5th Grade Lesson Plan – Bill of Rights, Freedom of Speech and Two Regimes: Witness to War

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Two Regimes: Witness to War

Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is for students to describe how concerns about individual rights led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the U.S.  Constitution, especially the First Amendment, and examine violations of individual rights in other countries through a primary source memoir of Teodora Verbitskaya.

 

Support Materials 
All support materials for this lesson can be found at this Google Link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vgwPtJVqkYpu78XZFwcobxPrq8EITxMK
Support Materials which are included in the above link are listed below.
NOTE:  Be sure to preview all materials before using with your students

  1. Historical Overview for Two Regimes by Dr. Jonathan Grant
  2. Historical Overview of the Holocaust by Dr. Michael Berenbaum
  3. Teodora Verbitskaya Biographical Information
  4. Nadia Werbitzky Biographical Information
  5. 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition PDF

Print Outs

  1. Excerpts of Rights Violations from Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival by Teodora Verbitskaya PDF
  2. Bill of Rights List
  3. Bill of Rights Summary Worksheet
  4. Types of Speech Handout
  5. Allowed or Not Allowed Worksheet
  6. Vocabulary List

Also Available

  1. Holocaust Hyperlinked Resource Material
  2. Holodomor 1932-1933 – At a Glance
  3. Holocaust 1933-1945 – At a Glance

 

Online Resources

  1. Bill of Rights (1791) https://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?flash=false&page=&doc=13&title=Bill+of+Rights+%281791%29
  2. 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video – Narration in easy to understand American English  https://youtu.be/fd40i74ZFkY  
  3. 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video – Narration in English with an accent  https://youtu.be/sqrMX_oBQJg
  4. World War II: Timeline, Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007306

 

Florida: Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

  • SS.5.C.1.5 Describe how concerns about individual rights led to the inclusion of the   Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution
  • SS.5.A.1.1  Use primary and secondary sources to understand history
  • FS 1003.42 Required Holocaust Education Mandate Public School Instruction


Authors
Amy Burch and Kelly Bowen

Formative Assessment

NOTE: Be sure to preview all materials before using with your students.

  1. Teacher will assess students’ ability to define and give examples of rights via verbal feedback through their verbal responses during “Rights” Brainstorm activity and discussion.
  2. Teacher will assess students’ ability to identify right violations in past historical events via verbal feedback through their verbal responses during discussion ofExcerpts of Rights Violationsfrom Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival by Teodora Verbitskaya.
  3. Teacher will assess students’ ability to via verbal feedback to student’s verbal responses during 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video.
  4. Teacher will assess students’ ability to explain the rights protected by each amendment via verbal and/or written feedback to students’ written responses to Bill of Rights Summary Worksheet.
  5. Teacher will assess students’ ability to create a role play scene that depicts rights violations via verbal feedback to their comments and participation in Role Play Bill of Rights.
  6. Teacher will assess students’ ability to analyze a scenario and identify rights violations via written feedback to their written responses on Allowed or Not Allowed Worksheet.
  7. Teacher will assess students’ ability to identify First Amendment right to Free Speech and apply rights contained in Bill of Rights to lives of 18th century and 21st century Americans via verbal or written feedback on Exit Ticket.
  8. Teacher will assess students’ ability to examine, identify and apply rights and principles of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights in lives of citizens in past, present and future via written response to their assessment essay describing the impact of rights established by First Amendment of the Bill of Rights from the 18th century on individuals or on groups of citizens in 21st century America.

 

 Feedback to Students

  1. Students will receive verbal feedback to their verbal responses during “Rights” Brainstorm activity and discussion.
  2. Students will receive verbal feedback on discussion of Excerpts of Rights Violations from Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival by Teodora Verbitskaya.
  3. Students will receive verbal feedback to their verbal responses during 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video.
  4. Students will receive verbal feedback to their written responses to Bill of Rights Summary Worksheet.
  5. Students will receive verbal feedback to their comments and participation in Role Play Bill of Rights.
  6. Students will receive written feedback to their written responses on Allowed or Not Allowed Worksheet.
  7. Students will receive verbal or written feedback on Exit Ticket.
  8. Students will receive written response to their assessment. Essay that describes the impact of all rights established by The First Amendment of The Bill of Rights and the Constitution from the 18th century and comment on the impact of this document on individuals or groups of citizens in 21st century America.

 

Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment Task:

Students will write an essay that describes the impact of rights established by First Amendment of Bill of Rights from the 18th century on individuals or on groups of citizens in 21st century America. 

Teachers will determine their own grading criteria.  However, written responses should include demonstrating their understanding of the need for protection of individual rights especially First Amendment rights in a civilized society and how those may or may not look different in 21st century America than they did in the 18th century.

 

Learning Objectives

Students will interact with primary and secondary sources to:

  • Describe the concerns that led to the inclusion of Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.
  • Identify and summarize the freedoms in the First Amendment (religion, assembly, press, petition, and speech) and an example of each.
  • Examine and explain how the right to free speech can conflict with our responsibility to consider rights of others.

