Educating youth and keeping the Republic since 1996.

Volunteer Packet

Liberty Day Institute 3443 S. Galena St., Suite 120

Denver, CO 80231

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No opinions. No interpretations. Just the facts.

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Liberty Day Institute 866.718.3434 www.libertyday.org Copyright © Liberty Day Institute. All rights reserved.

Unauthorized copying of these materials for resale or redistribution is expressly prohibited.

“Our goal is simple:Our goal is simple:Our goal is simple:Our goal is simple: to empower educators with tools to effectively introduce

students to the core facts and key concepts of American government.”

—Jimmy Sengenberger, President, Liberty Day Institute

A KNOWLEDGE. . . . . . of the tools of American governance, the way the framers of the Constitution gave the power to the people, and how they

structured government to protect our rights for future generations.

An UNDERSTANDING. . . . . . of the core principles the colonies claimed for their rebellion and the goals they wanted to achieve from it (the Declaration of Independence);

and how they preserved that victory once it had been won (the

Constitution of the United States of America & the Bill of Rights).

An APPRECIATION. . . . . . for the founding ideal of a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” our rights guaranteed under the

Constitution, and the importance of good citizenship.

The FACTS — What the students need to take away from the lessons

The FUN — Illustrations, exercises, videos and discussion starters

The FINISH — Online resources and activities exclusively for educators

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CONCEPTCONCEPTCONCEPTCONCEPT----BASED LEARNINGBASED LEARNINGBASED LEARNINGBASED LEARNING

Questions on the material? Give Liberty Day Institute a call toll-free at 1-866-718-3434, or e-mail us at Mail@LibertyDay.org.

Volunteer Evaluation Survey

Liberty Day Institute 866.718.3434 www.libertyday.org Copyright ©2014 Liberty Day. All rights reserved.

Congratulations on your service as a Constitution Day Volunteer! Now that you’re done teaching the Constitution, we’d greatly value your thoughts on how the experience went. Moreover, in order to report to our donors, our staff, and others as to how successful Liberty Day Institute’s Volunteer Initiatives are, we need you to take 5-10 minutes to answer a few simple questions for us in our one-page Volunteer Survey.

Name ____________________________ State _________________ Phone # ___________________

Email _____________________________ Visited School _________________________________________ 1. How did you present the teaching materials (ex: use of real-world examples, playing a game, etc.)? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Did you find the Volunteer Packet helpful in teaching and helping students to broaden their understanding the contents of the Constitution? Why or why not? How so? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Which approaches (activities, examples, etc.) did you find most useful in teaching the students? Did you come up with any activities or teaching methods of your own that seemed to work really well? Please explain. _____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the highest), how would you rate your Constitution Day experience _____________? Please explain. ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Is this program something that you would hope to do again and recommend to others? Please explain. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please feel free to include additional thoughts and comments on the reverse.

Please mail this evaluation to our National Headquarters of the Institute at: Liberty Day Institute, ATTN: Evaluations

3443 S. Galena St., Suite 120, Denver, CO 80231

Evaluation Survey

Educating youth and keeping the Republic since 1996. www.LibertyDay.org

Volunteer Guide p. 1

The following was originally created as a guide for teachers in reviewing crucial material on the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Please feel free to choose which elements of the below guide will fit both your time and interest, as well as what the teacher has requested. You are welcome to contact the Liberty Day Institute anytime if you have any questions! Toll-free: 1-866-718-3434

The first thing you’ll want to do is give your students a brief history lesson if you haven’t already, or review it with them. Talk about the Revolutionary War—what it was about, why we fought it, etc. After we separated from Great Britain, we had to determine how the country would be run. And so the Founding Fathers, like George Washington and James Madison, developed the Constitution. Explain how the Constitution is the rulebook for our government (the people who run the country and make laws), similar to a rulebook in football or baseball. It tells us the basic rules for the government, what it can and can’t do, and what freedoms we are guaranteed as Americans. On September 17th, 1787 (Constitution Day), the Constitution was signed and subsequently ratified (approved) by all 13 states. Ask the students if they know what the first three words of the Constitution are and give them a chance to respond (Question 1 of the Q&A cards). After they know the answer, ask them why they think the Founding Fathers started the Constitution out with those words (why it doesn’t start out with the words “We the Government” or “We the States” but instead “We the People”). Have the students share the reasons they come up with.

