Posts Tagged ‘amendment’
This use of you’re is not a typo.
Mnemonics — little catch phrases that work as memory aids — are a great way to help students memorize things.
An example brought up around this blog lately was the Bill of Rights, and I had in the comments mentioned that my master teacher and I had used mnemonics to help students remember that list.
These mnemonics are the creation of my master teacher. I take no credit for their merits or flaws.
First Amendment — because it’s first, it’s the most important amendment: speech, expression, religion, assembly, petition for a redress of grievances.
Second Amendment — you have two arms, so this is the right to bear arms.
Third Amendment — three o’s in “quartering trooops.”
Fourth Amendment — four syllables in search-and-sei-zure.
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh Amendments — these have to do with trials, and start with the most important trial rights.
Eighth Amendment — the numeral 8 looks like a hangman’s noose, so “cruel and unusual punishment.”
Ninth and Tenth Amendments — just remember: these deal with unenumerated rights and powers, respectively. Ninth is people, and Tenth is states.
This was just the beginning. Though we would attack each amendment in greater detail, this list of mnemonics worked as our introduction, conclusion and touchstone for the entire judicial branch unit.
The trick with mnemonics, though, is that students will sometimes fail to make the connection between the memory aid — quartering trooops — and the actual knowledge needed — “Troops cannot be quartered in a civilian’s house during peacetime.”
Mnemonics can only be intended as the foundation of knowledge, or to fill in gaps. Students should understand that other knowledge will still be needed, i.e. that the Sixth Amendment gives people lawyers, and the Seventh has to do with civil trials by jury in amounts greater than $20, even though the mnemonic groups those two in with the trial amendments.
Mnemonics are an excellent mortar, or even an excellent foundation, but they cannot replace more complex scaffolding or knowledge.
Be sure to check out more of my tips and tricks for teaching the Bill of Rights.
We’re about to cover the Bill of Rights. There’s so much to do with this section. Sure, we’ll make the chart. We’ll go further.
I’ll use The Daily Show to hit up the First Amendment, The Colbert Report to hit up the Second Amendment and The Onion to hit up the Third Amendment.
I have a documentary-style movie which, as it addresses police procedure under extraordinary circumstances and a modified version of the USA PATRIOT Act, will very nicely hit the Fourth through Sixth Amendments.
While the bruhaha over this movie blew over some time ago, I’m wondering about how best I should introduce it in my classroom.
From Wikipedia:
“Death of a President” is a fictional documentary about the assassination of 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush. … The film covers topics of civil disobedience, racial profiling, the reduction of civil liberties, sensationalism and just-war theory.
It’s perfect for due process and freedom of assembly. It’s perfect for self-incrimination and the right to a speedy trial. Is it perfect for my classroom?
It isn’t like we’ve wholeheartedly avoided controversy. Remember which clip I’m using for the First Amendment. That’s already pretty hefty stuff.
Yes, I have approval from my master teacher. We’ll very carefully introduce The N-Word clip with a standard “This is meant to make you think” and the cursory “This does not represent the view of the establishment” and the relevancy-making “What do you understand about the First Amendment, now?”
Will this angle work on a movie about the assassination of the current president? This subject matter is potentially more sensitive. If the official movie blog is to be believed, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D — N. Y.) had this reaction:
I think it’s despicable.
I wonder if she even saw this movie. This movie isn’t about bashing Bush. In fact, most of the characters who are not suspects look up to the guy, nearly idolizing him.
The content is standards-based and, for once, the subject matter will immediately capture the attention of even my seniors. Why am I worrying, then?
Moral of the story? When in irreparable doubt, defer to your gut. What horrible advice.
First Five Minutes of Class
April 7, 2008 in The Way It Were
Tags: amendment, black, class, classroom, cnn, comments, crazy, culled, establishment, first, five, government, history, journal, management, minutes, obama, packet, pastor, preacher, quiz, relevant, religion, sciences, snagged, social, studies, thursday, white
Good morning, class. I know that it’s a pleasure for me to see each and every one of you, but I know it’s even more of a pleasure for each and every one of you to see me.
Don’t forget that on the board is today’s journal. I’ll read the prompt:
Continue writing if you haven’t finished your journal already.
Be sure to pick up this week’s packet. Don’t forget that to more than one point on Thursday’s quiz, you must turn in this packet completed. For every opinion article in this packet, remember your Read and Response. For those of you who are new, that requires you to write one paragraph summary and one paragraph reaction. Easy cheesy.
One of the columns is about Martin Luther King, Jr., and is especially appropriate as we begin our week studying the Civil Rights movement and the development of its constitutional basis. We’ll segue into this movement using a fiery pastor with ties to Barack Obama and a discussion of both their free speech and free religion.
I’ll be passing out actual responses to the sermon I culled — that means “snagged” — from comments at CNN.com. If you get one, you’ll get to read it aloud. Be sure you act it out passionately, as if you actually believe it. That way we get the real feeling of what that person is saying.
Say, for example, you get this:
If you’re mumble and monotone when you read it aloud, I’ll make sure you have to get up and do it again. Raise your hand if you’d like to volunteer. Okay, that looks good.
Just a hint: You should probably read it while we wait for the last few people to finish their journal. You’ll have a little bit of time to prepare while we watch and discuss the six-second soundbite version of the sermon. Depending on your quote, you’ll go before or after we watch the seven-minute version of the same sermon and discuss it.
Before we get to that, go ahead and take a minute or two finishing up your journal. I’ll pass out the comment slips, and finish getting set up.
I’ll be here if you have any questions.
****
In other news: George Washington is just too vulgar for school, sometimes; same with JFK.