This unit is one of a series that presents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. By studying a crucial turning-point in history, students become aware that choices had to be made by real human beings, that those decisions were the result of specific factors, and that they set in motion a series of historical consequences. By analyzing primary sources, students will learn how to analyze evidence, establish a valid interpretation, and construct a coherent narrative in which all the relevant factors play a part. This unit contains teacher background materials and lesson plans with student resources. It is applicable in U.S. History or American Government classes where students study political ideologies during the Revolutionary and early Federal periods. The unit presents five lessons on the Bill of Rights: (1) the Virginia and Pennsylvania Declarations of Rights; (2) the debate at the Constitutional Convention; (3) simulated ratification debate; (4) the House debate; and (5) culminating activity--cases involving the application of principles included in the Bill of Rights. The unit also includes an extension lesson that may be used to further explore the development of state declarations of rights. Objectives of the unit include: (1) understanding the evolution of the Bill of Rights; (2) clarifying ideological differences over the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the federal Constitution; and (3) appraising the impact of a Bill of Rights on the development of American democracy. (DK)