YOU are a consultant to a United States senator who is serving on a committee to review the Bill of Rights. Having decided that some of the original bills are more applicable to today’s society than others, the committee has decided to retain five of the ten original Bill of Rights amendments and create five new ones to submit for ratification. Should this Bill of Rights revision succeed, the review committee feels the new and improved Bill of Rights might also be adopted by other countries such as Iraq as they seek to establish a democratic society that protects its citizens’ rights. Clearly, the importance of this committee’s proposal cannot be overstated!

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You will be a part of a four-member team assigned the task of determining which five of the original ten Bill of Rights amendments to retain.

You will also create five new additions to the Bill of Rights.

The senate committee is meeting at this very moment to determine the specific guidelines of your project. As soon as they stop arguing--I mean, debating the details, the committee chairwoman, Senator Ima Goodwoman, will explain the process you must use. Stay tuned!

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Ah! Here comes Sen. Goodwoman now! She gives you the following guidelines you must use as you work on this project.

As your four-member team determines which five of the original ten Bill of Rights amendments to retain and also creates five new additions to the Bill of Rights, The senate committee has established the following requirements for your project:

• For each of the five Bill of Rights to be retained, you must explain its need and usefulness by researching its relevance in today’s society. For each of the five you must provide convincing argument for inclusion of the right.
• This argument must also cite:
  • Three or more professional sources, with complete bibliographical citations.
  • Three or more statements/opinions from citizens (age 18 or older) that you have interviewed.
• For each of the five new additions to the Bill of Rights, you must demonstrate the need for it by describing the societal issue or concern that the new right would address.
• For each of the five you must provide convincing argument for its inclusion, citing:
  • Two or more professional sources, with complete bibliographical citations.
  • Two or more statements/opinions from citizens (age 18 or older) that you have interviewed.
• Each member of the team must complete a Bill of Rights graphic organizer with the above required information.

When the senator leaves, you and your team members realize that you have your work cut out for you, and you better get busy. What you don't yet realize is that you haven't heard everything yet. Uh-oh.

Eventually the senate committee lets your team in on a fact they previously withheld; your team is not the only one working on this project. Each team will present their proposals to the senate committee, with the senate committee determining the final proposal. They may choose to use one team's work or they may choose portions of various teams’ proposals. Therefore:

• You must create a presentation that will persuade the committee that your team’s proposal is the best for our country. You will need to convince them that the five rights you chose to retain are the most relevant of the original ten and the five new ones that you created are the most needed in today’s society.
• Remember that as you present your information, the senators will be taking notes on your reasons and rationale, as well as noting the sources included in your research. Rumor has it (Washington D.C. rumor, that is) that if you ever want to work in this town again, your team better convince the committee to use at least part of your proposal in the final proposal.
• Oh, and it might be wise to keep in mind that senators become bored rather easily. Therefore, a dynamic, lively presentation with visual aids (posters, Powerpoint, or other) would help hold their attention.

Yes, the pressure is on, but you have been chosen for this team because you are up to the task! Time is of the essence, so it’s best to get started without delay. Don't forget to check out the Resources section and the Evaluation section below. These will help you effectively complete your task.

Ladies and gentlemen, good luck.

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Click here for an annotated list of weblinks that will help you with your proposal.

For print sources, come to the library! A cart of books is reserved for this project.

Read through the evaluation rubric before you even begin the project and refer back to it as you work.

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