 

Guiding Questions

  1. What is the primary purpose of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
  2. What were concerns of Americans that led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution?
  3. Why did the framers of the Constitution value freedom of speech?
  4. What constitutes “speech”?
  5. Why are all forms of expression important in a democracy?
  6. Why are there limits to free speech?
  7. Why is it difficult to determine what speech is protected and what speech is unprotected?
  8. How is the Bill of Rights’ First Amendment Freedom of Speech evident in everyday life today?
  9. How does the right to free speech conflict with our responsibility to consider the rights of others?

Prior Knowledge

  1. Students should have some background knowledge of U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
  2. Students should have some background knowledge of different types of government.
  3. Students should have some background knowledge of the Holocaust.

 

Pre-Teach Vocabulary as needed:

Socialism: form of government where the economy is controlled by the government

Economy: the wealth and resources of a country or family, especially with goods and services

Holocaust: mass killing of Europeans, especially the Jews, by the Nazis during WWII

Holodomor: death by starvation, man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932-1933 under Stalin

Republic democracy: form of government where the power is with the people

Collective farming: small farms that are owned and controlled by the government

Concentration camp: a place where large numbers of people are imprisoned to await death by mass killings

Steppe: large area of flat, unforested grassland in southeastern Europe and Siberia

Kremlin: location in Moscow of the central offices of the Soviet government

Trench: a large deep ditch

German prison camp: a prisoner of war camp where outdoor work is done for the government

The following vocabulary will be introduced to students in Historical Overview of Two Regimes by Dr. Jonathan Grant:

Autocracy: a form of government where one person has unlimited power

Communism: a form of government in which a single ruling party owns and controls the entire economy, and in which no private ownership is allowed

Dictator: a military leader who becomes the head of a country, often by force

Direct democracy: a form of government in which the power to govern is directly in the hands of the people rather than elected representatives

Monarchy: a form of government headed by a king or queen who inherits the position, rules for life, and holds power that can range anywhere from between limited to absolute

Oligarchy: a form of government in which a small group (often of wealthy people) has total control and power

Ratification: the action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid

Representative democracy/republic: a form of government in which the people elect representatives to make laws for them

Abridge: to diminish or reduce in scope

Case law: law established by judicial decisions as distinguished from law created by legislation

Freedom: the quality or state of being free: as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

Freedom of speech: the right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations

Freedom of religion: the right to practice the religion of your choice

Freedom of press: is the right to circulate opinions in print without censorship by the government

Right to Assembly the right or ability of people to come together as a group to express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas

Right to Petition Government: right to make a complaint to, or seek the assistance of, one’s government, without fear of punishment or reprisals

Liberty: freedom from external (as governmental) restraint, compulsion, or interference in engaging in the pursuits or conduct of one’s choice to the extent that they are lawful and not harmful to others

Rights: a person’s justifiable claim, protected by law, to act or be treated in a certain way

Rule of Law: : the rule of law exists when a state’s constitution functions as the supreme law of the land, when the statutes enacted and enforced by the government invariably conform to the constitution.

Speech: forms of expression used to communicate an idea or a thought, not just in words.


Teaching Phase

Introduce lesson by telling the story of a Ukrainian woman named Teodora Verbitskaya and her daughters, Nadia and Lyucia, who witnessed and survived the Holodomor 1932-1933 and who experienced the military occupation forces of Nazi Germany in late 1941 during World War II.  They witnessed the roundup by the Nazis of 7,500 Jews from Mariupol who were later murdered  and buried in anti-tank trenches outside of the city of Mariupol, Ukraine in October 1941.  The Germans forced Teodora and her daughters to Germany to serve as slave laborers. They were liberated from German control by American forces at the end of World War II. 

Explain that Teodora Verbitskaya kept diaries of her life experiences that were later published. Then explain that her oldest daughter, Nadia Werbitzky, went on to become an artist and that many of her paintings are memory paintings from her life experiences as a young person. 

Explain to students that in this lesson they will interact with the Constitution’s Bill of Rights First Amendment while learning how the rights contained in the Bill of Rights were ignored in Ukraine and Russia during WWII, the Holocaust and the Holodomor.  They will examine, identify and apply the Bill of Rights First Amendment especially right to free speech for Americans in the past, present and future. This will be accomplished in part by interacting with the primary source memoir of Teodora Verbitskaya and paintings of her daughter, Nadia Werbitzky. Share that works of these two women were later published in a book entitled Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival by Teodora Verbitskaya.

For background information see Support Materials:

Historical Overview of Two Regimes by Dr. Jonathan Grant

Historical Overview of the Holocaust by Dr. Michael Berenbaum

Teodora Verbitskaya Biographical Information

Nadia Werbitzky Biographical Information

Holodomor 1932-1933 – At a Glance

Holocaust 1933-1945 – At a Glance

 

First review Bill of Rights by sharing with entire class:

Bill of Rights (1791) https://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?flash=false&page=&doc=13&title=Bill+of+Rights+%281791%29

Present Historical Overview for Two Regimes by Dr. Jonathan Grant to entire class

Next, present 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video to entire class.

