Alexander Chisholm

Digital Storytelling Script

In text on screen: “Why study the constitution?”

Teacher: Excellent question. Why should we study the United States Constitution? It’s

just some old, boring piece of paper, right? WRONG!

The Constitution is much more than a simple piece of writing. It is the cornerstone of our

everyday life as American citizens. How so? I’m glad you asked.

Following the failure of the Articles of Confederation, the founding fathers were looking

for a new, better, upgraded form of government. One man was up for the task of drafting

a new plan for the nation. Therefore, in 1787, James Madison drafted the Constitution.

While the draft was well done, there was a problem. The representatives of the different

states wouldn’t approve Madison’s Constitution unless a Bill of Rights was added to

protect their interests.

The Bill of Rights is made up of the first ten amendments to the Constitution and contains

many of the rights US citizens exercise every day, such as:

The right to free speech.

Freedom of religion.

Freedom of the press.

The right to bear arms.

The right to a fair trial.

And more.

With the Bill of Rights in place, the representatives felt confident to approve Madison’s

draft as the US Constitution. Upon its ratification later that year, that one document

became the foundation for the American government as we know it today.

Madison devised three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. In

practice, these branches are represented by the office of the President, Congress, and the

Supreme Court, respectively. No one of these branches is in control of any of the others.

A series of checks and balances gives them all input into the governance of the nation.

The Constitution affects each of us every day. The TV shows you watch are only able to

be aired thanks to free speech and press. You likely have friends of multiple religions and

cultural backgrounds. Did your parents vote in the most recent Presidential election? Did

they vote for congressmen? If so, they were actively participating in our government’s

democratic structure. The Constitution guarantees us a certain way of life in this country,

best summed up in its own words:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish

Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the

general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do

ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”