7-1 (07)
release dates: February 10-16
TM
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Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
© 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
By BETTY DEBNAM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Our Constitution’s Bill of Rights
Second and Third Amendments
Minutemen, or
citizen soldiers,
fight in one of
the first battles
of the
Revolutionary
War in
Lexington,
Mass., in 1775.
This battle was
fought against
the British to
defend guns and
other supplies
held by the
Colonists at
Concord, Mass.
The Minutemen
proved they had
the courage and
weapons to
fight.
Second Amendment
Word meanings
“A well regulated militia,
being necessary to the
security of a free state, the
right of the people to keep
and bear arms, shall not be
infringed.”
Few issues about the Bill of Rights
cause as much debate as the Second
Amendment.
The debate often centers on what
the founding fathers meant when they
wrote “militia” and “people.”
Does it mean that the U.S.
government cannot take away the
rights of state militia members to
have weapons?
Or could the word “people” mean
that the U.S. government cannot take
away the rights of individual people to
own guns, whether or not they are in
a militia?
Words to know
This is what these words mean to
most people:
• well regulated militia: an army
of well-trained private citizens called
into service by a state government in
times of emergencies.
• bear arms: carry weapons
• infringed: violated
Third Amendment
“No soldier shall, in time of
peace be quartered in any
house, without the consent
of the owner, nor in the time
of war, but in a manner to be
prescribed by law.”
Words to know
• quartered: given room and board
(meals)
• prescribed by law: ordered by law
At one time, the British had passed
laws that required the Colonial
legislature (law-making group) to pay
for the room and board for British
soldiers stationed in America. Some
Colonists did not think this was fair.
Then, a later law demanded that the
British soldiers be put up in private
homes. The Third Amendment was
passed so this would not happen
again.
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7-2 (07); release dates: February 10-16
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Bill of Rights Time Line, Part 2
The Bill of Rights had a long history of events that
led to its adoption in 1791. Below are some steps along
the way.
1786: Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom
The state legislature of Virginia
passed this law to expand religious
freedom in the state. It ended statesponsored churches in Virginia. The
statute was written by Thomas
Jefferson.
1774: Declaration of Rights
The Continental Congress
adopted a list of rights. It said
that the colonists had the
right to assemble. It also said
that they had the right to
petition the English king to correct problems.
LET’S
GO WEST!
1787: Northwest Ordinance
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
was written by George Mason and
approved by the Virginia constitutional
convention. It promised freedom of the
press and religion and secured rights
for the accused.
Under the Articles of
Confederation, Congress
passed this law for the western
territories. It promised freedom
of religion, trial by jury and the
writ of habeas corpus. It also
forbade slavery in the region.
1776: Declaration of Independence
1789: U.S. Constitution
1776: Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Constitution as adopted
included important rights. It
guaranteed trial by jury and the
writ of habeas corpus. The writ
demands that a court bring a
prisoner before the court to explain
why he or she is being held.
Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of
Independence adopted by the
Continental Congress. It said that all
people are born with the right to “life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
(to be continued)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Spy . . .
TM
Mini Spy says no to quartering soldiers and uses the Third
Amendment! See if you can find: • strawberry • horse head
• alligator
• number 3
• plunger
• ruler
• sailboat
• cheese
• pencil
• arrow
• word MINI
• mushroom
• canoe
• leaf • kite
• number 7
• caterpillar
Brown
Basset ws
The Ned’s
Houn
TM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Second and Third
Amendments
TRY ’N
FIND
Words that remind us of the Second and Third Amendments are
hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward and
diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: ACT,
AMENDMENTS, BILL, RIGHTS, ARMS, WEAPONS, AMERICAN,
TROOPS, COLONIAL, ROOM, RULES, SOLDIER, REVOLUTIONARY,
WAR, FREE, CONSTITUTION, GOVERNMENT, FREEDOM, FIGHTERS,
COLONISTS.
A C T W C O L O N I S T S N L
I’M
C O N S T I T U T I O N N A Q
READING OUR
CONSTITUTION!
L L I B S P O O R T L R O C M
T N E M N R E V O G D U P I S
A K L A I N O L O C I L A R T
I A F R E E D O M V E E E E H
L E E R F I G H T E R S W M G
I A R M S T N E M D N E M A I
M Z Y R A N O I T U L O V E R
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7-3 (07); release dates: February 10-16
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
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Go dot to dot and color this famous symbol.
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Sausage-Egg Breakfast Dish
• 1 (16-ounce) package of sage-flavored sausage
• pinch of pepper
• 6 eggs
• 11/2 cups milk
• 4 cups cubed stale bread
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
What to do:
1. Brown sausage and sprinkle with pepper. Drain off excess
fat and let sausage cool.
2. Beat eggs and add milk.
3. Fold in cubes of stale bread, cheese and cooled sausage.
4. Pour in an 8-by-8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. Refrigerate for at least one hour (or freeze for later).
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and cut in squares.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
You’ll need:
photo by Frank Masi
Meet Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey plays Coach
Jack Lengyel in the movie “We Are
Marshall.”
Some of McConaughey’s other movies
include “Sahara,” “Contact” and “Angels in
the Outfield.”
He grew up in Longview, Texas. His
father owned a gas station and an oil pipe
supply company, and his mother was a
teacher. After high school, he spent a year in Australia, doing
odd jobs.
He went to the University of Texas in Austin. He first
planned to become a lawyer, but then changed his major to
film. He began acting in student films and commercials.
