Day 13 - Rights Beyond the US Constitution

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain how the U.S. Constitution protects individual liberties and rights.
• Describe the rights protected in the Bill of Rights.
• Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

Through the U.S. Constitution, but primarily through the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment, citizens and groups have attempted to limit national and state governments to prevent them from infringing upon individual rights and from denying equal protection under the law. 

However, it has sometimes been argued that these legal protections have been used to slow reforms and restrict freedoms of others in the name of social order.

Opener:  Do Americans have rights beyond those listed beyond those listed in the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment?  If so, what are they?  If not, why not?

N-50 - Civil Rights - the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Activity #1 -  ACT Mini-Lesson - Letter from Birmingham Jail

Civil Rights and ACT strategies

• What score do you want on the ACT?  
• How does this alter my strategy?
• 21 - Read 2 Guess 2 (16 min/passage)
• 24 - Read 3 Guess 1 (11 min/passage)
• 27+ - Read all 4 (8.5 min/passage)
• When you guess, choose the same answer each time!
• Previewing passages and order - 30 Seconds
1. Prose fiction
2. Social Science
3. Humanities
4. Natural Science
• Start with the questions BEFORE you read the passage.
• 1 minute to circle or underline...
• Key Words
• Line references

Activity #2 - ACT Practice Practice

1. Pick your passage to start with.  Congratulations!  You chose #3 (social studies) today!
2. Go to the first question and circle key words/mark line references.
• What did you mark?

Activity #3 - Actual ACT Practice

1. You will have 1 minute to finish marking questions and the passage itself
2. You will now have 8-15 minutes to answer the questions

Your goal is to get 8-10 correct!

Close:  Post questions regarding civil rights, Letter from Birmingham Jail, or the ACT here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15z33ZzvDy0cDCaCKkYCjXQcYksSVHeARHTGETG1itN8/edit?usp=sharing

https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Letter_Birmingham_Jail.pdf