Bill of Rights Scenarios: Do They Have a Right?

Activity Overview

In this activity, students will create storyboards that reflect real-life scenarios where the Bill of Rights are brought into question. Each scenario that a student creates needs to include an action, or actions, that may or may not violate the Bill of Rights. Students should create scenarios that actually, or could potentially, happen in our society and include the description of each scenario in the space below.

Do They Have a Right?

• In the city of Riverbend, a group of citizens wanted to meet in a city park to worship nature. They called their organization the Followers of the Sun. They were told to leave as local police thought they were annoying the other park visitors. Can the police stop them from meeting in the park?


• The students at Longmeadow Middle School held an assembly after school, in front of the building. The purpose of the assembly was to express the students' desire for longer school days and a longer school year. Do the students have the right?


• Jill is ten years old. She has very religious parents that make her attend church every Sunday. Jill tells them that she does not want to go, but her parents bring her anyway. Are Jill's parents violating the 1st Amendment?

Extended Activity

In this extension activity, students will present their scenarios to a partner, a group, or the whole class. The students will describe the scenario that they created and allow their partner, group, or class to argue whether the Bill of Rights protects the actions of the citizens. Teachers may choose to create a classroom competition out of this activity by using a scorecard to keep track of the student responses. Teachers can use the scores to evaluate areas the class or students needs to focus on.