TeachersFirst's Constitution Day Resources
Constitution Day, observed annually on September 17th, provides educators with a prime opportunity to engage students in learning about the foundation of American democracy. This group of resources is designed to support teachers in creating dynamic lessons that explore the U.S. Constitution, its history, and its enduring impact on our society. From lesson plans to video clips to primary sources to podcasts and even interactive games, these materials cater to various grade levels and learning styles. By utilizing these resources, educators can help students understand the significance of this living document, the rights it protects, and the responsibilities of citizenship in a constitutional republic. Feel free to also view all of our resources related to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
29 Results | sort by:
Today's Document - National Archives
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (81), civil war (135), constitution (87), jefferson (18), lincoln (62), presidents (125), primary sources (118), segregation (18), washington (27)
In the Classroom
Today's Document would make a fantastic discussion starter in any classroom. It is an engaging, visual way for students to acquire background knowledge about American history, the Constitution, and government through primary source documents. Share this site with students as a springboard for American History research projects. Visit TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: Research Strategies, reviewed here to find additional resources to teach and develop research skills.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
C-Span Classroom - C-Span
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): branches of government (63), civil rights (197), constitution (87), declaration of independence (15), elections (81), electoral college (22), environment (237), journalism (72), nasa (29), STEM (269), supreme court (27), video (260)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to access many video resources and lessons to teach social studies topics. Include lessons and activities as part of interactive lessons created with Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here. Include quizzes, videos, links to documents, and more to create flipped or blended learning lessons on Microsoft PowerPoint Online that differentiate student abilities and interests and a resource for students to complete lessons individually at their own pace. As a final learning activity and to enhance learning, ask students to share their understanding of the content by creating short video clips made with FlexClip, reviewed here. Modify templates provided by FlexClip to create a short but content-rich overview of the lesson that shares student understanding of the information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Civics Renewal Network - The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Univ of Pennsylvania
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): branches of government (63), constitution (87), democracy (19), elections (81), electoral college (22), media literacy (103), politics (111), supreme court (27)
In the Classroom
Include the Civics Renewal Network with your other resources for teaching civics content. Include activities on this site as part of self-guided lessons created using Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here, or add to classroom lessons created with NearPod, reviewed here. Extend student learning by asking them to become creators using a digital storytelling tool such as Elementari, reviewed here. Elementari includes features that bring students' stories to life, such as animations, font choices, and drag-and-drop text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Votes for Women - The 19th Amendment - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 1900s (73), constitution (87), women (140), womens suffrage (44)
In the Classroom
Begin by browsing through the many suggested classroom activities found in this resource. Organize a suggested book list or research resources for students using a curation tool like Symbaloo, reviewed here, as means for organizing information into one place. Sort items in your Symbaloo by using the color-coding option for the icons. For example, make book suggestions blue, primary source links yellow, etc. As students prepare to share their research and final projects, provide options for sharing information. Suggest students make a presentation with Google Slides, reviewed here, a video using Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, or a multimedia presentation created with Sway, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
60-Second Civics - Center for Civic Education
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): branches of government (63), constitution (87), democracy (19), elections (81), electoral college (22), house of representatives (8), politics (111), senate (10), supreme court (27)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this podcast to use as a quick class-starter to review and discuss civics topics. If you don't have time to listen daily, consider setting aside 15-20 minutes a week to listen to podcasts from the week and to discuss the daily questions. Engage students in any topic by creating a Google Jamboard, reviewed here, that contains any of the daily questions. Ask students to share their thoughts and response using the sticky note tool. Extend learning by asking students to choose a topic of interest to research. Ask them to share their findings using one of the multimedia tools found at Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Options found at Adobe Express include creating graphics, webpages, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
We the Civics Kids - Constitution Center
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): bill of rights (28), communities (36), constitution (87), courts (19), diversity (37), states (122), supreme court (27)
In the Classroom
Use the lessons from this site as an entire civics unit or integrate the materials into your current civics program. Although created for fourth grade, the materials are easily adaptable for students in other grades. As students learn about civics through problem-solving activities, incorporate online tools found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to enhance learning. For example, have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a fake Fakebook profile of a historical character. Extend learning further by asking students to create and produce podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Include topics found on the We the Civics Kids website such as diversity, school uniform discussions, and kid power.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Constitutional Rights - Constitution Center
