Examples from Grade 5

McLaughlin Elementary School

Muskegon Public Schools

Liberty is doing what you want without breaking the law.

Federalism means to share power between the national government and the states, including counties and cities.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.’’

Amendment X, Constitution

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

National Government

Diversity is different people and languages and how they can give different ideas and solutions. Diversity is good because we can give different ideas and get better solutions.

We the people vote for the right person to

represent us in government.

“The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of several states”… The Constitution.

Government can’t take away the Rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. These are the things that you can do because you are born with these rights. There are other Individual Rights in our country such as freedom of speech and press.

“….certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Declaration of Independence

The Pursuit of Happiness is following your dream or your ideas the way you want as long as you don’t prevent others from getting to their goals.

To be honest and not lie. The community should not lie to each other . The government should not lie to us.

I will not lie to my parents or teachers.

MEANS THAT THE POWERS GIVEN TO THE BRANCHES OF GOVERMENT ARE EQUAL, SO ONE IS NOT STRONGER THAN THE OTHER. ONE AND EVERYTHING SHOULD BE SORT OF EQUAL.

Do not lie to your country and not cheat on your country. It means you are caring about your country.

I

I say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school.

All people have the right to speak their mind and how they feel inside about religion, even if they don’t believe in religion.

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion,…”

FIRST AMENDMENT, BILL OF RIGHTS

You do not lie about your country and you don’t cheat on your country. Patriotism means caring about your country.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, with Liberty and Justice for all.”

It means about the army and navy and air force and marines. The President shall be commander in chief of the army and Navy of the United States. He is called a civilian and is not a member of the military.

Building a model to represent TRUTH

Truth model in court with hand on Bible.

Diversity – 4 different people

Life model House with Christmas Tree