Students explore the Constitution — the plan that built the U.S. government and limits its power — and the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments that protect the freedoms Americans hold dear.
Students will be able to…
After winning independence, the new nation needed rules so no leader could ever become a king. How do you design a government that protects freedom?
Project this and tap each part. Have students record what the Constitution does, how it splits power, and the freedoms the Bill of Rights protects.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
How do you make sure no leader ever becomes a king?
Students investigate.
Students analyze.
Students conclude.
Students take action.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies and Common Core literacy in social studies.
Examine the origins and purposes of key documents, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Explain how groups of people make rules to create responsibilities and protect freedoms.
Identify core civic virtues and democratic principles.
Identify the beliefs and principles of American constitutional democracy.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students pick the Bill of Rights freedom they think is most important and write a sentence defending their choice, then compare with classmates. A printable Bill of Rights list is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.