Stepping into the role of a founding father will get your students’ attention and humanize the lessons of U.S. history. Speaking in the first person as Ben Franklin, James Madison or Alexander Hamilton will enable you to teach the mindset behind the framing of the Constitution. You could appear as John Adams one day, offering his version of federalism, and then counter with Jeffersonian Republicanism on the next. For students who may not fully understand the thought processes behind our most revered document, hearing the “voices” of those who created it can humanize history and remind them of a key point: government is created by and run by people.
Once you have taught the basics about the Bill of Rights, encourage your students to memorize what the individual rights are and what they mean. Use a memory tool and take time every day to go through the Bill of Rights. Consider tossing a ball or stuffed animal to a student who must recite the first right. He can then toss it to another student who must then recite the first and the second and so on. Whenever an error occurs, offer the answer, but start the game over until the class has successfully recited all 10.
Even within the confines of the classroom, you can mirror the lessons of the separation of powers doctrine by holding elections and appointing judges. After introducing the electoral process, have your students campaign and hold mock elections. Once they have elected an executive and House, have the president appoint a judge or two with approval of the legislative branch. Even in its mini-version of reality, your classroom governance can demonstrate checks and balances. Your elected officials can be part of the conversation throughout the semester and create, legislate and judge infractions of classroom rules. Consider using term limits and pointing to the differences among the branches in this regard.
At least once a week, have students bring in a newspaper article or online story that demonstrates governance in action. Ask them how it relates to contemporary laws, and more important, how it still fits with a document that is more than 225 years old. Encourage your students to facilitate the conversation and interact with one another, offering your input for clarity. At the end of each discussion, look for takeaway lessons about leadership, laws, justice and the power of open debate.