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VVVVOLUNTEEROLUNTEEROLUNTEEROLUNTEER GUIDEGUIDEGUIDEGUIDE

Volunteer Guide p. 2

After they’ve given their answers, explain that under British rule individual rights were violated (e.g. Americans were taxed without representation). Share with them how the Founding Fathers believed that the rights of the individual were important and should be protected, and that the power of the government doesn’t lie in a Crown, like it was in England, but in the people. That’s why we fought the Revolutionary War. Introducing the Three Branches The next step of your lesson is to talk about the three branches of government. 1. Use the two enclosed diagrams to help explain the three

branches of government. Begin by showing how the framers of the Constitution didn’t like how power in England was mostly held by one person, the King (Crown). Because of this, they divided the government into three different branches, each with different powers, so that one person or branch could not become all-powerful. These are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches (Question 2).

Continue by explaining how the legislative branch creates laws (and

what that means), how the executive branch enforces the law (what that means), and how the judicial branch interprets the law (determines whether or not an individual is in compliance with the law, or if a law is constitutional or not). Have the students open their books to pages 1, 9, and 13 as you teach and have them underline the section that talks about the roles of the (3) branches. Keep referring to the diagram throughout the rest of your lesson on the three branches.

The Legislative Branch: The legislative branch is the most important branch of the government; that’s why it’s described in the first article of the Constitution. Spend the next 10 minutes discussing this key branch. 2. Explain how the legislative branch is divided into two sections,

the Senate and the House of Representatives (Question 3). Have the students open their books to page 1 and underline these names.

Volunteer Guide p. 3

Then explain why this is: the Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that the laws Congress passes are fair laws, meaning that both houses of Congress have to agree on a law in the exact same writing before it is passed. It’s fun also to explain that not even a comma or a period can be different! Explain how big states wanted there to be one section based on population, so that states with more people could have more power, while smaller states wanted there to be one house where each state had the same number of representatives. Because of this and the desire to have checks and balances in the Federal government (where no one branch would be more powerful than another), two sections were created, including both ways for setting up Congress, in what has been called the “Great Compromise.”

3. Then proceed to tell the students that each state has two

senators (Question 4). Have them open up to page 2 and underline where it says this. Skip questions 5 and 6 for now and explain how page 2 also says that senators serve terms lasting 6 years (Question 7). Have the students underline the relevant passage, and then talk about how each senator must meet three qualifications in order to serve in office. They must: be 30 years old (refer to page 3), be a citizen of the U.S. for 9 years (refer to page 3), and reside in the state in which they’re elected (refer to page 3) (Question 8). List the qualifications underneath “Senate.”

4. Repeat the above process for the House of Representatives.

Explain how members of the House serve for terms of two years (underline, page 1) (Question 5) and must be: 25 years old, a citizen of the U.S. for 7 years, and an inhabitant of the state from which they are elected (underline, all on page 1) (Question 6). List the qualifications underneath “House.”

5. Then talk about how every time the government spends and gives out

money, it is spending the people’s money. Explain how the word “revenue” means taxes. Therefore, the representatives are accountable for how much revenue is obtained from the people. The House of Representatives is the closest to the people because they only serve

Volunteer Guide p. 4

two-year terms (and therefore are up for reelection every two years) and they are directly voted in by the people. Because of this, all bills to raise revenue for the U.S. government have to start in the House (Question 9).

6. Ask the kids if they have any questions so far. The Executive and Judicial Branches 7. Move on to the executive branch. Explain how the President can

serve a maximum of two 4-year terms (Question 10), and have students find and highlight on page 9 where the length of a presidential term can be found.

