Get Ready for Constitution Day 2024

Constitution & Citizenship Day commemorates the day the US Constitution was signed in Philadelphia (September 17, 1787) and honors all who have become citizens. According to federal law, schools who receive any federal funds are required to hold an educational program about the United States Constitution on September 17 every year. However, when September 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, Constitution Day shall be held during the preceding or following week.

(Nerdy sidebar: Want a bit of an academic take on the history of Constitution Day? Check out "What Constitution Day Means and Why It Matters" from Social Education.)

There is no mandated curriculum for Constitution Day---you get to design what works for you and your students. The resources below are intended to help schools and teachers plan these learning experiences about how our system of government works.

These non-partisan, non-profit organizations offers K-12 lesson plans & activities organized by grade level.

The National Endowment for the Humanities

Center for Civic Education

National Constitution Center Resource Library (also, here is their calendar of events)

National Constitution Center Constitution Day Resources

The National Archives (they also developed an online activity using primary docs from the archive)

The National Archives News: Celebrating Constitution Day

"Bring the Constitution to life!" from DocsTeach

The United States Census Bureau

iCivics

Library of Congress’s Constitution Day Teacher Resources (primary sources, interactives for teachers, discussion questions, lesson plans, online collections, stories for kids)

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History's Constitution Day Resources (historical documents, videos, online exhibitions, and lesson plans)

Check out the new collection by PBS Learning Media focused on topics and skills central to civics learning:

IN DEVELOPMENT IN 2024. Democracy depends on informed citizens who have the knowledge and skills to engage in their government. Empower your student citizens with this collection that teaches civic knowledge and understanding through applied examples from U.S. history and skills such as analyzing civic engagement and engaging in civil discourse. Focusing on multiple perspectives and diverse stories, these resources enable all students to see themselves as civic actors and prepare them to engage in civic and political life.

Click here to access curated resources broken down by grade level.

Here are some additional ideas for the elementary classroom.

Warning...you can't get some of these songs out of your head.

• It’s Constitution Day! From Scholastic News
  
• Junior Scholastic Teaching Kits

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The Anti-Defamation League designed this lesson focused on the First Amendment and this one on the fight for the 19th Amendment--and how Black women were left behind.

Check out this lesson (designed for middle school students) published in Social Education, a publication of the National Council for the Social Studies.

"Show students that while voting is a constitutional right, it is vulnerable to being manipulated away from certain segments of society through the passage of laws, and that this loss of voting rights leads to a loss of political power for those groups. Invite students to look critically at the history of voter suppression, and to keep a historical framework in mind when analyzing whether current voting laws in certain states have affected some classes of citizens more than others."

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The video below is part of a TED-Ed about the making of the US Constitution. Click here for more details.

P.S. TED-Ed offers free lessons and original animations for all grades and subjects.

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Civics for All of US from the National Archives

Student Programs from the National Archives

Constitution Day Live from the Bill of Rights Institute

Constitution Day Programs from the National Constitution Center

Tours on Sept. 17 and a live virtual program on Sept. 16 from the Michigan Supreme Court Learning Center

• The virtual program is about the Preamble and is geared for elementary and middle school students.

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Have a great idea or resource to share? Send it our way and we'll add it.

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