Constitution Day Preparation

Law Requires Lessons on Constitution:

Pub. L. 108–447, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005,/ Dec. 8,2004; 118 Stat. 2809, 3344–45

“Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

• September, MarcoGram: We the People: Celebrating Constitution Day

  This school year, for the first time ever, all schools that receive federal funding are required by Congress to hold a "Constitution and Citizenship Day" on September 17 or the closest school day. To help you prepare, we’ve rounded up some of our newest and most compelling lessons on the U.S. Constitution, its architects, its meaning and its magnitude in this month’s MarcoGram. Use the activities below to get your students thinking about how the Constitution affects all American citizens, then scroll down for more links and resources on this topic. Plus, visit EDSITEment for a full-page feature on the Constitution, with lessons and activities for all grade levels.

• JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement) has developed five lesson plans that are available for use in K-12 classrooms to observe Constitution Day. Follow the link provided, http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_supplements_constitution.shtml , to access the following:

  • Two high school lessons
  • One middle school lesson
  • Two elementarty lessons (grade K-2 and grades 3-5)
  
  
• National Constitution Center: Constitution Day http://www.constitutionday.us/

Provides background on the day and a bank of resources, including I Signed the Constitution , a tool kit which enables a school, federal agency or any organization to set up a kiosk for Constitution Day where citizens can sign the Constitution or decide to abstain. The tool kit is accompanied by education materials and easy to follow how-to instructions.

http://www.constitutioncenter.org/education/ForEducators/LessonPlans/GradeLevels/Elementary.shtml Elementary, middle and high school lesson plans from the Constitution Center.

• The Bill of Rights Institute is offering free educational and programming materials to schools to help teachers organize events to commemorate Constitution Day, scheduled for this year on September 16, 2005.  Click visit www.BillofRightsInstitute.org to access the following:
  
  • Two Constitution lesson plans: one for high school and one for middle school
  • A biographical essay about James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, that includes an audio component
  • A Founders Gallery that features images of the Founders
  • Lesson plan about the Bill of Rights that includes a short video
  • Media-focused lesson plan on the First Amendment
    
    
• Campaign for the Civic Misson of Schools:http://www.civicmissionofschools.org/resources/matrix.html

CMS practice examples show how schools and teachers are educating students for democracy.  Reviewed by an advisory group of civic learning experts, the examples align with the Civic Mission of Schools' six promising approaches to civic learning and demonstrate criteria for high-quality, civic learning practice.  The first is knowledge of government. Examples are by grade level, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: http://uscis.gov/graphics/citizenship/

  This site is for immigrants but contains flash cards and a naturalization self-test that might help students recognize how much or how little they know about the Constitution and other government facts. It is strictly drill and kill.

• The National Archives Experience: Celebrate Constitution Day http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution/constitution-day.html

  Join the National Archives for a month-long celebration the Constitution.

• The National Archives Experience: http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_q_and_a.html

  Questions and Answers about the Constitution by Sol Bloom, National Archives

• The National Archives Experience: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/signers.html

  Information about each of the 39 signers.

• The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/constitution/

  This site contains links to Constitution facts, quizzes, and other resources

• The Constitution for Kids: http://www.usconstitution.net/constkidsK.html

  The Constitution for grades K-3 a basic fact sheet with a link for pictures of the Constitution.

• The Library of Congress: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/constitu/const-l1.html

  From the Library of Congress, a 3 day lesson on drafting the Constitution.

• The Center for Civic Education: http://www.civiced.org/

  The Center for Civic Education will post seven lessons on its website in August 2005.  These age-appropriate lessons are suggested for use at each of the following grade levels:

  • Kindergarten 
  • Grades 1—2 
  • Grades 3—4 
  • Grades 5—6 
  • Grades 7—8 
  • Grades 9—10 
  • Grades 11—12

  Permission to duplicate these lessons is given provided the following credit line is used:
  Reprinted with permission from the Center for Civic Education. Copyright 2005. Center for Civic Education. www.civiced.org

• Justice Learning: http://justicel.bootnetworks.com/constitutionday.asp

  Justice Learning site with video and audio material, as well as lesson plans on the constitution

• The Constitution Rights Foundation: http://www.crf-usa.org/constitution_day/constitution_day_home.htm

  The Constitutional Rights Foundation presents a series of free online lessons, resources from the CRF catalog, and Internet links to help educators design their own Constitution Day program.

• The Dirkson Congressional Center : http://www.congresslink.org

  The Dirkson Congressional Center contains numerous resources containing information about our government.

• About Governement: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_historicaldocuments.htm#constitution

  For a direct link to various historical documents such as The Articles of Confederation, Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers, Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution visit About Governement

• 100 Milestone Documents: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/content.php?flash=true&page=milestone

  100 Milestone Documents is A National Initiative on American History, Civics, and Service
  We invite all Americans to participate in a series of events and programs to get us thinking, talking and teaching about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy. At the heart of this initiative are 100 milestone documents of American history. These documents reflect our diversity and our unity, our past and our future, and mostly our commitment as a nation to continue to strive to "form a more perfect union." We want everyone-students, teachers, parents, and the general public-to read these milestone documents, consider their meaning, discuss them, and decide which are the most significant and why. This initiative creates a number of ways to do that-through classroom activities and competitions, and votes.

  Directly access the U.S. Constitution at http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=9