Lesson Plan One-Language of Amendment Four
Objective: Students will become familiar with and understand the language that is used in the Fourth Amendment.
Procedure: Teachers should write the entire text of the Fourth Amendment on the blackboard. They should underline the words that are in bold below. Teachers should tell students that the language of the Fourth Amendment might be somewhat different than the everyday language that is used in the classroom. Dictionaries should then be distributed and students should be assigned the task of looking up the meaning that best applies to the content of the Fourth Amendment. Students should then write the definitions in their notebook. Once the students have completed this task ask them to clearly state in their own words what they think the Fourth Amendment means.
Materials used: Text of the Fourth Amendment, dictionaries
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."
Terms used:
01. Secure- to be safe
02. Persons- bodies
03. Effects- belongings
04. Unreasonable- arbitrary
05. Seizures- arrests
06. Violated- abused
07. Warrants- order of a judge to seize property or search for property
08. Issue- be made
09. Probable cause- strong evidence
10. Oath- a promise to God to be truthful
11. Affirmation- a solemn declaration made under the penalties of perjury
12. Particularly-specifically
13. Describing- stating
14. Seized- taken