8. Then talk about the three qualifications to be President.

Presidents must be: 35 years old (page 11), a natural-born citizen (page 10), and a resident of the U.S. for 14 years (page 11) (Question 11). Point out how actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger is not qualified to become President of the U.S. because he is not a natural-born citizen. Rather, he is a naturalized citizen—born in another country who eventually became a citizen.

9. Talk about how the President is Commander-in-Chief of the

military (Army and Navy in the Constitution, but now the Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard as well) and have the students identify and underline where this is stated on page 11 (Question 12). Explain what this means.

10. Talk a little about the judicial branch. This isn’t expressed in

the Q&A cards, but it’s important to note for the students that the judicial branch, specifically the Supreme Court, is not elected by the people. Instead, the President appoints (nominates) a justice and the Senate either confirms (approves) the appointment or rejects it. Here he is soliciting the “advice and consent of the Senate” in order to make sure to get their permission so that the nominated Supreme Court justice can serve on the Court. Also, unlike the Executive and Legislative branches, members of the Judicial branch have life terms. The only way they may have to leave office is if they are impeached.

Volunteer Guide p. 5

Questions and Review 11. Ask them if they have any questions so far on what you just talked

about. If not, take down the chart and ask them questions for review. How a Bill Becomes a Law 12. Now’s the point where you explain in a bit more detail on how

the system works. Start by walking through the diagram, explaining how if both the House and Senate agree on the exact same wording of a bill and pass it, the President generally can either sign it into law (meaning it becomes the law of the land) or veto it (refuse to sign it into law) (Question 13). Explain how the veto is part of the “checks and balances” system created by the Founding Fathers to keep any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. They were concerned that men were easily corruptible, especially when given power over others. Elaborate on how a veto means that the bill does not become a law, but that Congress can override it with 2/3 vote of both houses, meaning that it will become law even without the President supporting it (Question 14).

13. Explain once again how the judicial branch has the power to declare

a law unconstitutional. If a case is brought to the courts challenging a certain law, it will look at the law and determine whether or not it is allowed under the Constitution. If the court decides that it is unconstitutional, the law will no longer be effective. Congress then has the option to come up with a new one that fits within the Constitution, and the whole process starts over again.

14. Ask if the students have any questions. The 28 Amendments Now is the time to go over the Amendments, starting with the Bill of Rights. You may want to teach this in a second or even a third lesson. 15. Before you talk about the specific amendments, begin by explaining

the Amendment process. If someone wants to change the Constitution, they have to propose and ratify an amendment.

Volunteer Guide p. 6

Proposal: In order for an amendment to be proposed, or suggested, 2/3 of both houses of Congress or 2/3 of all the state legislatures must agree to propose it. Ratification: In order for an amendment to be ratified, or become official, ¾ of all the state legislatures or ¾ of all state conventions (special meetings in each state) must approve it.

16. Explain how the first 10 amendments (changes) to the Constitution

were passed in 1791 and are known as the “Bill of Rights.” Go over the five rights in the First Amendment (on page 22: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances) (Question 15).

When talking about the first amendment, see what examples you come up with to help bring it home to the kids. For instance, talk about how other countries, like China and Iran, impose strict limits on these freedoms and that the King of England had tried to limit them in the colonies. Also go over how the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances” means that citizens have the right to request that the government change something. A great way to explain the “right to peaceably assemble” is to talk about how that gives us the right to, for example, attend a Denver Nuggets basketball game or a New York Giants football game (if they can pay for it).

17. Discuss the two rights guaranteed in the Fourth Amendment to the

Constitution. This amendment protects against “unreasonable searches and seizures” and “warrants without probable cause” (Question 16). Explain how warrants are basically written permission from a court to investigate a person or his/her home or things. Explain how “unreasonable searches and seizures” means that the government (police) can’t search your home, person, or property or take things that belong to you without a reasonable belief that you probably committed a crime. This usually means that police must get a warrant before they can search or seize someone’s private property.

