The Bill of Rights Institute has created a new free resource to help you introduce the Essay Contest in your classrooms. This complete lesson plan, perfect for two 45-minute classes or one 90-minute block, offers definitions of the Founding principles, thought-provoking focus quotations, a guide for finding the Founding principles in the Constitution, a sample essay outline, and suggested discussion questions. For ideas to prompt discussion on current events, visit our daily news headlines page. This resource is updated daily with news stories related to Bill of Rights protections and constitutional principles.
You can find a rubric for scoring essays here. Encourage your students to review the criteria it contains as they write.
Download the lesson here.