This Bill of Rights Article & Review provides an overview of the first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution! The article covers the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists leading up to the creation of the Bill of Rights, details each of the ten Amendments in order, and includes two pages of review: one, a comprehension check for the article, and a short essay component in which the students pretend to be an Anti-Federalist and write a letter to the United States Congress convincing them to ratify the Bill of Rights. Suitable for middle school Civics, American Government, and American History students!
Compatible with the following Florida State Standards for Middle School Civics:
- SS.7.CG.1.10: Compare the viewpoints of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists regarding ratification of the U.S. Constitution and including a bill of rights.
- SS.7.CG.2.3: Identify and apply the rights contained in the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
- SS.7.CG.2.4: Explain how the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights safeguard individual rights.
This resource includes:
✯ 2-Page The Bill of Rights Article, which:
- details how Anti-Federalists influenced the addition of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution
- summarizes each of the ten amendments
- discusses the Bill of Rights’ lasting importance and impact, including by referencing 3 key Supreme Court Landmark Cases.
✯ The Bill of Rights Review, in which students:
- define key terms and concepts related to the Bill of Rights
- match Amendments to their summaries
- explain the purpose of the Bill of Rights
- reflect on what might happen if we no longer had the protection of those ten amendments.
Questions include:
- What purpose does the Bill of Rights serve? Who does the Bill of Rights protect?
- How many Amendments does the Bill of Rights contain?
- How would life be different today if we didn’t have our Bill of Rights protections?
✯ A Short Essay Response in which students pretend they are Anti-Federalists writing a letter to Congress convincing them to add the Bill of Rights to the Constitution!
This resource comes as a non-editable PDF and includes an Answer Key. There is also a digital version available through TPT Easel, which can be assigned directly to Google Classroom or shared with your students via a link!
What other teachers are saying about this resource:
“This got my students talking and engaging with one another”
This was great! I liked the graphic organizer for their CFU while or after reading the article over the Bill of Rights. This got my students talking and engaging with one another about the ten amendments and where would be today if we didn’t have them. I truly appreciate it!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Lela K.
“Lays out the information wonderfully”
As always this has been a wonderful resource to use with my students. it lays out the information wonderfully and was easy to use through virtual means. thank you
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Meghan C.
“Really enjoyed using this activity”
I really enjoyed using this activity with my students! Great graphic organizer to go with the bill of rights article! Highly recommend!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Paige Galloway
More Happy Teacher Products You Might Enjoy:
✩ Bill of Rights One-Pager – Creative Project for Civics & American History!
✩ Know Your Rights! Due Process Amendments Activity Set
✩ Due Process Amendments Investigation for Civics | Google Slides Activity
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