A ChatGPT-Using Learning Activity Pertaining to the Amendments

15 min readJan 25, 2023

Designed for middle school and high school US History students

This learning activity seeks to provide students with an exciting and thought-provoking opportunity to engage in a mock U.S. House of Representatives floor debate relating to a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This learning activity also seeks to provide students with an opportunity to better understand:

The history of the Constitution and its amendments.
The process for amending the Constitution.
The reasons why the Constitution is so hard to amend.
The value and limitations of CHatGPT

If you’re a teacher wanting to know how to implement this activity and at the same time acquire some tips and suggestions for making the most of this experience for your students, all you need to do is read from the script below (once your students have learned about the Progressive Era.)

The Set Up

Hey all, now that we’ve finished learning about the Progressive Era and Amendments #17 through #20, it’s time for you to answer the question of whether the Constitution is again in need of amending.

In this regard, I’m now going to move you into groups of six, with each group member to take on one of the following roles:

House Member Jason Kurtenbach: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives and someone who will propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution
House Member Lisa Davidson: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives and someone who will strongly oppose Member Kurtenbach’s proposed amendment.
House Speaker Spring Hempsey: The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Carlos Kassam Clay: The Senior Editor of one of America’s major newspaper publications tasked with writing an editorial on Congressman Kurtenbach’s proposed amendment.
Annie Chen: The host of the APUSH Today television talk show with plans to have the show take a close look at the pros and cons of Congressman Kurtenbach’s proposed amendment.
David Basulto: The Senior Legal Analyst for one of America’s major news networks, an expert on the US Constitution, and one of four guests to appear on Annie Chen’s APUSH Today talk show. The other three guests: House Member Kurtenbach, House Member Davidson, and CNN Legal Analyst Kassam Clay.

The Amendments to Date

Next up, each group member should look over what appears below. There you will find a brief description of all amendments passed since the ratification of the Constitution. I’m giving you this to ensure that you don’t propose an amendment that already exists.

The Early Republic Amendments

The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government.
The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.
The Third Amendment prohibits the government from forcing citizens to quarter (house) soldiers without their consent.
The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.
The Fifth Amendment protects citizens from self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and the taking of property without just compensation.
The Sixth Amendment protects the right to a fair and speedy trial, the right to confront witnesses, the right to counsel, and the right to a trial by jury.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in civil cases.
The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail.
The Ninth Amendment states that the enumeration of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage other retained by the people.
The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or the people.
The Eleventh Amendment limits the ability of citizens to sue states in federal court.

The Reconstruction Amendments

The Twelfth Amendment established the process for electing the President and Vice President.
The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude
The Fourteenth Amendment provides that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens and have equal protection under the law
The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race or color.

The Progressive Era Amendments

The Sixteenth Amendment allows Congress to collect income taxes.
The Seventeenth Amendment established the direct election of senators by popular vote.
The Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.
The Nineteenth Amendment prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on sex.
The Twentieth Amendment establishes the beginning and end of the terms of the President, Vice President, and Congress.

The Post-World War II Amendments

The Twenty-first Amendment repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, ending Prohibition.
The Twenty-second Amendment limits the number of terms a President can serve to two.
The Twenty-third Amendment granted citizens of the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment prohibits poll taxes in federal elections.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment established procedures for the succession of the President and for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President.
The Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 years old.
The Twenty-seventh Amendment prohibits Congress from giving itself a pay raise during the current session.

Possible Amendments to Propose

You may also find it helpful to look over this list of suggested proposals.

An amendment that requires the federal government to balance the budget on an annual basis.
An amendment that prohibits the burning or desecration of the American flag.
An amendment that limits the number of years a US Supreme Court Justice can serve.
An amendment that prohibits same-sex marriage.
An amendment that gets rid of the Electoral College and thereby has the people, by popular vote, decide who shall be president.
An amendment that bans the use of race as a factor for the purpose of undergraduate and graduate college admissions.
An amendment that says those born in the United States from non-US citizen parents no longer gain immediate citizenship through birth in the United States unless the parents are citizens or live here for 2 years following the birth of their child.
An amendment that makes it easier to amend the constitution.
An amendment that repeals Citizens United.
An amendment that provides all children living in the US and who are citizens with a free and adequate college education.
An amendment that allows non-natural-born citizens to become President if they have been a citizen for 20 years.
An amendment that lowers the age restriction on Representatives and Senators from 30 and 25 respectively to 21.
An amendment that declares English the official language of the United States.
An amendment that repeals the 26th Amendment (granting the vote to 18-year-olds) and in its place grants the right to vote to 16-year-olds.
An amendment that forces a national referendum for any deficit spending.
An amendment that requires the language of the 2nd amendment to the U.S. Constitution to read as follows: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the Militia shall not be infringed.”
An amendment that places limits on the number of years a member of the US Senate or US House of Representatives can serve in Congress.
An amendment that limits the president to one six-year term.
An amendment that says life begins at conception and that the 5th and 14th amendments apply to unborn children.

Do you see anything that you want to propose? Or do you want to propose an amendment not suggested by anything that appears above; something new, something different, maybe even something that you alone have thought of or something that you have seen online? If so, go for it.

(This allows the students to truly use their creativity and critical thinking skills to come up with an amendment that they believe would benefit society.)

Settling on the Precise Wording of the Proposed Amendment

It’s now time for you, the students, to create the actual wording of your proposed amendment (if only to ensure that what you are proposing is clear, concise, and in line with the language and style of the Constitution.) Feel free to use ChatGPT, if you want.

If you ask CHatGPT to create the actual wording of an amendment that makes it easier to amend the Constitution, you will probably receive something like this:

Amendment XXVIII: The threshold for proposing an amendment to this Constitution shall be a simple majority vote of both houses of Congress or a convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. The threshold for ratification of any proposed amendment shall be by two-thirds of the state legislatures or conventions in two-thids of the states.

Readying for the House Floor Debate

It’s now time for the following:

House Member Jason Kurtenbach, you need to create a no more than two-minute US House of Representatives floor presentation, with this presentation designed to convince at least 2/3rds of the House to vote in favor of your proposed amendment. Use CHatGPT if you want to.
House Member Lisa Davidson, you need to create a no more than two-minute US House of Representatives floor presentation, with this presentation designed to convince more than 1/3rd of the House NOT to vote in favor of the proposed amendment. You should also feel free to use CHatGPT.
The Speaker of the House, you need, as the leader of the House, to rearrange the chairs and desks in the classroom to resemble the layout of the House of Representatives. Once that is done, you also need to let the other students in the class know that during the floor debate, they will be serving as members of the House. You also need to tell the class about the House rules: One member (Kurtenbach) will propose an amendment, speaking for no more than two minutes; another member (Davidson) will then speak in opposition for two minutes; and after that, the other house members may speak for a maximum of two minutes before House Member Kurtenbach is allowed to present his closing argument. Then a vote will be taken on the proposed amendment. Bottom line, you are to ensure that the debate runs smoothly, that time limits are enforced, and that the looked-forward to voting is completed before time (established by the teacher) runs out.

Debating the Proposal on the House Floor

(Once everyone is ready to go, have the Speaker bang his/her gavel; then the House should proceed as detailed below.)

Speaker: The House will come to order.

(House members take their seats and settle down)

Speaker: Members, today we have only one item on the agenda, and that is to hear House Member JasonKurtenbach propose an amendment to the US Constitution. House Member Kurtenbach, do you wish to proceed?

House Member Kurtenbach rising from his/her seat: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I do. Thank you. (House Member Kurtenbach then gives his presentation with a good example, produced with the help of CHatGPT, appearing below):

“Mr. Speaker, esteemed members of the House, I stand before you today to propose an amendment to our Constitution that I believe will serve the best interests of our nation and its people. I propose Amendment XXVIII, which will lower the threshold for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution.
Currently, our Constitution requires a supermajority of three-fourths of the states to ratify an amendment before it can become part of our fundamental law. This high threshold makes it incredibly difficult to make even the most necessary and beneficial changes to our Constitution.
By lowering the threshold for proposing an amendment to a simple majority vote of both houses of Congress or a convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures, we will make it much easier for Congress to propose amendments that truly reflect the will of the people. Additionally, requiring ratification by two-thirds of the state legislatures or conventions in two-thirds of the states will ensure that any proposed amendment has broad support before becoming law.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, as it will give us the ability to make necessary changes to our Constitution more efficiently, and it will empower the states to have a more direct role in the process. This is a commonsense and much-needed reform that will benefit our nation and its citizens for generations to come. I urge all of you to consider this proposal and vote in favor of it.”.

Speaker (when House Member Kurtenbach is finished speaking):
Thank you, House Member Kurtenbach. Members of the House, we will now move on to hear from other members. House Member Davidson, I understand you wish to be heard.

House Member Davidson rising: I do, Mr. Speaker. (House Member Davidson then gives her presentation with a good example, produced with the help of CHatGPT, appearing below):

Mr. Speaker, esteemed members of the House, I stand before you today in strong opposition to House Member Davidson’s call for an amendment to the Constitution that lowers the threshold for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution.
The Constitution is the foundation of our democracy and is not something to be taken lightly. Lowering the threshold for proposing and ratifying amendments would make it too easy for special interests to manipulate the system and change the Constitution to suit their own needs, rather than the needs of the American people.
Furthermore, the current system of proposing and ratifying amendments, which requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states, is a deliberate check against hasty and radical changes to the Constitution. Lowering the threshold would undermine this important check and could lead to unintended consequences.
In addition, this call for an amendment is unnecessary, as there are already many ways for citizens to propose and advocate for constitutional amendments. The proper way to change the Constitution is through a constitutional convention, called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to reject this proposal and to uphold the importance of the Constitution and the checks and balances that protect it.

Thank you, House Member Davidson. Are there any other members who wish to speak?

To speak, a member merely needs to say “Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak in support of (or in opposition to) the proposed amendment.” If given permission to speak, the member may proceed. Permission is granted when the speaker simply says “House Member (insert last name), you may proceed.”

Speaker: Thank you, House Member (last name to be inserted). Are there any other members who wish to speak?

Time for the Vote

Speaker: Ok then, seeing that there are no other members who wish to speak, we will now proceed with the vote on the proposed amendment to the US Constitution. All those in favor of the amendment, please raise your hand. All those against the amendment, please raise your hand. The amendment passes/fails by a vote of [number] to [number].”

Speaker (assuming the proposed amendment has received 2/3rds or more of the votes in the House): “The proposed amendment has passed this House by a vote of [number] in favor and [number] against. It will now be sent to the Senate for their consideration. As a reminder, for an amendment to be added to the Constitution, it must be passed by two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and then ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Time to Adjourn

Speaker: That said, it’s almost time to adjourn, but before entertaining a motion to adjourn, I want to thank all members for their contributions to this debate.

Speaker: Now, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.”

House Member Kurtenback: I move that we adjourn

Speaker: Ok then, all those in favor to adjourn say “aye.”

Speaker: The “ayes” have it. The House is adjourned.

Time for an Editorial and a Talk Show

Now it’s time for a number of different things to happen.

For starters, it’s time for Senior Editor Carlos Kassam Clay to write an editorial on the proposed amendment, this editorial to be shared with the class. Kassam Clay should feel free to use CHatGPT, and if he does, the editorial, with some personal polish, may end up looking like this.

As the editor of this newspaper, I stand firmly in opposition to the recent proposal by Congressman Jason Kurtenbach to amend the Constitution and lower the threshold for proposing and ratifying amendments. This proposal threatens the integrity of our democracy and must be rejected by all members of the House of Representatives.
The Constitution is the foundation of our nation and any changes to it must be made with the utmost care and consideration. Lowering the threshold for proposing and ratifying amendments would make it too easy for special interests to manipulate the system and change the Constitution to suit their own needs, rather than the needs of the American people.
Furthermore, the current system of proposing and ratifying amendments, which requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states, is a deliberate check against hasty and radical changes to the Constitution. Lowering the threshold would undermine this important check and could lead to unintended consequences.
It is important to note that this call for an amendment is unnecessary as there are already many ways for citizens to propose and advocate for constitutional amendments. The proper way to change the Constitution is through a constitutional convention, called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
As an editor, I urge all members of the House of Representatives to reject this proposal and to uphold the importance of the Constitution and the checks and balances that protect it. The Constitution is not something to be taken lightly and any changes must be made with the utmost care and consideration for the future of our nation.

It’s also time for Talk Show Host Annie Chen to produce a script for her APUSH Today talk show, using CHatGPT if she wants to. While Chen is writing the script potential talk show audience members should feel free to use CHatGPT to help word any questions they might want to ask. Below, a few questions created with the help of CHatGPT

Congressman Kurtenbach, how would this amendment protect against special interests manipulating the system to change the Constitution for their own gain?
Congressman Kurtenbach, you propose that the threshold for proposing an amendment to the Constitution should be a simple majority vote of both houses of Congress, but the threshold for ratification of any proposed amendment shall be by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Why not lower the bar even further and make ratification possible with a simple majority of the state legislatures, instead of two-thirds?
Congressman Davidson, you are in opposition to the proposal to lower the threshold for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution. Can you explain how this proposal aligns or conflicts with Thomas Jefferson’s statement that “the earth belongs to the living” and the idea that the Constitution should be adaptable to the changing needs of society?

It’s also time for Talk Show guests Kurtenbach and Davidson to use CHatGPT to help word a response to any claim the other might make.

Senior Legal Analyst, expert on the US Constitution, and APUSH Today talk show guest David Basulto may also want to use this time to ask CHatGPT to help explain what he thinks about the proposed amendment. Also why it’s so hard to amend the Constitution, though the video appearing below should much help in this regard.

Students in the class may also want to use this time to consider adding another guest to the Talk Show stage. Below, some CHatGPT-created suggestions.

A representative of a civil rights organization who could speak on how this proposal could impact marginalized communities and their ability to propose and ratify amendments.
A historian who could provide historical context on the amendment process and previous successful and unsuccessful attempts to amend the Constitution.
A high school student representative, who could present the results of a survey conducted among their peers on the topic of the proposed amendment and the threshold for amending the Constitution. This student could also offer insights on how the proposed amendment is viewed by the younger generation and how it may impact their future.
The school’s US Government teacher, who could provide expert perspective on how the proposed amendment aligns with the principles of democracy and the role of the Constitution in protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.
Other teachers at the school or one of the site and/or district administrators
The mayor of the town, who could offer perspective on how the proposed amendment could impact the community and the concerns of local citizens.

If time permits, have the students act out the script, maybe even in front of a larger audience (students and teachers from some other class, for example.)

The Debrief

During the debrief, you could ask the students questions related to their experience using ChatGPT as a tool to help them write their speeches, editorial, or talk show script.

How did using ChatGPT help you in preparing your arguments for the debate?
How did the suggestions provided by ChatGPT change or improve your writing?
How did using ChatGPT help you to organize your thoughts and ideas?
Was using ChatGPT an effective way to generate ideas for your written work? Why or why not?
How do you think using a language model like ChatGPT can help in your writing in the future?

These questions can be used as a starting point to spark a conversation about the students’ experience using ChatGPT and how it may have helped them to improve their writing and public speaking skills.

Other vital points that you might want to focus on during the debrief include these CHatGPT points:

Understanding of the legislative process: Discuss with the students how the amendment process works and the steps that are involved in getting an amendment passed.
Critical thinking and analysis: Encourage students to reflect on the arguments they made during the debate and how they evaluated the evidence presented.
Collaboration: Encourage students to reflect on the process of working together as a class to create and debate the amendment.
Reflection on the activity: Encourage the students to reflect on what they enjoyed about the activity and what they found challenging.
Real-world application: Encourage students to think about how the skills and knowledge they gained from this activity might be applied in the real world.
Future plans: Encourage students to think about how they might continue to engage with the topic and issues raised in the activity in the future.