Preamble to the Constitution/Bill of Rights

Read Amendment I from the Bill of Rights: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." To which of the following situations does this amendment most clearly apply?

• A group of people demonstrates against a law enacted by the city council.
• A local government sets aside a day to celebrate citizens’ contributions.
• A college professor takes her computer home so she can work over the weekend.
• A state court allows the government to take privately owned land to use for a new highway.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Read Amendment IX from the Bill of Rights: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." What is the most likely reason this amendment was included in the Bill of Rights?

• Congress was aware that some important rights may have been overlooked.
• Congress understood that people did not want a strong federal government.
• Congress knew that only a few rights needed to be guaranteed in a democracy.
• Congress worried that too many guaranteed rights would weaken government.

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Read Amendment VIII from the Bill of Rights: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Which of the following choices best explains the rights guaranteed in this amendment?

• A court cannot require an unreasonable amount of money to ensure that someone who is released from custody will return; unreasonable fines cannot be charged for offenses; and inhumane punishments cannot be imposed.
• A court cannot require a convicted criminal to pay a sum of money to be released. The court also cannot charge a fine or punish offenders who commit minor crimes.
• Once someone who has committed a crime is released from jail, the court cannot require that person to return for another trial, and it cannot fine or punish the person in any way.
• When someone commits a crime, the court can make the person pay money to be released. The money will be returned when the person returns to court for trial. If the person does not return, the money will be used to pay the fine, and the case will be dismissed.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Which of the following situations illustrates a violation of Amendment VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted?

• A driver who received a parking ticket is charged $5,000 and has her car confiscated by the court.
• A protester is arrested while demonstrating outside a business and must stand trial for breaking the peace.
• A person is declared innocent of a crime by a jury but later is rearrested and tried again for the same crime.
• A person who is convicted of vandalism is given the choice of working at a homeless shelter for 60 hours or going to jail.

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Which of the following rights is protected by the Bill of Rights?

• A person who is arrested for a crime has a right to know what crime he or she has been charged with.
• A person who reaches the age of eighteen has the right to vote in all federal elections.
• A person who applies for a job cannot be turned down because of his or her race or religion.
• A person who is at least thirty years old and a United States citizen can serve in the U.S. Senate.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Which excerpt from the Bill of Rights supports the idea that a person who is arrested for a crime has a right to know what crime they have been charged with?

• In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right … to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation.… (Amendment VI)
• Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.… (Amendment I)
• No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.… (Amendment V)
• The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. (Amendment IX)

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Which of the following is one of the purposes of the Preamble to the Constitution?

• to explain that the Constitution was established by the people of the United States
• to summarize each of the main ideas presented in the Constitution
• to state the specific rights and freedoms that the Constitution protects
• to describe the process by which the Constitution was written and approved

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CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

How does enumeration help make the Bill of Rights easier to understand?

• It organizes the document into ten separate rights so that readers can more quickly understand and refer to them.
• It shows which rights are most important so that readers can see which rights are essential and which are less valuable.
• It explains why certain rights are important so that readers know why they are guaranteed in the Constitution.
• It provides labels for each of the rights so that readers can quickly find the one that applies to their situation.

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is the practical purpose of the headings used in the Bill of Rights?

• They provide a way for people to quickly refer to a specific set of rights.
• They provide an example of how each right might apply.
• They remind people what each right specifically guarantees.
• They tell which are individual rights and which are reserved for the states.

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CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

The word right has multiple meanings. One meaning is “something to which one is morally or legally entitled.” In which of the following sentences does right have this meaning?

• He had a right to vote for the candidate he believed in.
• The post office is right across from the town hall.
• They were right about the date and time of the concert.
• Go straight at the STOP sign and then turn right onto Broadway.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4