Ms. Ghans

P.S. 125

Introduction

You are a sixth grader in a public elementary school in New York City. After the September 11^th tragedy, your principal has decided to place the words “under God” back into the Pledge of Allegiance. This makes you uncomfortable because your parents are atheists and do not believe in God. At first, you decided just to not say those words. However, with each passing day your conscience is bothering you to speak up. Before you can do this you must examine the law to see if it is on your side. Either way, you wish to present a report to your principal that will at the very least make him or her aware of your concerns.

Task

Your job will be to do the necessary research to find out whether or not it is constitutional for your principal to include the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. You will then write a comprehensive report on your findings and present them to your principal.

Process

1^st You will use the internet and other resources to locate the Constitutions stance on religion. You will then look for relevant legal cases on the topic.

2^nd You will write a 3-5 page report on what you have found. This report should include what you believe is an appropriate action for the principal to take (based on the evidence of course!).

3^rd This material should be orally presented to your principal with your written findings to support it.

Resources

These will be helpful for researching information:

https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/Lessons/Rel/rel1.html

https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/Lessons/Rel/rel2.html

https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/Lessons/Rel/rel4.html

This will be helpful for writing reports:

http://www.2learn.ca/kids2learn/kidsreport.html

Evaluation

Successful students will have a comprehensive a detailed list of the facts that are relevant to the case. They will state the legal facts correctly and site where these sources were found in their actual papers. Their recommendation to the principal will clearly reflect the information presented in their report.

The report itself will be 3-5 pages. It will be well organized and clearly written with few grammatical or spelling mistakes. It will stay on topic.

Standards

Social Studies

S1-Use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate understanding of US History

S5-Use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate understanding of US governmental systems

ELA

S1- Students will read, write, and listen for information and understanding

S3- Students will read, write, and listen for critical analysis and evaluation.