Name________________

 

Hour_____

 

Final Library Research Project (100 pts.)

 

Rufus King, a delegate of the Constitutional Convention from Massachusetts, has come forward through time to see how the Constitution he signed has changed.  You are to write him a letter explaining how one amendment to the Constitution has affected the lives of the citizens of this country.   In order to do this, you will need to research the amendment.  Here’s how you will proceed.

 

  1. Pick a constitutional amendment out of the bowl.
  2. On the sheet I’ve provided, rewrite the amendment in your own words.  Use a source to help you understand what it means.  I suggest you use Constitutional Amendments: From Freedom of Speech to Flag Burning by Tom Pendergast, Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues by John V. Viles, or your textbook.  The first two are found in the Reference Section in the high school library.
  3. Also on the sheet I’ve provided, please write three different ways that you can search for your amendment.
  4. Show this sheet to Mrs. Houkom, Mrs. Higgins, or Mr. Kadlecek to get it approved.
  5. Once you have your amendment rewrite and search words approved, find at least 3 sources, 1 from a newspaper, 1 from a magazine, and 1 from the world wide web, that describe how this amendment or part of an amendment affects the lives of U.S. citizens. 
    1. Read each article. 
    2. Print it out.
    3. In your own words, tell Mr. King:

                                                               i.      the text of your amendment,

                                                             ii.      what it means, and

                                                            iii.      how each of the three articles shows how that amendment affects American lives today.

    1. Highlight the parts of each article that you use. 
    2. Type the letter.
  1. You must use 3 different types of sources; 1 magazine article, 1 newspaper article, and 1 world wide web site.  Remember that magazine sources may be found both in the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature and online at Badgerlink or Electric Library. Newspapers may be found online at Badgerlink and Electric Library. 
  2. On a separate page, create a typed “works cited” list of the sources you used for your research.  Follow the format outlined on the bibliography guide I gave you and in Writer’s Inc.   Remember to include the book or other source you used to understand the amendment.  In other words, you will have four sources.
  3. Staple this sheet to the front of your printouts with letter and your “works cited” page.
  4. Grade yourself using the rubric I gave you.  Staple the graded rubric to the top of this packet.
  5. This packet should contain in this order: graded rubric, this sheet, the sheet with your rewritten amendment and search terms, the letter, 3 highlighted printouts, and the “works cited” page.

 

You will be evaluated on following directions, on your amendment rewrite, on your research, on your letter, and on your works cited page.