Objective:
The student will be able to create an Aquarium Bill of Rights for the classroom aquarium.
Materials Needed:
Activity:
Review the U.S. Bill of Rights on Aquademics™ Social StudiesWorksheet #2 with the class. List the rights that are guaranteed to U.S. citizens by this important document. Remind them that the colonial leaders had to use diplomacy, foresight and common sense in order to draft a Bill of Rights that would apply not only to Americans in the 1790s, but also for future generations of Americans.
Divide the class into four groups and tell them that they will be playing the parts of important leaders whose rules will make a difference in the lives of fish for years to come. (Each student in the small group could even take the name of an important American leader.) For approximately 15 minutes, the group is to brainstorm and record all of the “rights” that should be guaranteed to each fish in the classroom aquarium (i.e., the right to swim freely, the right to a fair portion of food provided, etc.). Encourage students to pretend that the rights must apply to the current fish as well as to the fishes’ great-great grandchildren.
Remind groups to respect the opinions, ideas and suggestions of all participants in the group, especially during the initial brainstorming process. Ask groups to prioritize their Aquarium Bill of Rights, so that they can present their ten most important rights at the conclusion of the time period.
At the end of the allotted time, ask each group to present their Aquarium Bill of Rights. Ask the groups if they had to use many of the same techniques that all American leaders must master when making good laws, such as debate, compromise and consensus. Encourage students to explain how these techniques enabled them to decide upon the most important rights to include in the Aquarium Bill of Rights.
Post the Rights next to the tank and enforce them. Allow students to add amendments throughout the year.
Result:
At the conclusion of this exercise, students should have a greater respect for the challenge that our country’s leaders face when they are establishing laws for our nation.
