Lesson Plans 2007

Lesson plans and Suggested Activities 2007

School wide activities:

1. School wide assemblies where community leaders or students lead the assembly in reciting the Preamble to the Constitution, which is followed by a short presentation on the meaning of the Preamble.

2. School wide assemblies where guests from the community speak about what the Constitution has meant to them. The speakers included individuals whose lives were impacted by the Civil Rights Movement, newspaper editors, judges and lawyers.

3. High school students—prepare for a Constitution Bee, either for a classroom activity or for a school wide assembly. That National Archives website has a myriad of information about the making of the Constitution. Using these resources, especially the section featuring questions and answers about the Constitution, students could divide into teams for a Constitution Bee. Go to www.archives.gov.

4. High school voter registration drives coordinated with the urban election commissions or the County Clerk.

Lesson plans:

1. The Story of the Making of the Constitution—a summary of the events leading up to the Constitutional Convention, complete with timeline and amazing fast facts about the Constitution. Includes activities for Grades 7-12.

2. The History of the Constitution—A very brief look at the philosophical and historical foundations of the United States Constitution with discussion questions for classroom use in Grades 9-12.

3. Dr. Warren Solomon, former Social Studies Curriculum Specialist for Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, has created an outstanding lesson plan on the Preamble for high school students, which is available for download.

 

2. Dr. Warren Solomon, former Social Studies Curriculum Specialist for Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, has created an outstanding lesson plan on the Preamble for high school students, which is available for download.

The following websites have excellent Constitution Day lesson plans:

1. Constitutional Rights Foundation at www.crf-usa.org . Lesson plans for K-12.

2. Center for Civic Education at www.civiced.org/index.php?page=constitution_day. Lessons for K-12.

3. The Constitution Center at www.constitutioncenter.org.

4. Grades 5-8—How Does the United States Constitution Reflect American Goals and Values? An excellent lesson plan from the Bill of Rights Institute that explores the history of the Constitution and its relevance to American society today. Go to www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Instructional/Resources/ConstitutionDay/lesson_MShigh.pdf