Know Your Rights! Due Process Amendments Activity Set

This Know Your Rights! Due Process Amendments set of articles, reviews, and activities has everything you need for a comprehensive Civics, American Government, or American History lesson on the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments, as well as the Supreme Court cases Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright, and in re Gault. Perfect for middle and high school Civics, American History, and American Government students studying due process, the rule of law, and the United States Constitution!

This resource includes:

✯ Know Your Rights! Article. This two-page article details the four due process Amendments in the Bill of Rights (as well as the 14th Amendment).

• covers the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments
• includes a summary of the important points of each Amendment as they relate to due process
• key vocabulary terms (such as due process, eminent domain, self-incrimination, or double jeopardy) are bolded and clearly defined

✯ Know Your Rights! Article Review. On this eye-catching note-taking page, students define key vocabulary terms (like self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and eminent domain) and summarize the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments. 

✯ Due Process & the Supreme Court Article. This 2-page article details Miranda v. Arizona,Gideon v. Wainwright, and in re Gault as they pertain to our constitutional right of due process. 

• Covers Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainright, and in re Gault. 
• The in re Gault section of the article contains two reflection questions: one asks students to interpret a quote from the official court Opinion, and the other has them argue whether Gerald Gault’s 8th Amendment rights were also violated. 

✯ Due Process & Supreme Court Review, which asks key comprehension questions and has the students summarize the SCOTUS cases as tweets!

Questions include:

• What does it mean to have a right to legal counsel?
• Which Amendment protects you from self-incrimination?
• Why does the Supreme Court get the final say in whether a law or action is unconstitutional? 

✯ Were Your Rights Violated? Scenario Activity. This enrichment activity serves as extra enforcement for the lesson as a whole. Students read 10 scenarios and determine whether their constitutional rights to due process were violated. 

Scenarios include:

• You’re on trial for alleged shoplifting. You can’t afford a lawyer and ask the judge if they’ll provide one for you. The judge refuses, and you’re forced to represent yourself. 
• A cop thinks you look shady. He approaches you as you’re getting into your car and demands to look in your trunk. You ask why, and he says, “I don’t need a reason, just open up!” 

✯ Your Miranda Rights, a fun activity that could make for a great homework assignment. Students read the text of the common Miranda Warning and circle or underline any Constitutional rights they notice, marking in the margins the specific Amendment and protection the line came from. A fun, quick final practice for Miranda v. Arizona. 

This resource is compatible with the Florida State Standards for Seventh Grade Civics: S.7.CG.2.4 The Bill of Rights and Other Amendments and SS.7.CG.1.11 Rule of Law.

This resource comes as a non-editable PDF and includes Answer Keys. 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!

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