Library of Congress: The Bill of Rights - Debating the Amendments

Objective: Activate prior knowledge of documents and the Bill of Rights

Activity: Document Detective

1. Display an image of John Beckley’s copy of the 1789 Bill of Rights (without context).
2. Ask students to silently observe the document for 1–2 minutes.
3. Prompt a Think-Pair-Share using the following questions:

• • What do you think this is?
  • Who might have written it?
  • What kind of information might be in it?

4. Brief discussion: “What is a document? What types do we see in everyday life?”
 
 

Objective: Set the stage for the lesson’s inquiry and goals

1. Introduce the essential question:

• • If you lived in 1789, which of the 12 proposed amendments would you have ratified?

   2. Give brief historical context (without revealing final ratified amendments):

• • Congress proposed 12 amendments in 1789.
  • Students will investigate and debate which ones deserve to become part of the Constitution.

Objective: Analyze a primary source and model historical inquiry

Teacher Modeling:

1. Present one of the 12 proposed amendments using a document projector.
2. Define any difficult vocabulary.
3. Ask:

1. • What does this amendment say in your own words?
   • What right is being protected?
   • Is it still relevant today?
   • Should this be ratified? Why or why not?

  4. Demonstrate how to annotate and summarize the amendment on paper or a digital slide.
 
 

Objective: Collaborative analysis and debate

Activity: Amendment Analysis Teams

1. Divide students into small groups or pairs. Assign each a different amendment.
2. Each group:

• • Reads and translates the amendment into modern English.
  • Identifies its main idea and purpose.
  • Discusses whether it should be ratified (supporting arguments required).

  3. Groups prepare a short persuasive presentation to the class advocating for or against ratification.

Objective: Apply critical thinking through discussion and voting
Activity: Ratification Debate & Secret Ballot

1. Groups present their assigned amendment.
2. Class engages in respectful debate or Q&A.
3. Students cast a secret ballot for each amendment (ratify or reject).
4. Tally results and create a class "Bill of Rights."
5. Compare it to the actual 10 ratified amendments. Discuss:

• • What did we include/exclude?
  • What values influenced our decisions?
     

Option 1: Letter to Jefferson

• Read excerpts from Thomas Jefferson’s letter to James Madison (1787) regarding the need for a Bill of Rights.
• Write a response as if you were a delegate explaining how the final amendments addressed his concerns.

Option 2: Then vs. Now Analysis

• Research one of the two amendments that were not ratified in 1791.
• Write a short argument about whether it should be added to the Constitution today.

 
Assessment Tools

• Group amendment analysis notes
• Participation in debates and discussions
• Persuasive presentations
• Written letter or amendment analysis (rubric-based)
   

Resources and Materials
John Beckley’s 1789 Copy (PDF)
Final Ten Amendments (PDF)
Primary Documents on the Bill of Rights – Library of Congress