Current Events and the Constitution
Understanding the Constitution is critical to helping students become valuable and engaged members of society.
By Daniella Garran
Many students erroneously believe that the Constitution is not relevant to their daily lives. Researching current events as they relate to the Constitution is a great way for students to understand that it is a living document. There are many issues in the news about which students will have strong opinions. Researching the constitutionality of those issues is a beneficial way for students to channel their feelings and opinions positively.
If a study of the Constitution is being taught at the beginning of a school year or a term, consider writing a class constitution which enumerates the rights and responsibilities of all students. They must bear in mind that a Constitution is balanced and doesn’t simply favor one party.
Begin your study of Constitutional current events by having students read the newspaper each day for at least a week. Have them clip articles related to the Constitution and bring them in for a bulletin board in the classroom. Discuss with students the importance of constitutionality and whether they believe that the issue at hand is constitutional or not.
Choose one or two "hot button" issues such as immigration or same-sex marriage. Have students research the constitutionality of proposed laws and then ask them to write a formal position paper. Stage a debate in which students must learn proper debating procedure and in which they must make arguments based on reason. Consider having students write to their elected officials to voice their support of/or opposition to these issues. Below are some other lesson plans on the Constitution which will be of great benefit to your class.
Constitutional Current Events Lesson Plans:
This in-depth lesson can help students develop a thorough understanding of the Constitution, its amendments, and the compromises that were made to create it. The lesson provides an excellent introduction to the document and its contents, and should be taught at the beginning of any unit in which the Constitution is the focal point.
This lesson provides another thorough assessment of the Constitution and its language. The lesson has some excellent ideas you can implement during National Constitution Week, and ways to effectively teach the process and laws of citizenship.
No Bill of Rights, No Constitution
This lesson requires students to think about how the founding fathers had to work together when drafting the nation’s most important document. Students write an opposition bill to one of the proposed amendments - citing why they feel the amendment would be potentially harmful to the nation and its future.