Current Events: Bill of Rights Day

Students are making their voices heard across the country and calling for action on issues they want addressed. Over the past few weeks, students in at least three states, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and here in Oregon, have seen students walk out of their schools in protest of a wide variety of issues. In Massachusetts, high school students in Medford left their classrooms in response to growing violence at their school. In southern Oregon, after the reinstatement of district staff whom students saw as hostile to the trans community, high school students walked out of their school to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. In November 2021, middle school students at a Portland-area school staged a walkout in response to what they reported as a refusal by the teachers and administration to address the growing problem of sexual assault and harassment happening in their school. In Minnesota and Tigard, Oregon, students left their classes and held demonstrations because of growing environments of hate and racism within their schools. In both cases, student communities were moved to action in response to both hostile school environments for students of color, as well as hate-filled social media posts that circulated among the student body.

These students are not only fighting for what they believe in, but with their actions, they are also honoring the fundamental rights inscribed in the United State’s Constitution. With their collective actions, these students utilized their freedom of speech, and rights to peaceful assembly. These cornerstone rights, as well as seven others, make up what has been called the foundation of American security and liberty: the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights includes the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, which were enacted to protect an array of freedoms including freedom of religion, freedom of press and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.

The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791. Some 150 years later, in November 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued a proclamation dedicating December 15 as Bill of Rights Day, to honor the anniversary, and to draw a stark contrast between American democracy and growing fascism around the globe. It was a year after the end of World War 2 when the U.S. would celebrate Bill of Rights Day again, with President Truman issuing a proclamation at the behest of Congress. Then, in 1962, President John Kennedy officially proclaimed that every December 15^th from that year onward would be Bill of Rights Day.

This week’s Current Events resources examine the Bill of Rights. The resources shared provide context and history around the first ten amendments as well as their impact on American society.

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Essential Questions, Vocabulary & Extend the Resources:

How are students’ actions protected by the Bill of Rights?
What fundamental liberties are protected by the Bill of Rights?
How has the Bill of Rights impacted American society?
In your opinion, which freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are most important in today’s society?
Why may it be important to nationally recognize the Bill of Rights by having its own ‘day’?
How has the Bill of Rights impacted people and countries outside of the United States?
If the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were being drafted today, which freedoms do you think should be added or subtracted from the original ten?

Click here for a hardcopy of the Essential Questions & Bill of Rights Day Vocabulary

Click here for a hardcopy of the Extend the Resources handout with suggested lesson activities and extensions