What is the Scope of the Bill of Rights?

The Supreme Court has protected many rights not listed explicitly in the Bill of Rights, although it has not used the Ninth Amendment, which protects, "other rights not listed", very often. This lesson examines rights people have claimed under the Ninth Amendment. Students will analyze different perspectives of personal liberty issues, and examine the way the Supreme Court has applied the Ninth Amendment to various cases.

Objectives

• Students identify rights people have claimed under the Ninth Amendment.
• Students understand the ways the Supreme Court has applied the Ninth Amendment to privacy cases.
• Students analyze various perspectives of personal liberty issues.
• Students evaluate whether the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments apply to personal liberty cases.

Student Handouts

• Handout A: Background Essay—What Is the Scope of the Bill of Rights?
• Handout B: Supreme Court Personal Liberty Decisions

Teacher Resources

• What is the Scope of the Bill of Rights? Answer Key