18. Discuss the five rights guaranteed in the Fifth Amendment (on page

23) (Question 17). These are: indictment by a Grand Jury, no double

Volunteer Guide p. 7

jeopardy, protection from being a witness against oneself, due process of law, and just compensation for taking private property. Explain what “indictment,” “double jeopardy,” and “due process of law” mean, as well as what it means to not have to be a witness against yourself. Give an example to describe “just compensation for taking private property,” such as if the school district wants to build a new school and it has to acquire your house to do it, they have to pay you the amount of money that your house is actually worth.

Indictment by a Grand Jury: Group of impartial citizens who decide whether or not the police have sufficient evidence to bring a criminal case to trial. Indictment: A formal accusation that someone has committed a crime. Double Jeopardy: An accused person declared “not guilty” by a judge or jury can’t be tried more than once for the same crime. Due Process of Law: The government must respect all legal rights of a person under the law and go through every step in the legal process, from charging one with a crime on thru the trial.

19. Discuss the Sixth Amendment right (on page 23) to a “speedy and

public trial, by an impartial jury” (Question 18). Explain what a jury is, what it means to be impartial, and what the implications are of a trial that is not public or speedy (begun in short order with no intentional delays).

20. Discuss the three rights in the Eight Amendment (on page 23).

They are: no excessive bail, no excessive fines, and no cruel and unusual punishment (Question 19). Explain what bail is and how excessive bail and fines could be unfair or abusive, especially for the innocent and poor. Explain the importance of cruel and unusual punishment and compare it to something like a kid not getting to eat lunch for a week because he said something rude to a girl. Is that fair, or is that cruel and unusual?

21. Next, go over the last few amendments to the Constitution that are

included in the 24 Q&As.

Volunteer Guide p. 8

Question 20: In which amendment to the U.S. Constitution are Americans guaranteed “equal protection of the laws?” Amendment 14 (page 26)

Explain how the “equal protection clause” of the 14th Amendment means that a law made for one group of people will apply to everyone else, and that each state must follow the Bill of Rights, not just the federal government.

Question 21: What right is given in the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? The right of the people of all races to vote (page 27) Question 22: What power is given to Congress in the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? The power to collect income tax (page 28)

Explain how an income tax means that the government will take a percentage of how much someone makes to raise money to pay for what it does.

Question 23: What right is given in the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? The right of women to vote (page 29) Question 24: What right is given in the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? The right of 18-year-olds to vote (page 34)

How A Bill Becomes a Law Diagram of the Diagram of the Diagram of the Diagram of the Federal Federal Federal Federal Law ProcessLaw ProcessLaw ProcessLaw Process

Executive Branch Executive Branch Executive Branch Executive Branch (President)(President)(President)(President)

Executes the laws Enforces the laws

Legislative Branch Legislative Branch Legislative Branch Legislative Branch (Congress)(Congress)(Congress)(Congress) Makes the laws

SenateSenateSenateSenate House of RepresentativesHouse of RepresentativesHouse of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives

1. Agree on the bill and its wording

2. Passes bill

4. Overr

ide veto

with 2/3

vote

Determines if law is unconstitutional

If it is unconstitutional, Congress has to make a new constitutional constitutional constitutional constitutional law

3. Signs bill into law

3. Vetoes bill

Judicial BranchJudicial BranchJudicial BranchJudicial Branch (Supreme Court)(Supreme Court)(Supreme Court)(Supreme Court)

Interprets the law Decides if a law is broken

5. Law may be broken and/or challenged in

Court

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Three Branches of Government

Breakdown of Constitutional GovernmentBreakdown of Constitutional GovernmentBreakdown of Constitutional GovernmentBreakdown of Constitutional Government

ARTICLE ONEARTICLE ONEARTICLE ONEARTICLE ONE The Legislative Branch (Congress)The Legislative Branch (Congress)The Legislative Branch (Congress)The Legislative Branch (Congress)

SenateSenateSenateSenate 2 from each state 6-year terms 30-years-old 9-years citizen Lives in state which

he/she represents

House of RepresentativesHouse of RepresentativesHouse of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives 2-year terms 25-years-old 7-years citizen Lives in state which he/

she represents Proposes all bills to

raise revenue (taxes)

ARTICLE TWOARTICLE TWOARTICLE TWOARTICLE TWO Executive Branch (President)Executive Branch (President)Executive Branch (President)Executive Branch (President) 4-year terms Maximum of 2 terms 35-years-old Natural-born citizen 14-years resident Commander-in-Chief of the

military

ARTICLE THREEARTICLE THREEARTICLE THREEARTICLE THREE Judicial Branch Judicial Branch Judicial Branch Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)(Supreme Court)(Supreme Court)(Supreme Court)

Appointed by President Confirmed by the Senate Lifetime appointment NO constitutional qualifi-

cations!

