Introduction
Greetings O unfortunate...I mean, uh, lucky travelers! Today you will begin a journey of knowledge, to research the United States Bill of Rights! The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. It is also the collection of personal freedoms which persuaded the anti-federalists, those who did not wish to ratify the new U.S. Constitution, to ratify the Constitution. George Washington, a Federalist, also endorsed limited amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights has had a huge impact on American law, and was the basis for many Supreme Court decisions of the 20th and 21st centuries, and is probably the most important collection of rights possessed by the American people. It influences our gun laws, how the police conduct their business, and other important individual laws. Although there used to be twelve amendments that were proposed by Congress, only ten were originally approved by the states.
Guns, bibles, police, prayer, law, order, I think you get the point.
Task
The assignment for this webquest is as follows:
Research the Bill of Rights via the provided resources, which are internet articles or videos.
Answer the questions regarding the material.
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Process
What year was the Bill of Rights ratified by the states?
Who proposed the Bill of Rights?
Although ten amendments were ratified by the states, how many were originally proposed to the states?
Does the Bill of Rights place power more in the hands of the states, or the federal government?
Which two amendments do not address any specific issue, but instead function as umbrellas for larger issues?
The fifth through eighth amendments guarantee rights to which parties?
Evaluation
Bill of Rights Group Assessment
One Point Two Points Three Points
Conclusion
If you are reading this, you have made it through the webquest alive. Congratulations! Hopefully, you have gained a basic knowledge of the content and importance of the United States Bill of Rights. If you wish to pursue this course of study on a higher plane, here are some questions you could use for further research:
- How have the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights been infringed by the government, and if so, has this infringement been dealt with?
- Is there anything that you believe should be have been added to the U.S. Constitution via the Bill of Rights, or should have been added earlier?
- Is there anything that you think should have been left out?
Hopefully, in the future, you will be able to use your new knowledge of the Bill of Rights to show people why these rights are fundamental to our freedom as a country. At this stage in the game, you probably have more knowledge about the first ten amendments to the Constitution than the average high school student, so give yourself a hand. ✋ I hope that you have a greater understanding of this important foundational document, and will share your knowledge with others in the future.