On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed to the state legislatures 12 amendments to the Constitution that met the arguments most frequently advanced against it. The first two proposed amendments, which concerned the number of constituents for each representative and the compensation of congressmen, were not ratified. Articles 3 to 12, however, were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures and constitute the first ten amendments of the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.

The Constitution might never have been ratified if the framers hadn't promised to add a Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contain many of today's Americans' most valued freedoms.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. James Madison wrote the amendments, which list specific prohibitions on governmental power, in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties. For example, the Founders saw the ability to speak and worship freely as a natural right protected by the First Amendment. Congress is prohibited from making laws establishing religion or abridging freedom of speech. The Fourth Amendment safeguards citizensâ" right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant.

This lesson builds upon prior knowledge of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights by asking students to think critically about the issues and philosophies central to both. Through investigation and debate, students are asked to question why certain rights were added to the Constitution and why others were not. Such a discussion will encourage students to synthesize multiple historical and contemporary perspectives about their rights to decide if, in today’s world, we need different rights, if our rights are complete the way they are, or if the existing ones need change.

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, adopted through ratification, are collectively referred to as the Bill of Rights. As the first nine outline fundamental guarantees to the citizenry and the tenth reserves some governmental powers to the state governments, the Bill of Rights establishes limitations on the scope of the federal government. In this lesson, students will explore the history of the Bill of Rights and the meaning of the amendments included in the document through videos and activities.

The purpose of this lesson is to investigate the Bill of Rights through the perspective of someone living during the ratification period. After exploring the historical perspective of the Bill of Rights through study of the Dissent of the Minority in Pennsylvania, students will be asked to apply the rights they learned about to their lives today and assess, critique, and solve problems based on the modern meaning of these rights. In doing so, students will develop a meaningful understanding of the amendments, in their original and their contemporary meanings. This understanding is essential to foster active, informed, and rational thinkers.

This resource from the National Constitution Center includes an introduction, big questions, recorded class sessions, briefing documents, slide decks, and worksheets about the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitutuion.

Rap song on the Bill of Rights, hosted by Smart Songs, an educational music group, creating songs about history, social studies, geography, and science---providing kids and teachers with content that makes learning fun. ABC News Los Angeles and The Boston Globe have described the group as the current version of Schoolhouse Rock.

Many lessons on U.S. history, world history, and government from BRIA, Teach Democracy's quarterly curricular magazine. We have published this tremendous resource since 1967, and we continually add to the archive. Latest issues are part of a new series, reflecting our recent name change from Constitutional Rights Foundation to Teach Democracy. Access to these resources require a free educator login.

In this lesson, students will learn about the individual rights that are included in the Bill of Rights and current issues relating to them. Students will use C-SPAN Classroom's Constitution Clips to explore what each of these rights mean and determine how these rights apply to current events in America. This lesson works well with classes with one-to-one devices or in flipped classrooms.

That possibility of things going a different way is called contingency. In this lesson, students learn about the contingencies involved in our major founding documents, especially the Bill of Rights! This article and activity are a product of Teach Democracy's partnership with the New York Public Library's Center for Educators & Schools. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

Brett Michael Kavanaugh (born February 12, 1965) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Prior to his appointment, Kavanaugh served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Nominated to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, he was confirmed by the Senate on October 6, 2018, after one of the most contentious confirmation processes in U.S. history. Kavanaugh fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. Compared to Kennedy, who was considered moderate on some social issues, Kavanaugh is regarded as a strong conservative voice on the Supreme Court.

John Glover Roberts, Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is the 17th chief justice of the United States, serving on and presiding over the United States Supreme Court. Roberts began his tenure on the court on September 29, 2005, after having been nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate following the death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Based on his voting record and written decisions, Roberts is believed to have a conservative judicial philosophy.

John Marshall served as the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835. During Marshall's 34 year tenure, the Supreme Court attained stature and established itself as a fully co-equal branch of the government.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (March 8, 1841—March 6, 1935) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932. One of the most often cited and influential Supreme Court justices in history, Holmes is noted for his defense of the First Amendment and creating the doctrine of “clear and present danger” as the only basis for limiting the right of freedom of speech. Retiring from the court at age 90, Holmes still stands as the oldest person to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.

Rod Rosenstein (born Rod Jay Rosenstein on January 13, 1965) is an American attorney and former criminal prosecutor who investigated tax fraud and public corruption before being tapped by Republican President George W. Bush to serve in the Department of Justice as a U.S. attorney in Maryland. Rosenstein enjoyed support and respect from Republicans and Democrats alike and served as the second in command at the Department of Justice under Bush's two successors in the White House, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Rosenstein's political legacy, though, will very likely center on his controversial move to appoint Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (born Joan Ruth Bader; March 15, 1933— September 18, 2020) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was first appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter, then to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, taking the oath of office on August 10, 1993. After former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Ginsburg is the second-ever female justice to be confirmed to the court. Along with justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, she is one of only four female justices ever to be confirmed.

Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. (born on April 1, 1950) is a Supreme Court justice who has served on the court since January 31, 2006. He is known for being one of the most conservative justices in modern history. His nickname is Scalito because his political views and judgments are similar to that of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Join an American Indian Interpreter as they share how the founding fathers looked to native governments when establishing their new republic.

This game immerses students in the workings of our three branches of government. Players take on the roles of legislator, president and Supreme Court justice to get constitutional laws enacted. Players must juggle several bills at once while holding press conferences and town hall meetings.