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Liberty DayLiberty DayLiberty DayLiberty Day InstituteInstituteInstituteInstitute Q&A Flashcard Questions

Q: What are the first three words of the U.S. Constitution?

A: “We the People….” (p.1)

Q: The first three articles of the U.S. Constitution describe the three branches of the U.S.

government. What are they?

A: a) legislative (p.1)

b) executive (p.9)

c) judicial (p.13)

Q: The Congress of the United States is divided into two sections: What are they?

A: a) Senate (p.1)

b) House of Representatives (p.1)

Q: How many Senators are there from each state?

A: two (pp. 2, 28)

Q: How long is one term of office of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?

A: 2 years (p.1)

Q: The Constitution gives three necessary qualifications for someone to become a member

of the U.S. House of Representatives: What are they?

A: a) be 25 years old (p.1)

b) be a citizen of the U.S. for 7 years

c) be an inhabitant of the state from which elected (p.1)

Q: How long is one term of office of a member of the U.S. Senate?

A: 6 years (p.2)

Q: The Constitution gives 3 necessary qualifications for someone to become a member of

the U.S. Senate: What are they?

A: a) be 30 years old (p.3)

b) be a citizen of the U.S. for 9 years (p.3)

c) be an inhabitant of the state from which elected (p.3)

Q: Where do all bills to raise revenue for the U.S. government have to start for that bill to

become a law?

A: House of Representatives (p.5)

Q: How long is one term of office for the President of the United States?

A: 4 years (p.9)

Q: The Constitution gives three necessary qualifications for someone to become President

of the United States: What are they?

A: a) be 35 years old (p.11)

b) be a natural born citizen of the U.S. (p.10)

c) be a resident of the U.S. for 14 years (p.11)

Q: Who is the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States?

A: the president (p.11)

Q: If both Houses of Congress approve a bill, and send it to the President for his signature,

what can the President do to reject that bill?

A: he can “veto” it (p.5)

Q: If the President vetoes a bill that Congress has sent to him, how may Congress make

that bill into a law anyway?

A: by a two-thirds vote (p.5)

Q: What are the five rights in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution?

A: a) freedom of religion (p.22)

b) freedom of speech (p.22)

c) freedom of the press (p.22)

d) freedom to peaceably assemble (p. 22)

e) right to petition the government for a redress of grievances (p.22)

Q: What two rights are guaranteed in the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution?

A: a) no unreasonable searches and seizures

b) no warrants without probable cause

Q: What are the five rights in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution?

A: a) indictment of a Grand Jury (p.23)

b) no double jeopardy (p.23)

c) don’t have to be a witness against yourself (p.23)

d) due process of law (p.23)

e) just compensation for taking private property (p.23)

Q: In which amendment to the US Constitution are Americans guaranteed a “speedy and

public trial, by an impartial jury?”

A: Amendment 6 (p.23)

Q: What are the three rights in the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

A: a) no excessive bail (p.23)

b) no excessive fines (p.23)

c) no cruel and unusual punishment (p.23)

.

Q: In which amendment of the US Constitution are Americans guaranteed “equal

protection of the laws?”

A: Amendment 14 (p.26)

Q: What right is given in the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution?

A: the right of people of all races to vote (p.27)

Q: What power is given to Congress in the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

A: the power to collect income tax (p.28)

Q: What right is given in the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution?

A: the right of women to vote (p.29)

Q: What right is given in the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

A: the right of 18-year-olds to vote (p.34)