Our Constitution

The Rules We Live By

EQ: What is the constitution?

• The law is the set of rules that we live by.

• The Constitution is the highest law. It belongs to the United States. It belongs to all Americans.

The Constitution says how the government works.

• It creates the President.• It creates the Congress.• It creates the Supreme Court.

Our Rights

• The Constitution lists some of the most important rights.

• Rights are things that all people have

just because they are alive.

• By listing the rights as part of the Constitution they are made special.

Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution.

• The Bill of Rights lists many rights of the people.

Rights

• You have the right to be treated equally.

• You have the right to think for yourself

Rights

• It lets you go to the church that you wish.

• It lets you gather with your friends to talk.

Rights

• It makes sure you can read newspapers.

• It keeps the laws from being too hard.

Rights

• It gives rules for the police.

• It also protects your home.

History of the Constitution

• The Constitution was written in 1787.

• It is over 200 years old.

• We actually have copies of what was created.

The Framers

• In 1787, a group of men met to write the Constitution.

• They did not like the way the country was going.

• They fixed it by creating the Constitution.

• We call these men The Framers.

Framers

• Some of the framers were famous.• George Washington was a Framer.• Ben Franklin was a Framer.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• The Framers met during a hot summer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• They had a lot of arguments.• But in the end, they agreed to the

words in the Constitution.

States Voted

• It took some time but all of the states voted to approve the Constitution.

• Some people didn’t like it because they felt it didn’t protect the rights of the people.

• So the Bill of Rights was added then.• The Bill of Rights was the first 10

changes to the Constitution.

Finally

• So, finally after declaring their independence in 1776, the new country had its Constitution, the law of the land.

200 Years Later

• Our Constitution is still followed today.• It is thought of as one of the greatest

documents ever written.