After students have come up with a scenario for each of the first eight amendments, have them work in their groups to create a mock trial for one of the scenarios. Students can play the roles of a plaintiff who believes his or her rights have been violated, a defendant accused of violating the other students' rights, lawyers for each side who will argue how the amendment relates to their case, and a judge and jury who can decide whether or not the action violates that amendment. View the original Bill of Rights, read the text, and find background information on the document. Wrap-Up Provide time for each group to hold its mock trial in front of the class. After all groups have present their trials, discuss the results with students.
Students can research recent real-life cases that have involved the Bill of Rights.
Some cases that students may find especially interesting are those that involved other students, such as Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier or Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District. Encourage students to use the Internet to research these cases. This site offers brief summaries of over twenty cases related to the rights and responsibilities of students and teachers. All Rights Reserved.