ENACTING A 21st CENTURY CONSTITUTION

Shared by Roberto García:

Name of the activity: A Constitution of the people, by the people, to the people

Level: 4º ESO

Periodization: 2-3 sessions

Main characteristics of the activity: The students will develop the whole process of enacting a 20th century style constitution, from the creation to the public proclamation.

The result must be a public broadcast in which a spokesperson chosen by the group would read the new constitution.

The students will be divided into three groups. Each group will enact a different type of constitution:

        - 1^st group: Capitalist country constitution

        - 2^nd group: Socialist country constitution

        - 3^rd group: Post-colonial country constitution

The documents will be a short version of a real constitution. Each one has to include the following aspects:

                 - Name and symbols of the country.

                 - Form of state.

                 - Political branches.

                 - Type of economy

                 - Relation between religion and the State.

                 - Bill of rights (a very basic version)

Each group has to choose different commissions in order to fulfil those aspects.

Then they must print their brand-new constitution, designed in a solemn style.

Finally, a spokesperson will be recorded by his teammates presenting the new constitution to the citizens.

Resources: They will work with examples of constitutions of each type

        - Capitalist example: The Spanish Constitution, 1978

        - Socialist example: USSR Constitution, 1936

       

- Post-colonial example: Constitution of India, 1949

The students will only use those articles selected by their teacher.

Vocabulary: The students will have to use cold war vocabulary. Some examples are:

Capitalist style vocabulary	Socialist style vocabulary	Post-colonial style vocabulary
Citizenship, Free World, Initiative, Freedom/Liberty, Free market, Pursue of happiness, Prosperity, Property.	Workers rights, Working class, Socialism, Comrade, Internationalism, Solidarity, Social Justice, Marxism.	Freedom, colonial oppression, self-determination, sovereignty, non-alignment.