For Celebrate Freedom experience, students brainstorm who is referred to by the phrase “we the people” in 1787 and today. Then they examine the structure of the U.S. Constitution. Next they analyze the principles on which the Constitution is based. Then they explain each amendment in the Bill of Rights. Finally they analyze freedom of speech and what it does and does not cover.
Students are introduced to the phrase “We the People” and the role of the U.S. Constitution in establishing government and defining citizens’ rights. They consider how the meaning of “We the People” has changed over time and complete a two-column table comparing whom the framers likely meant in 1787 with whom it includes today.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objective. Clarify that “We the people” refers to citizens who can influence government through voting, noting that in 1787 this meant white men only, whereas today it includes citizens of any race or gender. Use student responses in the table to highlight changes in political participation over time.
Students visit the Interactive Constitution to examine the Preamble, seven articles, and amendments. They answer a multiple-choice question identifying that the first three articles describe the branches of the national government, complete a drag-and-drop activity matching descriptions of Articles IV–VII to their topics, read about the Bill of Rights and later amendments, and answer a question about which groups could vote in 1791.
Teacher MovesGuide students in navigating the Interactive Constitution and ensure they understand the basic structure of the document. Clarify the roles of the three branches, the topics of Articles IV–VII, and the historical limits on voting rights. Use student responses to address misconceptions about who held political power at the nation’s founding.
Students learn about the seven principles of the U.S. Constitution—popular sovereignty, republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, limited government, and individual rights—by reading The Seven Principles of the U.S. Constitution. They summarize each principle in a graphic organizer, then analyze multiple excerpts from the Constitution and Bill of Rights by identifying which principle(s) each excerpt reflects and explaining their reasoning in a series of tables.
Teacher MovesSupport students in defining each constitutional principle and model how to connect principles to specific constitutional text. Use the provided notes to explain why particular excerpts illustrate popular sovereignty, republicanism, individual rights, limited government, checks and balances, and federalism (including the supremacy clause). Provide feedback on students’ explanations and ensure they can justify their choices with textual evidence before moving on.
Students focus on the Bill of Rights, beginning with the full text of the First Amendment and its “five freedoms.” They complete a drag-and-drop activity matching each First Amendment freedom to an example of how it limits government power. Next, they read the full text of the Bill of Rights (using the provided Bill of Rights resource) and paraphrase each amendment in a graphic organizer. They then deepen their understanding by consulting brief summaries of each amendment in A 3-minute guide to the Bill of Rights and The Bill of Rights: What Does It Say?, revising and refining their amendment summaries as needed.
Teacher MovesIf needed, briefly review Federalist and Anti-Federalist debates to explain why the Bill of Rights was added. Clarify the five freedoms of the First Amendment and check for understanding through the matching activity. Guide students as they paraphrase each amendment, prompting them to distinguish among criminal, civil, and other rights. Use the suggested examples from the National Constitution Center lesson plan to illustrate how each amendment applies in real-life situations, and encourage students to revise their summaries based on new information from the video and article.
Students examine how freedom of speech applies today. They first respond to a poll indicating which scenarios they believe are protected by the First Amendment. Then they read What Does Free Speech Mean? to see Supreme Court–based examples of what is and is not considered free speech. Working in a table, they record two examples that they find most interesting or surprising—one that illustrates protected speech and one that illustrates speech that is not protected—and may reconsider their initial poll responses.
Teacher MovesFrame the poll as an opinion-based starting point and note that many similar issues have reached the Supreme Court. After students read the article, invite them to revisit and, if they choose, revise their poll answers. Facilitate an open discussion of the examples students selected, emphasizing how court decisions shape the meaning of free speech and pointing out that students are exercising their own freedom of speech during the discussion.
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