He enjoys golfing and owns a ranch in Texas. He does
charitable work for schools in New Orleans and for breast
cancer awareness.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
The Mini Page®
Guide to the
Constitution
Perfec
classrot for
o
use! m
The popular nine-part series on the
Constitution, written in collaboration
with the National Archives, is now
packaged as a colorful 32-page
softcover book. The series covers:
• the preamble, the seven articles
and 27 amendments
• the “big ideas” of the document
• the history of its making and
the signers
To order, send $9.95 plus $3.50 postage and handling for each copy. Send check or money order (U.S. funds only) payable to:
Andrews McMeel Universal, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206 or call toll-free 1-800-591-2097.
Please send ______ copies of The Mini Page Guide to the Constitution (Item #0-7407-6511-6) at $13.45
each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) www.smartwarehousing.com
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
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from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
TM
All the following jokes have something in common. Can
you guess the common theme or category?
Teacher: Name four things with
milk in them.
Student: Yogurt, ice cream, hot
chocolate and cows!
Alan: Why is it a bad idea to cry over
spilled milk?
Alice: It makes it too salty!
Avery: What runs around a meadow all day
and sits in a refrigerator at night?
Arnold: Milk!
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®
7-4 (07); release dates: February 10-16
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Second and Third Amendments
The gun control
debate
The right to own and carry guns
had been an English tradition for
hundreds of years.
At the time of the American
Revolution, most men had guns.
However, some form of gun
control is also a tradition.
There were usually some laws
about who was permitted to own
them.
During the Revolutionary War,
some Colonies had laws that
women, free blacks and members of
certain religions could not own
guns.
In this country, there is a debate
about how we should control guns and
who should be permitted to own them.
Some people want the U.S.
government to control gun ownership.
Other people want little or no
government control.
Both sides often point to the
Second Amendment because they
think it supports their argument.
How people feel about guns is
usually based on their own experience.
Some people have had negative
experiences with guns. They might
want strong gun control laws.
Other people have had positive
experiences with guns. They might
want little or no control.
The U.S. government has set up
a few rules, including those that
ban the sale of certain types of
weapons.
The U.S. government has not
stopped state and local
governments from setting up their
own gun ownership laws.
Each state and local area has its
own gun control laws.
About militias
In Colonial times, many ablebodied men between the ages of 15
to 60 served in their state’s
“militias,” or military units. Some
were soldiers, but many were
farmers. Their duty was to defend
their community.
During the Revolutionary War,
state militias joined in the fight for
freedom.
The fighters for our freedom
knew that their right to own
weapons, and assemble, train and
equip an army, enabled them to
win the war.
After the war, the Second
Amendment was adopted to
prevent the U.S. government from
taking away this right.
This is the third in a monthly series
about the Bill of Rights. The Mini
Page thanks the staff of the
National Archives and Lee Ann
Potter, director of education and volunteer
programs, for their help with this issue.
photo courtesy the National Guard Association of the United States
Background on gun
ownership
The Minuteman statue is the symbol of
the “citizen soldier” or National Guard.
The statue is placed near the North
Bridge in Concord, Mass. He is standing
in front of his plow with his musket, or
gun, in his hand. This copy is at the
National Guard Memorial Building in
Washington, D.C.
The American Colonists would not
have won the Revolutionary War if
they had not had the right to carry
guns.
The Mini Page also thanks Claire
McCaffery Griffin, vice president of
education programs, the Bill of Rights
Institute, for help with this issue.
Sites to see: archives.gov
billofrightsinstitute.org
Third Amendment
Remembering that the Bill of
Rights was proposed more than 200
years ago, in 1789, is important to
help us understand the Third
Amendment.
The American Revolution had
ended a few years earlier. The way
the Colonists had been treated by
the British was fresh in their
minds. They did not want to be
forced to house soldiers against
their will.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
photo courtesy the National Guard
Association of the United States
Read all about our
Second and Third
Amendments
in
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
by Betty Debnam
Appearing in your
newspaper on ____________.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam
© 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
(Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-41/4-inch ad
promoting Issue 7.)
release dates: February 10-16
7-5 (07)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The MIni Page Publishing Company Inc.
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
Standards Spotlight:
Second and Third Amendments
Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each
week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer
activities that will help your students reach them.
This week’s standards:
• Students understand family life in various places long ago. (History)
• Students describe the geographic context that has influenced people and events in the past.
(Geography)
Activities:
1. What was life like in Colonial times for kids? Draw a picture of a chore that kids back then
might have done.
2. Find three items in the newspaper that were used in Colonial times and are still used today.
Now find three modern items that would have made life easier for people living in the
Colonies. Paste your items on a piece of paper. Write a sentence next to each item telling why
you chose it.
3. How do you think the Colonists faced danger? Write a short paragraph describing two
different ways you think the Colonists protected themselves.
4. Select your favorite comic strip in the newspaper. Now think about how the characters might
have acted during the Colonial period. Draw a new strip with the characters living in the
late 1700s.
5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn about the 27 amendments to the U.S.
Constitution. If you could propose an amendment to the Constitution, what would it be?
Write a paragraph describing your amendment and explaining why you think it would make
the Constitution better.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
(Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 7.)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
TM
Supersport: Chris Leak
Height: 6-0
Weight: 207
Birthdate: 5-3-85
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
Quarterbacks are often measured — and remembered —
for what they do in big games.
So Chris Leak will leave the University of Florida as one
of the all-time glorious Gators. In the national
championship showdown against Ohio State, the gifted senior completed
25 of 36 passes for 213 yards to help spark a 41-14 thrashing of the
previously unbeaten Buckeyes.
Leak finished with 23 touchdown passes this season and set several
school records, including most career yards throwing (11,213).
Leak was a leader and chosen to participate on the Gators’ Leadership
Team. He also made the Southeastern Conference All-Academic squad
several times and graduated in December with a degree in sociology.
Years from now, when fans reflect on Gator football stars, Leak will be
remembered as the quarterback who helped lead Florida to its second
national football championship.
(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 7, to be used
in place of ad if desired.)
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