Constitution Day is required by Federal law (Public Law 108-447) to be celebrated by all publicly funded educational institutions on September 17th, the day that the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. Before this law was enacted in 2004, the holiday was known as “Citizenship Day”. Now, it’s known as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” to be exact, and this holiday also recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens.
Here is a great assortment of activities and links to videos, lesson plans, games, words to rap, a slide show, a timeline, and informational sites:
- Download a Constitution Day video to make a DVD for your classroom or school assembly (or show online). Video features kids from elementary school through high school. Great video!
- Art Activity: For young students, paint large flags using long horizontal stokes that cross midline and use ab pattern for stripes. For students a little older, do the same but count the 50 stars and 13 stripes as well as pattern and write a sentence or sentences (i.e. This is my flag.) using proper punctuation.
- Create a constitution for the class listing the class rules, and have all the students, the teacher and any aides sign it.
- Constitution Day, Sept. 17th
- Make a Boston Tea Party booklet. Free printable booklet tells the story of the Boston Tea Party for grades 1-3.
- Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Games & Activities for grades K-2.
- Constitution Games, Lessons, & Activities for all grade levels.
- Lesson Plans for Constitution Day for all grade levels.
- Constitution Day Ideas
- Constitution Day Free Lessons to Download for all grade levels.
- The Bill of Rights Match Game for Elementary Level or Secondary Level.
- Constitution Day Rap to download (listed under grades 1 & 2). After downloading, go to page 11 for the rap.
- Educator & Student Resources for Constitution Day
- Centuries of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline (available in Broadband version & Low Bandwidth version)
- Bill of Rights Online Game
- Hand Motions for memorizing the Preamble
- Constitution Day Resources & Lessons for Middle and High School students.
- Constitutional Fun Facts for kids. Great for older students.
- Interactive Constitution for older students.
- Constitutional Principles: Representative Government video for High School students.
- The Founders’ Library: Thinking as a Founding Father Lesson Plans for High School students.
- National Constitution Center Resources
- The Bill of Rights
- Printer-friendly Version of Amendments 11-27
- Lesson for this standard: “Demonstrate understanding of the issues related to the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new Government it established.”
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