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With the advent of a new school year, teachers far and wide are settling into classrooms full of new faces and new voices. And in this setting, many educators are seeking to establish standards that can guide student behavior and classroom interaction. This annual process of "rule-making" provides teachers with a unique opportunity to introduce the youngest of students to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Building a 'Class Constitution'
By working with students to develop their own "Class Constitution," educators not only further civic education but also give children ownership of the room's rules. When students build and agree on their rights and responsibilities as members of a classroom community, they are much more likely to abide by those rules and to keep one another in check, experts say. To follow are suggestions on how to develop a Class Constitution.
- Introduce students to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights through stories. Titles such as Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, A More Perfect Union, The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy and Giulio Maestro, or If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution by Elizabeth Levy are available from www.amazon.com or other major booksellers.
- Ask students what the words "constitution," "right" and "responsibility" mean to them. Guide them toward accurate definitions through brainstorming and discussion, emphasizing the reciprocal bond between "right" and "responsibility."
- Building on the stories and definitions, invite students teams to write drafts of their own constitutions. Start with rights first. Begin by asking them to fill in the blank: "In our class, everyone has the right to ?" If youngsters need a little help getting started, suggest important classroom practices such as "play," "work" or "be safe." Bring all the teams together, ask them to compare constitution drafts and then to consolidate them into a single document.
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