We+the+Kids+Reinforcing+Activity

**We the Kids Reinforcing Activity**

//We the Kids// breaks down the preamble of the constitution into easily understandable statements. In this lesson students will come to the understanding that the constitution is not some far off old document that is hard to understand, but a written plan for government that applies to their everyday lives.

__**Objective:**__ Students will be able to identify the major provisions of the constitution and how it protects citizens by making it relatable to their own lives.

**__Materials (per student)__** -5 pieces of paper per student -Markers -Stapler/staples -Book //We the Kids//

__**Warm-Up Activity**__ This activity can come at the beginning of a study of the constitution after students have already established where it is and how it evolved. First establish background information with your students. Make sure that all students can answer: Write both the questions and the students' brainstormed answers on the board so students who are not auditory learners can visually see the statements
 * What is the constitution?
 * The bill of rights?
 * Who wrote it?
 * Why did they write it?
 * What is a preamble?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__Lesson__**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The teacher will read the book //We the Kids// aloud
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When reading the book, the teacher should think and talk aloud with students about the connections between the pictures of the camping trip and the preamble.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The teacher will then give every student a copy of the glossary from the book. (The glossary breaks down each section of the preamble and gives a kid friendly definition)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__Activity__**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Explain to the students they will become illustrators
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pass out materials
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students should stack papers together and fold them in half
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students should then staple papers together like a book giving the students ten pages to work on
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before writing in their book, students should think about another situation where they can illustrate the preamble like the camping trip in the book. These should relate the constitution to their lives. Students can either work in pairs or on their own to come up with ideas and write the book.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On each page of their book, they should write a section of the preamble broken down like it is in //We the Kids// and on their glossary handout.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The students should draw pictures on each page that expresses the meaning of the words and the theme they chose like the author David Catrow did in //We the Kids.//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After students illustrate their preamble, have them reflect on how the preamble protects citizen's rights.

__** Other Ohio Academic Standards You Could Use with this book:  **__ Fourth Grade: Government, Rules and Laws 19. The U.S. constitution establishes a system of limited government and protects citizens rights; five of these rights are addressed in the First Amendment.

Eighth Grade: History, Historical Thinking and Skills 1. Primary and secondary sources are used to examine events from multiple perspectives and to present and defend a position.