CECsst.252


TITLE:  SMALL COUNTRY

AUTHOR:  Becky Dunbar, Crossroads School;
         Anchorage, Alaska

OVERVIEW:
This exercise is best used after a study of the Bill of
Rights.  It gives students the opportunity to consider just
how important each Right is to them.  It comes from
suggested class exercises to accompany chapter 3 of
Government in the United States (Macmillan Publishing
Company).

It was written for students taking government independently
but can easily be adapted to regular class setting by
dividing students into groups of 5, having them complete the
exercise and then announce and defend their choices to the
class.

The teacher should make sure students understand what will
be given up if they give up each right.

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:  "Government in the United States"
text book (Macmillan Publishing Company)

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Student Handout:

SMALL COUNTRY (HO 3 - 9)

Get together in groups of at least 5 government students and
carefully discuss the following.  A group may be more than 5
but no less than five for full credit on the assignment.

Pretend that you live in a very small country with a
constitution, a Bill of Rights, and a government very much
like that of the United States.  Your country has been
conquered by people from another planet.  The conquerors
agree that they will allow your people to retain five of the
rights listed below, and will let the people of your country
choose the five rights they want.

Discuss together each of the following rights.  Why is it
important?  What would you really be giving up to let each
go?  How will it effect future generations?  After you have
carefully discussed each right, choose the five you feel are
most important.  Now decide as a group which five to keep.
If you feel strongly about some of your own choices, try to
convince the group to vote with you.  Explain to them why
these rights are so important.

Turn in the list of five rights that your group wishes to
keep.  Have every member of the group sign the list.

Which one of the ten is the most important right and which
is the least important:
 1.  Freedom of religion
 2.  Freedom of speech and press
 3.  Right to assemble peaceably and petition the government
     for redress of grievances
 4.  Right to bear arms
 5.  Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure
 6.  Right to a speedy and public trial by jury
 7.  Right to be confronted by witnesses, be informed of the
     nature of the accusation, and to compel witnesses to
     testify
 8.  Right to reasonable bail, have assistance of any
     attorney, and be free from cruel and unusual punishment
 9.  Freedom from compulsion to testify against oneself
10.  Right to due process of law