Suggested Music-------------Patriotic music, An American is a Very Lucky Man, God
Bless America, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, Let's Keep
merica Great
Number of pages-------------14 pages
Performance time-----------45-60 minutes
Costuming---------------------minimal
Setting and Props-----------minimal
Summary of Program------This program goes through the first ten amendments of
the Bill of rights and shows a child how they relate to
them. The other amendments are briefly mentioned. It
has one character that brings humor to a serious
subject. There are many acting parts that do not need
to speak. You could add more patriotic music
SAMPLE PAGE ONE OF SCRIPT:
(Speaker 1 and 2 come to the mikes.)
Speaker 1: Welcome to our patriotic program
Happy Constitution and Citizenship Day.
We will try to educate all of you
About the Bill of Rights and what they say.
Speaker 2: After we became a country
The people had a real concern
They wanted to have rights on paper
So that they were very firm.
(Speaker 1 and 2 return to their places.)
SONG: AN AMERICAN IS A VERY LUCK MAN or Americait Belongs to you and me or Any patriotic song
(Speaker 3 and 4 come to the mikes.)
(During their stanzas they should be acted out. 3 students come out holding 3 large paper churches other students come and stand around them visiting. A policeman comes out and puts large Ø signs over 2 of the churches and points to the one church indicating that everyone should go there. The people should shake their head, but the policeman should insist.)
Speaker 3: Imagine that our government
Had power that they could use.
Telling you where you could go to church
Protestant, Catholic, and Jew.
Speaker 4: What if they could use their power
Close all the churches but one
Tell all the people they must go
But only one church would be run.
(Judge and children come to the mikes. The judge should be by the podium with a gavel. He pounds the podium twice with the gavel.) (As the judge pounds the actions freezes and everyone on stage looks at the judge. )
..........Judge: Amendment number 1 (reads from parchment) Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."
Child 1: In other words we are free to speak our opinions and write them in books and magazines.
Child 2: (aside behind hand to the audience) It doesn't mean that we can make a lot of noise and swear.
