Lesson Plan - Rewriting the Rules

Watch a Video

Watch the video “Newsie’s Challenge: The U.S. Constitution.” Discuss: Why is the U.S. Constitution considered our country’s most important document?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• amendment
• proposals

Set a Purpose for Reading

As students read, have them think about what rules they would like to change, and why.

1. What change to the U.S. Constitution did the students propose? Why?
The students proposed changing the Constitution to specify that members of the U.S. Congress be limited to serving two terms. They made this proposal because some members of Congress have served for more than 40 years, and the students think new people should have more opportunities to serve.
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2. What are two important facts you learned about the U.S. Constitution from this article? 
Sample response: The Constitution was written by the nation’s Founders in 1787. It laid out a plan for how the national government would be run.
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3. Will the students’ proposal change the wording of the U.S. Constitution? Explain. 
The article states that “the victory doesn’t mean the amendment will actually be added to the Constitution.” That’s because the proposal was part of a contest for fourth- and fifth-grade students. 
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Featured Skill: Reading a Diagram

Use the skill builder “Passing an Amendment” to explore the process for amending the U.S. Constitution.

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