It has been the will of Heaven that we should be thrown into existence at a period when the greatest philosophers and law-givers of antiquity would have wished to live . . . a period when a coincidence of circumstances without example has afforded to thirteen colonies at once an opportunity of beginning government anew from the foundation and building as they choose. How few of the human race have ever had an opportunity of choosing a system of government for themselves and their children?
from John Adams' essay, Thoughts on Government, April 1776
Constitution Day is September 17
Federal law passed in 2004 requires that all schools that receive federal funding provide a course to all students on the Constitution on Constitution Day, September 17. The law is known as H.R. 4818, and the text is found at section 111(b):
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.
United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.
As a fourth grade teacher I covered the chalk board in my classroom with life-size copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution which I had purchased at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. (I laminated them first.) It was amazing to me how often students would walk up there and start reading it - they were fascinated. It made a very impressive and beautiful display.
I did this project at the beginning of the year, which is also when I spent two to three weeks intensively teaching my students a multitude of thinking tools and strategies for becoming self-directed, independent and interdependent learners. These tools must be taught within some kind of context, so I created a mini-PBL unit for Constitution Day. One of the things we did was a short play about the signing of the Constitution. I had come across a little illustrated book which included the play. It was perfect! (Sorry, I no longer have it. If you find one, please send the title to me:-)
Below you will find many excellent resources for planning your Constitution Day lessons. I hope that you will not limit this to one day only, but make it deeper and more relevant. Skim your content standards, and you will find that the project affords you the vehicle to teach many of these standards; so it isn't as though you are foregoing teaching the standards, you are teaching them through the project!
Later in the school year, during Black History Month we always did a PBL21 project on the Civil Rights Movement, and in it we circled back to and reconnected with what we studied/learned on the Constitution Day project. It was a great way to reinforce and develop a deeper understanding of the Constitution! I later added other civil rights movements to the unit. You may download it here.
I did this project at the beginning of the year, which is also when I spent two to three weeks intensively teaching my students a multitude of thinking tools and strategies for becoming self-directed, independent and interdependent learners. These tools must be taught within some kind of context, so I created a mini-PBL unit for Constitution Day. One of the things we did was a short play about the signing of the Constitution. I had come across a little illustrated book which included the play. It was perfect! (Sorry, I no longer have it. If you find one, please send the title to me:-)
Below you will find many excellent resources for planning your Constitution Day lessons. I hope that you will not limit this to one day only, but make it deeper and more relevant. Skim your content standards, and you will find that the project affords you the vehicle to teach many of these standards; so it isn't as though you are foregoing teaching the standards, you are teaching them through the project!
Later in the school year, during Black History Month we always did a PBL21 project on the Civil Rights Movement, and in it we circled back to and reconnected with what we studied/learned on the Constitution Day project. It was a great way to reinforce and develop a deeper understanding of the Constitution! I later added other civil rights movements to the unit. You may download it here.
American Revolutionary War Re-enactors are great sources of information. There are many all over the United States. Do a Google search for one in your area and invite them to your school!
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