View 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video – YouTube (Narration in easy to understand American English)

OR view 5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition video –  YouTube (Narration in English with an accent)  https://youtu.be/sqrMX_oBQJg

After viewing Exhibition, have students work in pairs or small groups to brainstorm the word “rights”.  Encourage students to explore all aspects of the word that come to mind.  Then have groups create a definition of the word “rights” that they will then share with class. 

 

After sharing as a whole class, further discussion might include:

  • What rights are granted to you as a citizen of the U.S. that were not granted to those you learned about in Two Regimes?
  • Do you feel all people today have equal access to these given rights? Explain.
  • Describe a time when you felt that one of your rights was violated. Describe your feelings and response to the situation. How do you imagine that those from Two Regimes felt when their rights were violated? 
  • What current events or events in recent history can you think of that relate to rights or the denial of those rights?

Next, display or distribute Excerpts from Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival by Teodora Verbitskaya that illustrate rights violations.  After reading in pairs, small groups or whole class, discuss how it might have felt to be Teodora Verbitskaya, Nadia Werbitzky and others in Two Regimes who experienced these violations of rights.

Next, teachers will explain to the class that the Constitution does not define free speech. Teachers will clarify and explain that people help define freedom of speech when decisions are made by the court.  Under the Constitution of the United States of America, people have the responsibility and power to shape their government and determine its laws. By bringing free speech disputes to court for resolution, people request that courts decide if First Amendment rights have been denied and/or violated. The body of collective court decisions, known as “Case law”, helps to define what freedom of speech means in The United States of America.

Next, explain that some speech is protected and other is not.  Brainstorm as a class why that might be the case.  Working in small groups or pairs, have students make a list of examples of protected and unprotected speech then discuss as a whole group.

Present and Discuss Types of Speech with students via class presentation or handout.

See Support Materials for:

Historical Overview for Two Regimes by Dr. Jonathan Grant

Historical Overview of the Holocaust by Dr. Michael Berenbaum

5th Grade Two Regimes Witness to War Exhibition PDF

Excerpts depicting Rights Violations from Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival by Teodora Verbitskaya 

Types of Speech handout

 

Guided Practice

Distribute to each student a copy of Bill of Rights List and Bill of Rights Summary.  After working in small groups to verbally read and summarize each Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Next, have each student independently summarize the rights contained in each amendment.  Once completed, discuss answers as a class and allow students to make any necessary changes to their work.

Next, have students work in small groups to Role Play Freedom of Speech: Protected or Unprotected.  Explain to students that they will work with peers to develop a scene depicting an example of “Protected” or “Unprotected” speech as addressed in the First Amendment of Bill of Rights.  The scenes should be realistic and provide important details.  Explain that as each scene is presented, the audience’s job is figure out if the scene depicts “Protected” or “Unprotected” speech.  After scene is acted out, students should discuss in small groups to determine which type of speech is being depicted and support their choice with details from the scene.

See Support Materials for:

Bill of Rights List

Bill of Rights Summary


Independent Practice

Distribute or display a copy of Allowed or Not Allowed worksheet to each student.  Have students complete independently.

See Special Materials Needed for:

Allowed or Not Allowed worksheet

 

Closure

Exit Ticket:   

Name and explain at least 3 examples each of “Protected” and “Unprotected” speech.

 And

Identify 3 rights violations that were experienced by Teodora Verbitskaya and Nadia Werbitzky and others in Two Regimes.

 

Accommodations

Students with visual or hearing difficulties may be seated closer to audio/visual equipment.

Students who are non-sighted will be provided with a verbal description of each painting.  Teacher should seek assistance from student’s ESE service provider in adapting necessary materials to meet student’s needs.

Teacher will stop the video as necessary for clarification and discussion.

Students who are unable to work in pairs for discussions may choose to share their ideas independently in writing.

Students who struggle with motor skills can use word processor or dictate the independent practice and summative assessment task.

Extensions

To further extend this lesson:

  1. Students may research court cases related to First Amendment rights violations.
  2. Students may choose an amendment to research in depth and present via media of their choice or teacher’s choice.

 

 Further Recommendations

Teacher must determine if the paintings in the exhibition are appropriate for the class.  It is recommended that the teacher listen to the narrative in advance of lesson.

 
Short Summary

Students will describe how concerns about individual rights led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution, especially the First Amendment, and examine violations of individual rights in other countries through a memoir entitled Two Regimes – A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival written by Teodora Verbitskaya with paintings by Nadia Werbitzky who both witnessed and survived the Holodomor 1932-1933, experienced the military occupation forces of Nazi Germany during World War II and witnessed the roundup by the Nazis of 7,500 Jews of Mariupol, who were later murdered outside the city limits. Then Teodora and her daughters were forced to Germany to serve as slave laborers and were liberated from German control by American forces at the end of World War II. 

 

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the Foundation for Leon County Schools.