention did not agree with the final US Constitution because they didn’t think it
responded to basic human rights. Thus, the Bill of Rights was created 2 years later.
Given a copy of the Bill of Rights, the students work independently or in pairs (their choice) to read and summarize the document. As they finish
(as an anchoring activity), give them a list of some of the other amendments (11-27) and a separate (and mixed up) list of the dates when they
were ratified, and ask the students to match the amendments with their corresponding dates. This task requires the students to draw on prior
knowledge of US history or to conduct quick research in order to determine which amendments likely passed in which years.
Remind the students of their previous discussion about problems and issues not addressed in the Constitution. Ask the students to discuss how
amendments over time addressed specific and current issues at the time and responded to citizens’ rights and/or responsibilities. Do some
amendments address issues that the Founding Fathers did not? If so, how? This discussion should provide an opportunity to informally assess
students’ understanding of the amendments and the times in which they were proposed and ratified.
Finally, ask students to work in small groups (3-4 students per group) to create a continuum that shows which amendments responded to the common
good versus individual rights. They must select at least 12 amendments to include on their continuum and must discuss the justification for their
placement of the amendments. Encourage students to make clear choices rather than place amendments in the middle of the continuum.
Common Good ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Individual Rights
As students work in their groups to place items on this continuum, listen for the students’ abilities to analyze and evaluate a variety of
amendments to determine whether or not students understand the objectives of the amendments as well as the issues they were addressing.
In the whole group, pose the following types of questions:
 Which amendments changed society the post when they were passed? Were these changes positive or negative? Why do you say so?
 Which amendments have had the least impact on society over time? Why is that? How should we measure an amendment’s impact? By
what standards?
 Which amendments do you think were/have been most controversial? What factors might make an amendment controversial?
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project
STAGE THREE: EVALUATE
Present the following task performance prompt:
You are a US senator representing the state of North Carolina. Your task is to propose a possible 28th amendment to the US Constitution to be
ratified by your fellow senators. To complete your task, you must first identify a current problem or issue that has not been addressed previously
in the Constitution OR that needs to be revisited. You will present your amendment to your fellow senators in the form of a short speech and
multimedia presentation that includes pictures, statistics, and individual stories designed to persuade your fellow senators of the necessity of
your amendment. Expect opinions that differ from your own!
Important steps to take:
 Identify a current issue/problem that is not already addressed in the US Constitution or any amendments to it OR an issue/problem that
you think is not adequately addressed.
 Conduct research about your chosen issue/problem.
 Write a short description of your chosen issue/problem, focusing on the history of it and why it is a problem today.
 Collect data!
 Create and practice your presentation.
The successful product will:
 Demonstrate understanding of democratic ideals and principles
 Demonstrate understanding of how the US Constitution protects the rights and responsibilities of US citizens
 Demonstrate understanding of the “common good”
 Identify and clearly discuss (both verbally and in writing) a current issue
 Inform and persuade through effective speaking and logical and clear use of data and visuals
TEACHER NOTES: NA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project