September 17th is Constitution Day… a day set aside for celebrating the U.S. Constitution. Obviously, this is one of America’s most important documents, but many young children don’t understand what it’s all about.
I get it. When I was six years old, I was focused on my dolls and hoping my mom would let me eat Doritos after school. I was definitely not thinking about the Constitution.
Honestly, I had probably never even heard of it. I’m pretty sure the words “rigorous” and “instruction” weren’t used in the same sentence back when I was in first grade. We were probably still fingerpainting.
But that was the 1900’s. It’s the 21st century now, and we’ve kicked things up a bit. So… the trick is to find material about the Constitution our kids can handle without becoming disinterested or overwhelmed.
We figure there will be plenty of time in their future high school lives for our sweet little first graders to dive deeper into this topic, so we just focus on the basics. By the time we’re done, they’ll know enough to participate in a conversation about the Constitution during dinner that night.
CONSTITUTION DAY ACTIVITIES
The analogy we make is that the Constitution is like a rulebook explaining how the country works. I can’t take credit for that idea. One of our teammates shared that with us and we thought it made good sense. We’ve used it ever since.
Of course, there are videos online that will explain all about the Constitution in kid-friendly language with cute little graphics. These are great. Find one you like and add that into your lesson plans for Constitution Day.
There are also a few picture books out there, but we think most of them are too lengthy and complicated for our K-1 friends. We do love these two though. If you can find them in your library, we recommend checking them out.
- We the People: The Constitution of the United States by Peter Spier
- We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David Catrow
The picture books are great to share on Constitution Day, but we also wanted a book we could read with the children and let them take home.
We love this one. It says just what we need it to and it even offers a little bit of interactivity. In this particular set, there are two differentiated texts, so if you need something a little simpler than this one, you’ll find it in the resource.
SUPPORTING YOUNG LEARNERS
There are good opportunities to build vocabulary here, too. These key word posters introduce new terms connected to the content, but also include related words that help children deepen their understanding.
Most history topics are perfect for timeline activities. Constitution Day is no exception. If you want to take the conversation a bit farther on this day, you can talk about how the U.S. Constitution has gone through a few changes (amendments) over the centuries.
The first document was good, but it wasn’t perfect. Originally, it only protected the rights of some Americans, not all. Since kids are obsessed with equity, they’ll understand why this wasn’t fair and why new parts were added over the years.
This simple activity not only introduces kids to the concept of a timeline and arranging events chronologically, but it teaches them that the Constitution has changed and specifically highlights the amendment giving women the right to vote.
Before you wrap up your lesson plans for Constitution Day, check out this SOCIAL STUDIES SET for kindergarten and first grade teachers. It has just what you need to get started.
Until next time, happy teaching!
ANOTHER SEASONAL FAVORITE
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