Constitution Day

These lesson plans and online resources introduce students to the U.S. Constitution.

Constitution Day is observed on September 17, the day the United States Constitution was originally signed in 1787, and recognizes ratification of the document and celebrates citizenship. Although the holiday has been observed for decades (as far back as 1939, there were calls for a holiday to celebrate citizenship), it was not officially recognized as a federal holiday until 2004.

We offer these lesson plans and resources to help students learn more about the holiday and the history of the Constitution.

Lesson Plans

1. 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.
    
2. 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.
    
3. 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.
    
4. Explaining the Bill of Rights
   Grades 6-8 and 9-12 work in groups to rewrite the Bill of Rights in their own words.
    

Other Resources

• Constitution of the United States (The National Archives)
• Observing Constitution Day (The National Archives)
• Constitution Day (National Endowment for the Humanities)
• National Constitution Center
• U.S. Constitution Day (Wikipedia)