Constitution Day observes and celebrates the enactment of the United States Constitution, written in 1787 and signed on September 17th.
Elementary
22 Constitution Day Activities (for Elementary & Middle School Students)
Constitution Day observes and celebrates the enactment of the United States Constitution, written in 1787 and signed on September 17th.
Here we consider the history and details and suggest 22 Constitution Day activities (for elementary & middle school students).
Education resources
History of Constitution Day
The Framers of the Constitution included James Madison (chief drafter), Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.
The Constitution was written furtively at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This is the same location where George Washington took up the position of Commander of the Continental Army and where the Declaration of Independence was signed as well.
After its initial completion, the U.S. Constitution was ratified by nine states within the original 13 colonies. Its first versions did not include information asserting individual rights, so additions gradually were made and are known as our Bill of Rights. There are 27 bills approved on this document.
Constitution Day is September 17th each year. It celebrates both the document itself and the citizens whom it affects. It was first casually observed in the early 1900s and officially assigned in 1940 when Congress called it “I am an American Day.” It was 1952 when the name became “Citizenship Day,” and not until 2004 that it was officially changed to Constitution Day.
Observation of the holiday
Constitution Day activities and focal areas can educate and enlighten people of all ages. They should highlight the importance of the meaning and thoughts in the document and even surmise how the Framers may have decided on what to include.
Discussions may delve into the main ideas it goes into and why. What were the writers hoping to accomplish? What had they seen, experienced, and lived that brought them to these intense ideas on how a country should treat its citizens? How did they see this being received and implemented in this brand-new country, the United States of America?
Fun facts about the Constitution to share with students
Some students may know a number of these interesting facts; however, it may be new information for many kids:
- Immigrants & refugees who apply for U.S. citizenship must pass a test about the country and its laws. Most people study for a long time to learn about the country’s values, language, culture, and rules.
- Constitution Day is a federal event but not an official holiday
- Although it was a given in the Framers’ minds that the U.S. would be a democracy, the word “democracy” does not appear anywhere in the Constitution.
- Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania clerk in the General Assembly, was paid $30 to write the document. That is equal to about $850 today.
- The Constitution, four pages in length, is currently on display at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. It is protected behind titanium and glass in an argon encasement to preserve the delicate parchment paper.
- The document has several misspellings, including “Pennsylvania” with a missing “n.”
- Patrick Henry refused to sign the Constitution, stating that he “smelt a rat” or did not trust its words.
School/classroom celebrations
When teachers plan Constitution Day activities for elementary or middle school students, they can go back to basics and elaborate on creative ways to focus and learn. How and what to include is generally based on the age group of the class and their previous studies or knowledge about it.
Constitution Day activities for elementary students may include:
- Coloring, painting, or American sewing flags
- Raising and flying flags
- Creating other red, white, and blue crafts, artwork, or snack items
- Dress-ups, re-enactments, or skits of the signing or other related moments from that time in the 1700s
- Writing their version of a Constitution
- Reading and discussing portions of the Constitution
- Discussing citizenship history, rights, and more
- Performing community service as a good citizen
Constitution Day activities for middle school students may include:
- Discussing the Framers in detail, their histories, and motivations
- Writing about the meanings around and the actual writing of the document, either in an essay or another form of writing such as poetry or song lyrics
- Creating and flying a flag
- Reciting portions of the Constitution in turn with each student
- Re-enactments and student-written scripts
- Post handmade displays throughout the school of quotes from the Constitution
- Parties with refreshments
- Performing community service as a good citizen
Read on for 22 more specific activities that make Constitution Day enjoyable.
22 Constitution Day activities (for elementary and middle school students)
- Poster Contest: Students can use creativity to design and write about their favorite freedom(s).
- Citizenship Question Game Show: A teacher or another student can play host while they ask “contestants” real questions from the citizenship test.
- Hang up red, white, and blue balloons and crepe paper streamers.
- Read a picture book about the Constitution.
- Hand out coloring sheets with related images and Constitution phrases.
- Bill of Rights BINGO: Students learn the bills while they try to get a winning BINGO card.
- Constitution Jeopardy: Answers about the document must have the form of a question.
- Classroom Constitution: What would they include in a classroom-specific document about rights and laws?
- Watch a movie or historical documentary about the Constitution or those who created and signed it.
- Write a script & perform a play: What went on and what was said by the Framers as they ironed out the details?
- Paint a large flag with acrylic paint or use a collage technique with red/white/blue torn magazine pieces.
- Separate the class into the three branches of government and have unique games for each.
- Do a word search or crossword puzzle using related terms, such as Citizen, Flag, America, Preamble, Laws, Rights, Independence
- Create paper hats (such as the tri-corner hate) or yarn wigs that would fit in for the period (the late 1700s).
- A scavenger hunt that includes terms and statements from the Constitution.
- Sing the national anthem as a red, white, and blue cake (or healthy fruit plate) is delivered with sparklers or candles.
- Create a “Which Founder Are You?” Quiz for each student to take, assigning various personalities.
- Play music from “Hamilton,” encouraging sing-alongs.
- Have the class play online Constitution games together using a screen projector and laptop.
- Play “Amendment – Pass or Fail?” where you display an amendment that passed and one that was introduced at some point but failed. Ask which passed/failed.
- Invite a speaker knowledgeable about the Constitution to speak to the class.
- Write some fun Constitution facts with calligraphy pens on parchment paper.
Have fun celebrating the United States Constitution with your students!
