The 7th graders are well on their way to becoming Constitutional scholars! One of the cornerstones of the 7th-grade experience is our Civics Unit. We began with an overview of the Constitution, and for the past week students have been taking an in-depth look at the Bill of Rights.

This portion of the unit started with a classroom gallery walk. Students toured the room, read the rights, restated them in their own words, and created symbols to represent each one. Next came the fun part—Bill of Rights Bingo! Our 7th graders analyzed a wide range of scenarios and determined which amendment applied. Think you could identify the right amendment for these scenarios?

• In Pennsylvania, a person must be at least 16 years old to apply for a learner’s permit for driving, while in Alaska, they can apply at age 14.

• Before entering a suspect’s home, a police officer shows a search warrant.

• During election season, a local newspaper publishes an editorial endorsing one candidate over another.

Ask your favorite 7th grader to find out which amendment applies to each scenario!

After weeks of studying the branches of government, the 7th graders will take this show on the road and see the government in action in our nation’s capital. The Constitution comes alive on our end-of-year trip to Washington, D.C., where students will visit the Capitol and the White House and meet government officials.