Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
(a) Designation.— September 17 is designated as Constitution
Day and Citizenship Day.
(b) Purpose.— Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
commemorate the formation and signing on September 17, 1787,
of the Constitution and recognize all who, by coming of age or
by naturalization, have become citizens….
Beginning in 2005, all schools that receive federal monies began to "hold an educational program pertaining to the United
States Constitution on September 17 of each year." While the instruction has been mandated, what that "educational
program" entails is not detailed in the notice of implementation from the U.S. Department of Education, nor is it detailed
in the federal appropriations bill that requires it. The manner of recognition on Constitution Day is up to you. The
following linked web resources are provided to assist you in your planning.

Each year, NEH's EDSITEment Project adds 75 new lesson plans for K-12 educators…

Lesson Plans, Webquests, & Games all focused on America’s founding documents at
USHistorySite.com

The National Archives / NARA's Teaching with Documents Lesson Plans

"A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the U.S. Constitution"

Center for Civic Education

American Bar Association’s Constitution Web site

U.S. Dept. of Education resources

Lesson Plans provided by Texas Education Agency

Prentice Hall’s Interactive Constitution site
Cool, New site:
Imagine:
An Interactive
problems-based
civics learning environment!
Sandra Day O'Connor has and its
in development.
Check out what they have up so
far at ourcourts.org
http://constitutioncenter.org/ConstitutionDay
/
___________________________________________________________________________
The Bill of Rights Institute is dedicated to creating educational materials for teachers like you,
in order to help young Americans appreciate constitutional principles that define us as a nation.
New for 2008! Check out BRI’s newly revamped student site, Do You Have the Right – great
video on the history of the Constitution and a really great interactive activity that looks at the two
Presidential candidate’s positions on several major issues and then asks students to determine if
the Constitution actually provides the President the powers to do what that candidate is
promising! Online Quiz and Activities on Article II and the Presidential Election!
Constitutional Rights Foundation is pleased to present a series of free online lessons, resources from the
CRF catalog, and Internet links to help educators design their own Constitution Day program.
AUSTIN ISD BUREAU OF CURRICULUM / Social Studies Department / (last rev. 9/29/2008)
Streaming Video Websites:
From Discovery Education Streaming Videos:
 Our Constitution: The Document that Gave Birth to a Nation (24:00)
 Composing the Constitution (03:35)
From NBC News HotChalk:
 Justices Breyer and Scalia Debate Concept of a Living Constitution
 Inventing Checks and Balances in the Constitution
 How to Amend the Constitution
Suggestion: An 11th grade U.S. History teacher who was covering her Civil War /
Reconstruction unit at the beginning of the year was looking for a good way to
incorporate the Celebrate Freedom Week mandate and came across this video from
Hotchalk. The classroom discussion that followed was excellent.
 Author James McPherson Discusses His Book on Freedom and the Civil
War - The historian says that both sides in the Civil War claimed to be
fighting for freedom. The South wanted to be free of federal control and the
North wanted to preserve the Union. [4:37 min.]
Bilingual:
Constitución de los Estados Unidos de América (Spanish translation that is part of the
Political Database of the Americas site at Georgetown University)
Constitution Day Activities: REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW
Public Law 108-447, Section 111(b) states ‘‘[e]ach educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal
year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the
students served by the educational institution.’’ Section 111 requires that Constitution Day be held on September
17 of each year, commemorating the September 17, 1787 signing of the Constitution. However, when September
17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, Constitution Day shall be held during the preceding or following week.
While the Department does not endorse any particular program or Web site, this information is provided because
it may be of use to educational institutions developing their Constitution Day programs.
Library of Congress: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bdsds/bdsdhome.html.
National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/constitution.html
National Archives has a nationwide network of research facilities, including presidential libraries that
welcome students as young as 14 years of age. Information about the facilities (by region and state):
http://www.archives.gov/facilities/index.html.
Documentation of campus activities will be required.
AUSTIN ISD BUREAU OF CURRICULUM / Social Studies Department / (last rev. 9/29/2008)