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Revising the Rights of Parents in 6G
The sixth grade girls are learning about the Bill of Rights, and as an introductory activity, they revised a "Parents' Bill of Rights." Resulting changes ranged from moderate, perhaps even justified, to outrageous and fantastic. For example, regarding parents' control of money and spending in the home, amended versions included children having final say over money they earned, money they possessed and even a say in all spending decisions in the home. While the initial discussion elicited much laughter and merriment, the subsequent discussion over actual rights to religious freedom, a trial by jury, etc., were serious. The girls clearly demonstrated exactly why the founding fathers such as John Hancock struggled to agree on language in our nation's governing documents. The wisdom of the original decision to allow for changes as new situations arose or public values shifted is evident in the 27 (and counting) changes to the Constitution. As the girls discussed which amendments were most important in their daily lives, they gained a new appreciation for the democratic republic of the United States.
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