Bill of Rights for Relationships Activity

The goal of this activity is for students to understand the meaning of the American Bill of
Rights and to write a “Bill of Rights for Relationships” that states what they expect from
a healthy relationship.

1. Show students a copy of America’s Bill of Rights. Discuss the meaning of the Bill
of Rights. Assign small groups of students one of the ten amendments to the Bill
of Rights. Have them read it and then restate the meaning in their own words.
Have each group present this to the rest of the class. Or, discuss the meaning of
a few select amendments as a whole class.
2. Discuss why these rights are significant for all Americans, and how the Bill of
Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution all support the
ideals of the Peaceful Community (e.g. that all people have the right to be treated
equally, etc.). Discuss how Jim Crow laws contradicted these American
documents. Why didn’t the courts support black citizens’ rights in the South?
3. Next, discuss what a Bill of Rights for Relationships means: In any relationship,
people have the right to be treated fairly, and that all people deserve the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How does the Bill of Rights for
Relationships relate to the United States’ Bill of Rights?
4. Have a few students suggest one or two examples of what they could write on
their own Bill of Rights for Relationships (e.g. I have the right to be treated with
respect, I have the right to be included in recess games, I have the right to
nonviolently voice my opinions,).
5. Have students create their own Bill of Rights for Relationships and fill in the ideas
that they have chosen.
6. Students may share some of their ideas, so that classmates know what each
other’s expectations are for healthy peer relationships. Refer to these Bill of
Rights for Relationships as needed during peer conflicts.
7. You could create a class Bill of Rights for Relationships that could be used as
your Shared Agreements. Shared Agreements differ from classroom rules in that
everyone in the classroom decides on the Shared Agreements and therefore, are
more likely to follow them because they were agreed upon by everyone in the
class.

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