Students recognize the different parts of the U.S. Constitution and conduct a close text reading to discover the meaning and significance of each part. Throughout the lesson, students will track the development of the Constitution from the original document and its articles to the amendments up through the 1992 edition of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
Civics Lessons
Lesson Topic: Constitution Day
We the People
The Constitution in Today’s America
This lesson teaches students about the development and role of the Constitution of the United States. Students will learn about the relationship between the Constitution and a democratic government
The Tired King
Students learn about the three functions of government in this interactive role play.
The First Amendment
This activity creates an awareness of the five rights contained in the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Students will learn about a poll of Americans and their knowledge of the First Amendment. The activity will allow students the opportunity to dissect the First Amendment and determine their opinions on which rights they value most and least.
Connecting the Separate Powers
In this lesson, students will gain an understanding of the separation of powers using role playing and discussion. Students will identify which parts of the Constitution provide for the branches of our government, and will categorize public officials into one of these three branches.
The Preamble to the Constitution: How Do You Make a More Perfect Union?
These lessons help your students begin to understand why the Founders felt a need to establish a more perfect Union and how they proposed to accomplish such a weighty task.
What Does the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution Mean?
Students compare and contrast the language in preambles to two state constitutions; compare state preambles with the preamble of the U.S. Constitution; draft a new preamble for the U.S. Constitution; and discuss the process of amending the U.S. Constitution
Responsibility and the U.S. Constitution
In this lesson, students learn about responsibility and apply the concept to segments of the U.S. Constitution.
We the Students: Writing a Class Constitution
The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution sets out the purposes or functions of American government as envisioned by the framers. Using the Preamble as a guide, students will identify the purposes of their own classroom and create a class “constitution.”
The President’s Roles and Responsibilities: Communicating with the President
Through several activities, students learn about the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. president and their own duties as citizens of a democracy