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (28), constitution (87), countries (72), cross cultural understanding (160)
In the Classroom
Include this interactive with any lessons on constitutional rights or when studying different nations. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, for your class to add and comment on constitutional rights around the world. Create columns on your Padlet by country or specific rights, then enhance learning by asking students to share information and articles detailing information on that right. Use an online news site like World News, reviewed here, for students to find news from around the world and search by regions. Extend learning by challenging computer-savvy students to create a game using Scratch, reviewed here, that takes players around the world to learn about rights and freedoms found in different nations. Ask other students to create podcasts discussing current events and freedoms from around the world. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent podcast creation tool and includes features for adding links and lists to shows, and allows users to schedule podcast releases for specific dates and times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Race to Ratify - iCivics
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): 1700s (36), american revolution (81), branches of government (63), colonial america (93), constitution (87), game based learning (179)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate the basic concepts of the challenge on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then allow students to play on their own on the whiteboard or classroom computers, keeping a log of their actions and results. Enhance learning by having students share interactions from the game in comic form using ToonyTool, reviewed here. Ask students to use ToonyTool to create a conversation with the game's character trying to persuade an anti-Federalist or another opponent on the virtues of the Constitution. Use the game as inspiration for students to extend their learning by creating their own history game using Scratch, reviewed here. For ideas and inspiration, use the search feature in Scratch to find examples of history games created by other users.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
United States Courts Educational Resources - Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): branches of government (63), constitution (87), supreme court (27)
In the Classroom
Include these free resources and activities to use in your social studies classroom when teaching about the U.S. Constitution. Instead of asking students to take individual notes throughout your lessons, use Google documents to create shared notes. Ask students to highlight and annotate important information shared. Use Wakelet, reviewed here, to create "wakes" for students to organize information. Add websites, documents, videos, and more to any wake for students to access information in one site. As a final project, enhance student learning by challenging them to use a video explanation tool like Clipchamp, reviewed here to share the background and information learned about Supreme Court cases and decisions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
That's Your Right - Annenberg Classroom
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (28), branches of government (63), constitution (87), game based learning (179)
In the Classroom
Include this game with any lessons on the Bill of Rights. Challenge students to compete against each other and move up through the different levels of difficulty. Include the site with your other resources on a bookmarking site like Papaly, reviewed here. Papaly includes the option to add and share notes with bookmarks, add teaching notes for your future use or if sharing with students, ask them to add tips into the comments section. Upon completion of your unit, enhance learning by having students create animated videos using Powtoon, reviewed here, to share their understanding of the Bill of Rights.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Case Maker - Bean Creative
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): black history (129), civil rights (197), constitution (87), democracy (19), elections (81), freedom of speech (13), immigrants (33), immigration (65), inquiry (24), media literacy (103), politics (111), racism (78), Research (84), world war 2 (155)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free materials on this site to encourage debate and discussion within your current civics lessons and lessons on civil rights and racism. Introduce Case Maker by showing the class the student introductory video. Each lesson includes primary sources to use when responding to prompts; ask students to find and share additional primary sources to include in their response to each question. Instead of just creating a list of additional resources, engage students and augment classroom technology use by sharing additional resources using Padlet, reviewed here. Padlet offers features for adding comments; ask students to use this feature to indicate important information found on the document. Enhance learning by finding and sharing videos that support the topic being discussed. Use Edpuzzle, reviewed here, to add comments and question prompts for students. Upon completing student projects, extend learning by having stidents share their thoughts through a podcast featuring students' challenge solutions. Be sure to include a group of students in each podcast featuring various points of view and their backup documentation. Try using Acast, reviewed here, to create student podcasts.Comments
Great variety of resources!Toni, , Grades: 5 - 8
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Interactive Constitution - National Constitution Center
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): colonial america (93), constitution (87), philadelphia (10)
In the Classroom
Include this site with any lessons on the Constitution. Share on your interactive whiteboard to help students understand the meaning behind each article and amendment. Take your research into the Constitution a step further and have students compile bookmarks containing videos and online articles to use for research. Wakelet, reviewed here, is a bookmarking tool that allows students to collaborate through annotations and highlighting of text. Extend student learning by having students or student groups create explainer videos to tell the history of the Constitution or explain articles or amendments. Modify classroom technology use by using a tool like Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create animated short videos.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
