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The Constitution of the United States is the highest law in the land: it's a written statement of the core principles of the American government. I...
Ever heard of a "living document"? They eat and breathe just like the rest of us! They even walk around on their own two legs. Okay, fine—maybe t...
In this video, you'll learn about the original Constitutional Convention and why our Founding Fathers felt it was necessary. Who would you invite t...
Bill of Rights 10350 Views
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Description:
The Bill of Rights was made to protect Americans from too many restrictions and regulations in addition to ensuring our well-being under our government. For the past 200 years, it's done a pretty good job, but on occasion it is seen as either too protective or not protective enough. What do you think? Shmoop amongst yourselves.
- Social Studies / Policy
- History / Celebrate Freedom Week
- U.S. History EOC Assessment / History
- Texas EOC / U.S. History EOC Assessment
- Reading Informational Text / Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance
- Reading Informational Text / Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance
- Reading Informational Text / Reasoning in seminal U.S. texts for both legal purposes and public advocacy
- Reading Informational Text / Analyze seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance
Transcript
- 00:07
The Bill of Rights, a la Shmoop:
- 00:09
If the Bill is wrong, I don't want to be Right.
- 00:15
The first ten amendments to the US Constitution are commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights.
- 00:19
This is a bill that actually won't give your parents a headache.
- 00:23
Things like "Freedom of Speech," "The Right to Bear Arms,"
Full Transcript
- 00:27
"Freedom from Cruel and Unusual Punishment"...
- 00:29
...were considered among the ten most important rights we could have.
- 00:33
Little known fact: the right to arm bears just missed the cut.
- 00:37
But a whole lot has changed since the late 1700s.
- 00:39
We have rights for women and minorities, overpopulation, pollution, and reality TV.
- 00:45
If you were in charge of writing a new bill of rights today...
- 00:47
...what would you insist on including?
- 00:52
The Constitution never specifically mentions children's rights?
- 00:56
Should there be something about that? Or maybe something should be taken out?
- 00:59
After all, it's a very different world than it was when we had
- 01:02
13 states and almost everybody lived on a farm.
- 01:06
You're in charge... so go wild.
- 01:08
Add some rights, take some out, scrap the whole thing and turn us into a fascist dictatorship...
- 01:14
Wait... don't do that, actually. Fascist dictatorships are truly awful.
- 01:17
Thomas Jefferson once suggested that the constitution be re-written every 20 years so it could stay
- 01:22
in tune with the society. Well, it's been over 200 years...
- 01:26
..so by that account we should have had more than 10 new constitutions already.
- 01:30
It's all on your shoulders. Come up with a new Bill of Rights.
- 01:34
What do you think should stay put? And what do you think we should get rid of?
- 01:37
Shmoop amongst yourselves.
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