Team Four is going to take our ideas to a new level. We are going to take them to the television studio! In our study of the Bill of Rights, we are going to create a television news program about controversial issues today that relate to the Bill of Rights.
We will create ten shows. Each show will be about one of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights. Each show will include a panel of three students: an 'M.C.' who will host the show and ask thoughtful, probing questions; a 'Point Maker' who will argue one side of the issue; and a 'Counter-Pointer' who will argue the opposing side of the issue. Each student will research their issue and prepare their television presentation. Then in class, we will videotape the show. This is an audience participation news show, so there will be an opportunity for viewers to ask questions to the panel. After we have produced the show, we will try to get it broadcast on public access television.
After we have viewed the show in its entirety, each student will choose an issue they feel strongly about and write a letter stating their views to one of his or her government representatives. The letter can be sent via e-mail or the U.S. Postal Service.
Is our government today following the principles stated in the Bill of Rights?
In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of students in class. Each group will research and analyze one amendment in the Bill of Rights. As a member of the group, you will explore Web pages from people all over the world who care about the Bill of Rights. Because these are real Web pages we're tapping into, not things make just for schools, the reading level might challenge you.
You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background information before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part of the topic.
Use the Internet information linked below to answer the following questions:
1) What right does your amendment protect?
2) Why do you think our 'founding fathers' wanted this amendment added to the Constitution?
3) How does this current events issue relate to your amendment?
Answer these questions as fully and insightfully as you can.
- Bill of Rights
- Bill of Rights and Related Issues
- Identifying Issues
- 'How dead are the Bill of Rights?' - Scroll down to find the article, 'How dead are the Bill of Rights?'
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of the roles below.
2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or other writing software.
3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.
4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.News Commentator #1 - 'Point'
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to News commentator #1 - 'Point':
1. How does this current events issue relate to the Bill of Rights?
2. How does this current events issue show that our government today is still following the principles stated in the Bill of Rights? (Give specific details, facts, and examples to support your point of view).
You may also use links listed under #2 ('Counter-point').
- Amendment One: Should prayer be required in School?
- Amendment Two: Should guns be outlawed? - View One - Would outlawing guns make the U.S. more safe?
- Amendment Four: Should NYPD be allowed to seize cars of DWI suspects?
- Amendment Nine: Just because it's not in the Constitution, does it mean that women don't have the right to play sports?
- Amendment Ten: Does the national government have the right to require a national core curriculum?
- Amendment Seven: Does a trial by jury mean justice? - Click on full story, read article, then react to the question above.
- Amendment Three: What event leading to the American Revolution may have caused the founding fathers to make Amendment Three? - Scroll down the time line until you can find the events that may have caused the founding fathers to create Amendment Three after the American Revolution.
- Amendment Six: Is 105 days too long to have to wait for a trial? - Scroll down and read the facts of the case, then try to figure out the judge's decision.
News Commentator #2 - 'Counter Point'
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to News commentator #2 - 'Counter Point':
1. How does this current events issue relate to the Bill of Rights?
2. How does this current events issue show that our government today is NOT following the principles stated in the Bill of Rights? (Give specific details, facts, and examples to support your point of view).
You may also use links listed about under #1 ('Point').
- Amendment One: Should our school library be allowed to carry Goosebumps, Blubber, and The Chocolate War? - American Library Association - banned books list - Should our school library be allowed to carry Goosebumps, Blubber, and The Chocolate War?
- Amendment Two: Should guns be outlawed? - NRA's view - Founding Fathers and the Second Amendment
- Amendment Eight: Is the death penalty allowed according to the Bill of Rights?
- Amendment Five: If someone's stopped for DWI, can there car be taken without a trial first?
- Amendment Six: Is 105 days too long to have to wait for a trial? - Scroll down and read the facts of the case, then try to figure out the judge's decision.
MC of News Program
Use the Internet information linked above under 'point' or 'counter-point' to answer these questions specifically related to MC of News program:
1. How does this current events issue relate to the Bill of Rights?
2. How does this current events issue show that our government today is still following the principles stated in the Bill of Rights? (Give specific details, facts, and examples to support your point of view).
3. How does this current events issue show that our government today is NOT following the principles stated in the Bill of Rights? (Give specific details, facts, and examples to support your point of view).
4. Create questions that you can ask your two guests that would help you decide whether our government today is or is not following the principles stated in the Bill of Rights.
You have all learned about a different part of bill of rights. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Web pages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.
You and your teammates have learned a lot by dividing up into different roles. Now's the time to put your learning into a letter you'll send out for real world feedback. Together you will write a letter that contains opinions, information, and perspectives that you've gained. Here's the process:
1. Begin your letter with a statement of who you are and why you are writing your message to this particular government official.
2. Give background information that shows you understand the topic.
STATE THE TASK / QUEST(ION) AND YOUR GROUP'S ANSWER.
3. Each person in your group should write a paragraph that gives two good reasons supporting the group's opinion. Make sure to be specific in both the information (like where you got it from on the Web) and the reasoning (why the information proves your group's point).
4. Have each person on the team proofread the message. Use correct letter format and make sure you have correctly addressed the email message. Use the link below to make contact. Send your message and make sure your teacher gets a copy.Your Contact is: President Bill Clinton
So is our government today protecting our rights the way it should according to the U.S. Bill of Rights? Well, when we only look at one perspective, it's easy to come up with an answer that may not be completely right. It's the same for understanding a topic as broad or complex as bill of rights: when we only consider one perspective, we only know part of the picture. Now we all know a lot more. Nice work!!! You should be proud of yourselves! How can you use what you've learned to see beyond the black and white of a topic and into the grayer areas? What other parts of bill of rights could still be explored? Remember, learning never stops and making sure that our government protects our rights depends on us staying educated and aware.
Content by
Mrs.
Borzone
Last revised Fri Jan 5 2001