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Unit

The Bill of Rights and Liberty

Guiding question

Explores the unenumerated rights reserved to the people with reference to the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments, with a focus on rights including travel, political affiliation, and privacy. Probes the ways the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments have been used to claim rights to personal liberty.

Published
Nov 6, 2020
The Statue of Liberty stands tall, holding a torch against a clear blue sky.

Lessons

Statue of Liberty depicted against a clear blue sky, holding a torch and a tablet.
How Does the Constitution Protect Liberty?
  • 4 Activities
  • 75 min

The Founders listed several rights guaranteed to the people in the first eight amendments of the Bill of Rights. They did not believe that this list was all encompassing, so they included the Ninth Amendment as a way to protect the rights of the people that were not listed in the first Eight. This lesson explores the nature of these unnamed rights and examines the arguments around who should interpret them, judges or the people.

A security officer inspects a suitcase while a person stands nearby, preparing items for inspection.
What is the Scope of the Bill of Rights?
  • 2 Activities
  • 55 min

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.

Standards

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