Celebrate Constitution Day

On September 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention gathered to complete and sign the U.S. Constitution. To commemorate this event, September 17 was established as Constitution Day to recognize the importance of citizenship and civics education.

In conjunction with Constitution Day, PA First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell will be visiting Pennsylvania schools throughout the week, promoting civics education. On September 14, she visited South Park Elementary School and taught third-grade students a lesson about the U.S. Constitution.

Lesson plans and resources are available to help students learn more about the holiday and the history of the Constitution.

Interview with the Signers of the Constitution
Grades 6-8 work in small groups to write questions a newspaper reporter might pose to signers of the Constitution.
 
Create a New Amendment
Celebrate Constitution Day (Sept. 17) with this lesson in which grades 5-12 study amendments to the Constitution and propose a new one.
 
Presidential Powers
Students study the section of the Constitution that refers to the executive branch and write a proposal for a new power for the president of the United States.
 
Explaining the Bill of Rights
Grades 6-8 and 9-12 work in groups to rewrite the Bill of Rights in their own words.
 
Constitution Day 
Downloadable booklets with lesson ideas, plans, and activities for grades K-12. From the Center for Civic Education.

The National Archives also includes lesson plans and resources on its website. Additional resources can be found at http://www.constitutionday.us/.

Source: NEA.org, Education World ®