The Bill of Rights
first ten amendments to the Constitution,
Bill of Rights, foundation stone of our freedoms.

The First Amendment is freedom of speech and press,
so you can express how you feel
protects free assembly you can gather peacefully
The First Amendment gives you freedom of religion,
to worship as you choose
the right to send petitions to government,
though that is rarely used.

Second Amendment gives the right to bear arms, though people disagree:
Does that mean guns for people or for soldiers in the Army?
Third Amendment, not much used today, soldiers can't bunk in your home
The Fourth through Eighth Amendments are your criminal rights,
if arrested, you're not alone.

The Fourth Amendment says you can't be searched by police, or seized
unreasonably,
It's also the legal source of our right to privacy
The Fifth Amendment says you must get "due process" in your criminal trial,
that's fairness of judge and jury, not forced to testify.

The Sixth Amendment gives you a lawyer and speedy public trial,
so you won't be stuck in jail alone for more than a short while,
The Seventh Amendment ensures you'll get a jury trial,
The 8th Amendment says the punishment can't be "cruel or unusual".

The Ninth says all your other rights, besides these ten, will be respected
The Tenth Amendment tells the States that their rights won't be neglected.
All of these Amendments, all ten, are the Bill of Rights
Always there protecting us, never losing sight.

 

Suggested Activities from the Musical Media for Education, Volume I, CD and Teaching Guide:

1) List the Rights Protected by the Bill of Rights
      As students listen to the song, ask them to write down each of the ten amendments and the rights they protect. If introduced as a closure activity, students can fill in any gaps for a homework assignment. Play the "Bill of Rights" song the next day to complete the activity.

2) Bill of Rights as Historical Compromise
      Students should understand the Bill of Rights in historical context as a compromise between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the ratification process. The ratification debates in key states hinged on the issue of individual liberties. Anti-Federalists insisted on specific protections of civil liberties if they were to support the proposed Constitution. This will help students understand why the first ten amendments were adopted as a "package."
When setting the historical context for the Bill of Rights, it helps to link specific rights to conditions in the late 18th Century. The prohibition on quartering troops in the 3rd Amendment, for example, may seem irrelevant today, but during the ratification period, memories of coercive British quartering acts were fresh. Before playing "Bill of Rights" ask students which amendments were related to American grievances during the struggle for independence.
Then review as a class.

3) Kinesthetic Skits
      Kinesthetic learning involves movement of the body. When students move while receiving visual or auditory information, "body memory" may deepen the retention of information.
      Working as individuals or in groups, ask students to create body movement that communicates the essence of one amendment in the Bill of Rights. When ready, they will present their movement to the class, who will try to guess the amendment being enacted. The whole class should repeat each movement presented to help imprint the kinesthetic lesson and to reinforce the contents of the Bill of Rights. Play "Bill of Rights" before the activity to set the tone or afterwards as closure.

4) Posters
       Invite students to design a poster that conveys the essential meaning of one amendment in the Bill of Rights. These can be displayed throughout the classroom. If they create the posters in class, play "Bill of Rights" while they are working.