•  The Constitution is the foundation of the government and legal system of the United States of America.

•  Written in 1787, the Constitution is a living document that has been amended and re-interpreted over time.

•  Since its adoption in 1788, the Constitution and its meaning have continued to inspire fervent debate.

1. During the drafting of the Constitution in 1787, Federalists and Anti-Federalists clashed over how much power the federal government should have and how much power state governments should have. How is that power divided today? What does the federal government control?  What do individual states control? What about local town, city, or county governments in your state?

2. Do you support the Equal Rights Amendment? It was sent to the states for ratification after passage by the House and Senate in 1972. Do you think it is still needed today? What would you say to state legislators to convince them to either ratify or reject the amendment?

3. Changing the Constitution was designed to be difficult. That’s why there have been only 27 amendments in over 230 years. Do you think the process of amending the Constitution should be made easier? Should the Constitution change more frequently to keep up with a changing world, or is it better for the nation to remain rooted to its original principles?

1. BRAINSTORM & WRITE:
Break students into small groups and ask each group to write a proposal for an amendment to the Constitution.

Students should brainstorm ideas, debate the details, and keep working until a majority of each group approves a proposed amendment.

2. PRESENT:
Have each group present its proposed amendment to the entire class, and then hold a vote.

Proposed amendments that receive votes from at least three-fourths of the class will be considered ratified; all others will be considered rejected.

3. ANALYZE:
After the results are in, ask students to discuss the process.

What compromises did group members make to achieve majority approval before presenting amendments to the class? Did the results of the class-wide votes turn out as they expected?

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