The Rest of the Amendments (11-27)

Lyrics

Chorus
Start with 11, go on to 27!
Going step by step with the rest of the Amendments
Start with 11, go on to 27!
It’s Rhythm, Rhyme, Results, we can help you comprehend this
(×2)

Verse I
The 11th Amendment says that
Citizens can’t use the federal court to sue states
Amendment Number 12 says the VP gets elected separately
It’s not just the guy in second place

Slavery got struck down by 13
Civil War threatened national progress
And then Amendment 14: people born here are citizens
You can’t take their rights without due process

Chorus

Verse II
The 15th Amendment says your color or race
Can’t be used to deny your right to vote
And then Amendment 16 approves the income tax
So the federal ship can stay afloat

Amendment 17 says the Senators get elected directly
Not just appointed by their state
And then Amendment Number 18, no more alcohol!
It’s the prohibition mandate.

Chorus

Verse III
Amendment Number 19, finally, women can vote
In all elections, to make their voices heard
Amendment Number 20 says the president starts work on the 20th of January
Congress on the 3rd

Amendment 21 repeals Amendment 18
So now prohibition is revoked
Amendment 22 limits the president to two terms
And 23 says Washingtonians can vote

Chorus

Vote IV
Amendment Number 24 forbids a poll tax
It says to vote you shouldn’t have to pay
Amendment 25 sets a line of succession
for when Presidents resign or pass away

With Amendment 26, the right to vote
Upon 18-year-olds was confirmed
Amendment 27 says when Congress changes their pay
It won’t take effect until the next term

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Description

This song teaches the 11th to 27th amendments of the Bill of Rights. It discusses the Civil War amendments, including 13th amendment's abolition of slavery as well as the 19th amendment granting women's rights (women's suffrage). It also teaches the 18th amendment (the prohibition mandate), and the income tax to fund government expenses. The teaching materials at the bottom of the page, including videos, lesson plans, worksheets, and activities help teachers and homeschool parents generate teaching ideas for the song topics. Students will better understand the Bill of Rights and amendments 11-27.

This social studies song is suitable to help teach the Bill of Rights to elementary school students (4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade), middle school, high school, home school, and college classes.

11. Immunity of states from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders. Lays the foundation for sovereign immunity.
12. Revises presidential election procedures
13. Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime
14. Defines citizenship and deals with post–Civil War issues
15. Prohibits the denial of suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude
16. Allows the federal government to collect income tax
17. Allows senators to be directly elected
18. Prohibition of alcohol (repealed by 21st Amendment)
19. Allows for women's suffrage
20. Fixes the dates of term commencements for Congress (January 3) and the President (January 20); known as the "lame duck amendment"
21. Repeals the 18th Amendment
22. Limits the president to two terms, or a maximum of 10 years (i.e., if a Vice President serves not more than one half of a President's term, he can be elected to a further two terms)
23. Provides for representation of Washington, D.C. in the Electoral College
24. Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to the non-payment of poll taxes
25. Codifies the Tyler Precedent; defines the process of presidential succession
26. Establishes 18 as the national voting age
27. Prevents laws affecting Congressional salary from taking effect until the beginning of the next session of Congress

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Related Reading and Activities

Reading

archives.gov
Constitution of the United States: Amendments 11-27
This is a full transcript of Amendments 11-27 with notes on changes.

Congressforkids.net
Amendments
Has good reading list on Amendments and related subjects

civil-war.net
This is a content-rich site for many topics including an excellent copy of Amendments 11-27. Informative and easy to navigate, this site is useful for many topics related to American history and government.

ConstitutionCenter.org
Amendments 11-27
Excellent explanations of all of the amendments plus an ability to download and print in other languages. Interactive

Lesson Plans & Activities

Eduref.org
US Constitution and Amendments
This lesson plan has the goal of teaching students about the Constitution’s constant presence in our lives through debate and a project with newspaper articles.

EducationWorld.com
Create a New Amendment
A lesson plan that has students propose new amendments based on what they think our Constitution lacks.

Media

Classbrain.com
Amendments Match
Short matching game using a selection of Amendments. Good review although doesn’t cover all of the amendments.

Congressforkids.net
Amendments Game
A scramble game that can be printed for classroom use. Amendments 11-27 are tested.

BrainPOP.com
Bill of Rights (video) (subscription and log-in required)
Tim and Moby teach students why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution, why some states wouldn’t approve the Constitution immediately, and who wrote the amendments. The video also covers who deals with interpreting gray areas in the law and what kind of amendments have been passed beyond the original ten.

Women’s Suffrage (video)
Tim and Moby teach students about the struggle for women’s voting rights. It explains why women started pressing for the vote during the 19th century, and what people were doing in various countries around the world.

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State Standards

State standards listed here are representative of school standards across the United States.

California

8.2 - Analyze political principles underlying U.S. Constitution. Compare enumerated and implied powers of federal government.

Florida

SS.7.C.2.4 - Evaluate rights contained in Bill of Rights and other amendments.

Illinois

14.C.3 - Compare historical issues involving rights, roles and status of individuals in relation to municipalities, states and the nation.

Massachusetts

USI.41 - Explain policies/consequences of Reconstruction. (H, C)

New York

S.1.C.1 - N.Y. State and U.S. history requires analysis of American culture, diversity/multicultural context and the ways people unified by values/practices/ traditions. (Standard 3)

Texas

8.9 - Understand effects of Reconstruction on political/ social/economic life of nation.

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