4th Grade Civics & Government — Rights and Responsibilities — Being a Good Citizen
Students will learn about the first ten amendments to the Constitution and understand how the Bill of Rights protects our God-given freedoms.
After the Constitution was written, many Americans were worried. They wanted to make sure the new government would never take away their God-given rights. So the Founders added ten amendments called the Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment protects five important freedoms: religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. Freedom of religion was listed first because the Founders believed worshipping God freely was the most important freedom of all.
The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms. The Fourth Amendment protects people from unfair searches. The Fifth Amendment says no one can be forced to testify against themselves in court.
The Tenth Amendment is very important — it says that any powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people. The Founders wanted to keep the government limited so people could be free.
The Bill of Rights does not give us our rights — remember, our rights come from God. Instead, the Bill of Rights tells the government what it cannot do. It is like a fence around our freedoms to protect them.
Create a 'Bill of Rights Booklet.' Fold paper into a small book with 10 pages. On each page, write one amendment in your own words and draw a picture showing what freedom it protects.