Constitution Day: 221-year-old document binds Americans together
Local teachers say students need to learn about their constitutional rights.
By Earl Horlyk, Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Keesten Hanks practices a rap as part of a special prograrm for fifth-graders studying the Constitution at Clark Elementary School on Tuesday. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
SIOUX CITY -- The U.S. Constitution does not grant a person the unalienable right to "boombox," but that doesn't stop Jacob Hansen from incorporating some boss beats while rehearsing "The Constitution Day Rap."
"I always knew this would come in handy," Jacob, a Clark Elementary School fifth-grader, said while beating his chest with his hands. "Just didn't know it was going to be in social studies."
Jacob, along with 34 other members of teacher Donna Wynn's class, put together an entire program Tuesday, saluting the U.S. Constitution a day before the 221st anniversary of its adoption.
Across the country, students will likely spend today learning about the Constitution. Adopted Sept. 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first 10 amendments are collectively called the Bill of Rights.
"The Constitution is what brings all Americans together," said Wynn, who's been teaching the Constitution as part of her fifth-grade class for more than 15 years.
The class sang out: "Authority, responsibility, privacy, justice. / These are the words that mean so much to us."
"I feel like I have to add 'Word' after every line," said Chance Jensen, clearly getting in touch with his inner rapper.
"Learning about the Constitution this year is so important because we are so close to the presidential election," Wynn said.
Which was the impetus behind constitutional expert Cathy Travis penning the book "Constitution Translated for Kids," aimed squarely at fifth-graders.
A retired press secretary at the U.S. House of Representatives, Travis remembered shouting at the TV screen while watching one of the 1992 presidential debates.
"One of the candidates, I'm not naming which one, was constantly quoting from the Constitution and continually getting it wrong," she said during a telephone interview from her home in Washington, D.C. "If a guy running for president doesn't know the Constitution, how would a little fifth-grader?"
Travis spent the next few years untangling the document's complicated language into a format accessible for kids.
"Plus I know quite a few adults who've read the book and said, 'Hmm ... now it makes sense to me, too,'" she said.
Although East High School teacher Tracy Keefer's American history students are older than fifth-graders, they're also taking a stab at the Constitution.
"My kids will soon be old enough to have the rights promised them in the Constitution." Keefer said.
And if Wynn's fifth-graders chose the musical form of rap to rhapsodize about the Constitution, East senior Johnathan Hall decided to go a more acoustical route.
"I'm presenting my project on the 22nd Amendment while strumming on my guitar," Hall said.
So, what's the 22nd Amendment, again?
It's the one that limits the president to two terms in office. Not the most musical of amendments, huh?
"Music just helps me to learn," Hall explained. "I think doing my presentation with a little musical accompaniment will help my class to learn as well."
Hall's classmate Jenny Kinzey is equally jazzed about her project: A PowerPoint presentation devoted to the 26th Amendment.
"That's the amendment that guarantees the vote to 18-year-olds," she said.
Which will come in handy for Kinzey, a senior who plans to major in political science in college.
"Then I'll go to law school, maybe the military, before running for political office," she said. "So I better know about the Constitution."
No doubt, Travis would be pleased with Kinzey''s attention to detail.
"I ran across a (McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum) survey that found that 22 percent of Americans knew the names of 'The Simpsons' cartoon family," Travis said with a groan. "Yet only 0.1 percent could name the five rights guaranteed them under the First Amendment."
"When people ask why it's important to know about the Constitution, the answer is easy," she said. "We live in a big country, but the Constitution is what binds all of us together as a people. The Constitution provides the foundation that allows us to live the lives we want to live.
"That's certainly something for everyone to celebrate," she added.
"I always knew this would come in handy," Jacob, a Clark Elementary School fifth-grader, said while beating his chest with his hands. "Just didn't know it was going to be in social studies."
Jacob, along with 34 other members of teacher Donna Wynn's class, put together an entire program Tuesday, saluting the U.S. Constitution a day before the 221st anniversary of its adoption.
Across the country, students will likely spend today learning about the Constitution. Adopted Sept. 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first 10 amendments are collectively called the Bill of Rights.
"The Constitution is what brings all Americans together," said Wynn, who's been teaching the Constitution as part of her fifth-grade class for more than 15 years.
The class sang out: "Authority, responsibility, privacy, justice. / These are the words that mean so much to us."
"I feel like I have to add 'Word' after every line," said Chance Jensen, clearly getting in touch with his inner rapper.
"Learning about the Constitution this year is so important because we are so close to the presidential election," Wynn said.
Which was the impetus behind constitutional expert Cathy Travis penning the book "Constitution Translated for Kids," aimed squarely at fifth-graders.
A retired press secretary at the U.S. House of Representatives, Travis remembered shouting at the TV screen while watching one of the 1992 presidential debates.
"One of the candidates, I'm not naming which one, was constantly quoting from the Constitution and continually getting it wrong," she said during a telephone interview from her home in Washington, D.C. "If a guy running for president doesn't know the Constitution, how would a little fifth-grader?"
Travis spent the next few years untangling the document's complicated language into a format accessible for kids.
"Plus I know quite a few adults who've read the book and said, 'Hmm ... now it makes sense to me, too,'" she said.
Although East High School teacher Tracy Keefer's American history students are older than fifth-graders, they're also taking a stab at the Constitution.
"My kids will soon be old enough to have the rights promised them in the Constitution." Keefer said.
And if Wynn's fifth-graders chose the musical form of rap to rhapsodize about the Constitution, East senior Johnathan Hall decided to go a more acoustical route.
"I'm presenting my project on the 22nd Amendment while strumming on my guitar," Hall said.
So, what's the 22nd Amendment, again?
It's the one that limits the president to two terms in office. Not the most musical of amendments, huh?
"Music just helps me to learn," Hall explained. "I think doing my presentation with a little musical accompaniment will help my class to learn as well."
Hall's classmate Jenny Kinzey is equally jazzed about her project: A PowerPoint presentation devoted to the 26th Amendment.
"That's the amendment that guarantees the vote to 18-year-olds," she said.
Which will come in handy for Kinzey, a senior who plans to major in political science in college.
"Then I'll go to law school, maybe the military, before running for political office," she said. "So I better know about the Constitution."
No doubt, Travis would be pleased with Kinzey''s attention to detail.
"I ran across a (McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum) survey that found that 22 percent of Americans knew the names of 'The Simpsons' cartoon family," Travis said with a groan. "Yet only 0.1 percent could name the five rights guaranteed them under the First Amendment."
"When people ask why it's important to know about the Constitution, the answer is easy," she said. "We live in a big country, but the Constitution is what binds all of us together as a people. The Constitution provides the foundation that allows us to live the lives we want to live.
"That's certainly something for everyone to celebrate," she added.
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UnifiedStatesofthe Americas wrote on Sep 17, 2008 5:58 PM:
Gone wrote on Sep 17, 2008 12:31 PM:
Yeah Right wrote on Sep 17, 2008 8:22 AM:
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Grant wrote on Sep 17, 2008 7:53 AM: