The rights bestowed on Americans by the founding fathers fit in a booklet about the size of a smartphone, but increasingly the two are competing forces in the lives of youth.

How best to balance technologys growingcapabilities with theBill of Rights' protectionsfor individualagainst searches, seizures and mishandling of sensitive personal information wasnt talked about much on Monday when State Superintendent Richard Woods visited Savannah-Chatham County public school system. He handed out The Words that Built America, a booklet thatcontains the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights and otheramendments and other documents important to this nation and its citizens.

The visit was timely -- September 17 is recognized nationally as Constitution Day to commemorate the signing of the document in 1787.

Woods and several school board members discussed what the Constitution and its amendments mean to Chatham County.

No one else in the world lives like we do in the United States. Ive had the privilege to visit different countries around the world and I can tell you, theres no place like home, no place to visit like Georgia, no place like the United States and the freedoms we have, the opportunities we have throughout the nation, he told students and teachers at Gadsden Elementary School Monday.

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution provides the right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects from unreasonable searches and seizures, and Woods acknowledged to a reporter the Georgia Department of Education must protect students privacy as data is collected. Its paramount we protect student data because of the implications it can have on an individual, Woods said.

Consider the impact on an individuals life if someone gets hold of their credit cards and Social Security numbers, he said. The Georgia Department of Education protects students information in a similar vein. Woods also talked about the importance of the First Amendment'sfreedom of speech and why citizens must feel free to express themselves without fear of retaliation. That privilege is what has separated the United States of America from other countries, he said.

Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach attendeda Constitutionevent at Gadsden Elementary Monday, where he told a reporter the Constitution isnt as staid as some might think. We need to realize it is a document that is alive and always in flux. If you go to the 13th Amendment, in 1865 it was changed to make sure we did away with slavery.

The 13th Amendment states, Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Woods said the Constitutions preamble, We the people includes all U.S. citizens, including women. If you are a citizen of the United States, it does not discriminate or segregate or separate anyone, he said.

Gadsden Principal Renee Bryant-Evans said students begin civics as early as pre-kindergarten when they learn the pledge. The big talk about civics is as early as kindergarten, she said. In fourth grade, they begin to talk about the Constitution.

Woods and his wife Lisha, who retired from teaching after 30 years, toured five Savannah-Chatham County schools Monday. At Hodge Elementary, his visit included naming the school a Family-Friendly Partnership School for its efforts to provide a welcoming environment to parents and the community. It really came down to the past two years, theyve been working hard to get there, he said.

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Savannah-Chatham County students get dose of Constitution - Savannah Morning News