America Goes to War: an Infographic - New England College
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): civil war (135), congress (39), constitution (87), presidents (125), war of 1812 (14), world war 1 (75), world war 2 (155)
In the Classroom
Was the U.S. at war? What powers does the U.S. President have to declare war, and how have Presidents used those powers historically? A powerful, but simple infographic delineates the legal and Constitutional differences among U.S. wars historically. Share the infographic on an interactive whiteboard, or embed on your classroom website for reference.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
60-Second Civics - The Center for Civic Education
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (28), branches of government (63), constitution (87)
In the Classroom
Need a quick lesson starter or attention grabber at the beginning or end of each class? Try a 60-second Civics lesson. If you access the day's podcast via the website, you'll also find a one-question multiple choice quiz that relates to the podcast so you can check for content acquisition. These podcasts are perfect for a civics or government class! Share the podcasts on your projector (or interactive whiteboard) so the entire class can hear the podcast and see the quiz at the end. If you are the adviser for the school news program, these would be a terrific addition, ready to go for you every day. During the run-up to Consitution Day in September, include these in the morning PA announcements. Load the podcast on iTouches or other mobile devices in the media center for students to browse and learn. Encourage students to create their own "stump the teacher" or "stump the student citizen" quizzes based on these podcasts. Use one of the many poll/quiz tools in the TeachersFirst Edge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
CurriConnects Booklist: By the People - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161), branches of government (63), congress (39), constitution (87), presidents (125)
In the Classroom
Encourage students to select independent reading from this list as part of a citizenship unit, as a focus for Constitution Day, or in a civics/government class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Constitution Day - ConstitutionDay.com
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bill of rights (28), biographies (95), colonial america (93), constitution (87), history day (39), philadelphia (10)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students as a resource for reading and viewing the Constitution. Use Read Ahead, reviewed here with these articles as a guided reading activity for younger students. Read Ahead is perfect for introducing any reading passage to struggling readers, special education students, and ENL/ESL learners. Along with Read Ahead you may want to use Wordsift, reviewed here to help students identify the most important words used in the text. Challenge students to develop a fake social media presence about one of the founding fathers using Fakebook, reviewed here. This is a great resource for Constitution Day!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States - Teaching American History
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): constitution (87)
In the Classroom
A great resource for the interactive whiteboard or projector, although be aware that you may need to disable your pop-up blocker to get the information to display properly. Challenge students to find other paintings depicting famous events in United States (or another country). Have cooperative learning groups create multimedia presentation about the paintings. Create fictitious blog entries from one character in a painting to another character within another painting at another famous event. What would John F. Kennedy write to Benjamin Franklin?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Annenberg Classroom - NPR/NY Times
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): character education (77), civil rights (197), ecology (98), radio (20), women (140)
In the Classroom
Use this site to help students explore the branches of government in action as they address a "hot topic." Have groups of students listen to real broadcasts and analyze the issues as examples of the constitutional concepts you are studying. Make this link available from your teacher web page while studying the Constitution, the branches of government, and many other social studies topics. Use your interactive whiteboard or projection screen to share a video or audio clip to spark discussion on an issue or activate your lesson. Then, divide your class into teams and have a class debate about the issue. Have students prepare a pro/con wiki using links to the primary sources to support their position or create their own podcast commentaries with support for their opinions.Comments
Too many resources to even summarize. I can't wait to share this resource. CONSTITUTION ON SEPT. 17.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Teacher's Portal - American Bar Association
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (28), constitution (87)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plan suggestions to meet the mandate for instruction on Constitution Day, but be sure and check out the other resources for lessons on civics, government, current events and the Constitution itself. The section called "Dialogues" provides resources to engage students and community members in discussion of fundamental American legal principles and civic traditions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
The Supreme Court: Games - PBS
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): civil rights (197), constitution (87), supreme court (27)
In the Classroom
These lessons would be useful on an interactive whiteboard or projector along with a unit on the Supreme Court or the US judicial system. Students might also use them to to extend or enrich the topic on their own time, or when they have completed other classwork. They are well researched and informative, however, most students won't view them as "games" as they are labeled. Have cooperative learning groups investigate one specific topic and share their discoveries with the class. Challenge students to create a video using Powtoon, reviewed here, and it share using a site such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
Close comment form