NYSBA

ImageConstitution Day
September 17th

In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring educational institutions that receive federal funding to present a program focused on the U. S. Constitution each year on Constitution and Citizenship Day. The Law, Youth and Citizenship Program offers programs and resources to assist teachers in observing Constitution Day. Many other organizations offer free lessons on the Constitution for use in celebrating Constitution and Citizenship Day on September 17. Constitution and Citizenship Day affords teachers the opportunity to incorporate these special lessons at any time during the celebration week or throughout the year.

As Sept. 17 falls on a Monday this year, some organizations are celebrating Constitution and Citizenship Day throughout the week. At NYSBA's Law, Youth and Citizenship Program, we believe every day is Constitution Day -- so please use these resources at anytime to engage your students.
Remember: LYC also stands for Love Your Constitution!

 

 

Artwork courtesy of Mr. James Hanlon's 2009-10 fifth grade class at Ledgeview Elementary School in Clarence, New York.

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How to Get Involved . . .

For Teachers and Youth Leaders:

  • Reach out to your school attorney to request a visit
  • Contact local universities and law schools - many have speakers bureaus
  • Reach out to your school's alumni who are now in the legal profession
  • Invite a local elected official to visit your classroom
  • CLICK HERE for tips on inviting an attorney to your classroom

For Legal Professionals and Law Students:

  • Contact your local school district or your child's school and volunteer to visit
  • Don't forget scout troops, 4-H, after school programs
  • Make a YouTube video and share the link locally and with LYC (see NYSBA Past President Vincent Doyle III's video here)
  • Write a guest editorial for your local paper on the Constitution and/or citizenship
  • Offer to assemble a panel for a school assembly
  • CLICK HERE for tips on visiting a classroom

Helpful Links for Attorneys & Teachers

LYC/NYSBA Sites & Programs:

Lessons for grades K-12 are available for no cost from the Center's website at constitutionday.civiced.org. These lessons, designed to assist schools and federal agencies to meet the requirements of the legislation, have been adapted from the Center's We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution and Foundations of Democracy curricular materials. Audio recordings of selected Constitution Day lessons are also available on the Center's website. And . . .

The Center also has developed a special Women in Constitutional History set of resources based on an institute held in Seneca Falls this past June.

The website presents a pre K-12 civics education scope and sequence for New York State teachers, supervisors, and curriculum developers including the following components: Concepts, Content Understandings, Learning Objectives, Knowledge Goals, Learning Skills and Civic Dispositions. It was compiled by NYSBA’s Law, Youth and Citizenship Program consultant Dr. George Gregory, with input from our many state and national partners. The project was funded by the New York State Bar Association, the New York Consortium for Civic Education and the Carnegie Foundation. It is broken down by grade level, linked to state and national standards and offers each level of instruction various classroom activities. We feel it is very teacher friendly.

A resource for teachers and students that makes connections between New York State case law and the subjects required by the New York Social Studies Standards.  

Sponsored by the New York State Bar Association and minority Bar associations, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Helps bring the case to middle and high school students through dynamic lesson plans incorporating primary documents and the 2005 commemoration testimony.Image 

Our Partner Sites:

Newspapers in Education is a worldwide effort in which school textbooks and teaching materials are supplemented with the use of the local newspaper. The habit of reading a newspaper provides the necessary practice to build reading and writing skills and develop an interest in the welfare of one's community--valuable skills and attitudes to carry students through life. Two recommended NIE resources are: 
    Citizens Together     www.nynpa.com/docs/nie/niematerials/CitizensTogether.pdf -  five-day lesson plan, revised and refreshed according to Common Core State Standards, integrates newspapers into study of the Bill of Rights. This curriculum guide for middle- and high-school students can be used for Constitution Day on Sept. 17, or at other times when teachers focus on the nation’s founding documents and their significance today; and 
    First Things First      www.nynpa.com/docs/nie/niematerials/FirstThingsFirst.pdf a newspaper activity guide that teaches the freedoms of the First Amendment.

Meet your Constitution Day education requirement with this free and engaging lesson plan. Shows how the U.S. Constitution sets up our government. Students will learn how Articles I-III describe the structure, function and powers of the three branches of government. Readings and activities will guide students through the articles, as well as the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances.

ConSource was founded in 2005 with the singular goal of creating and maintaining the first, free, fully-indexed, comprehensive online library of constitutional sources. Towards this goal, the project launched ConSource.org on Constitution Day, September 17, 2007 with five core founding collections containing roughly 1,000 documents. Washington's Papers, a collection of over 10,000, was added in time for President's Day February 2008. A huge repository for primary documents.

On this date in 1787 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the U.S. Constitution, a written charter for a new—and enduring—federal government. Congress designated September 17 as a day “to hold educational programs for students” on the Constitution.Access classroom lessons appropriate for elementary, middle, and secondary students. Explore “Uncle Sam’s Attic” to learn about voting rights and the election process. Test your knowledge by taking interactive quizzes on constitutional issues. Sign the U.S. Constitution manuscript, alongside the signatures of the framers.

Recommended sites:

  (Please note: we have listed sites that contain free resources for teachers. However, some of these sites also contain additional resources for sale. We do not encourage or discourage the purchase of any materials contained within these sites.)

Find out what many educators have discovered - Pinterest is a great repository for lesson plans, infographics and engaging classroom materials. We've linked the search for Pins on the word "Constitution." As with all online resources, choose the links that would best meet your needs. Stop by our LYC boards while you're there, http://pinterest.com/nyciviced

ImageDrexel University, in partnership with the National Constitution Center, will offer a free webcast ~ Constitution Hall Pass: The Presidency, in celebration of the U.S. Constitution’s milestone 225th anniversary. The webcast will be available starting Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. The online program provides a meaningful way for students to meet their Constitution Day education requirement. The program will also explore Article II of the Constitution, which defines the role and responsibilities of the nation’s highest executive power – the President of the United States of America. 

We love this site! This project grew from an impromptu conversation about jazz and democracy between retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and musician, composer, educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis. Finding that they shared a passion for jazz and democracy and the belief that the two are intricately linked, a unique collaboration by Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Documentary Group, and Columbia University’s Teachers College, developed short videos (20 minutes), study guides and a dedicated website that explore how jazz captures the essential principles of American democracy.

Following the federal requirement for educational institutions to celebrate Constitution Day, The New York Times Learning Network and the American Democracy Project asked colleges and universities across America how they planned to observe the holiday. This guide is a compilation of their planning suggestions and programming ideas, as well as resources for a meaningful and successful Constitution Day.

A short documentary on the history, meaning, and provisions of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the operation of government within the parameters set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Video footage highlights the operation of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government by providing footage of several recent events and activities such as presidential inaugurals, impeachment proceedings, legislative events, and Supreme Court oral arguments. Chief Justice Roberts also talked about ways in which the Constitution had been interpreted and its function as a working document.

ConstitutionFacts.com provides a series of free educational resources and Internet links to help educators comply with the new federal regulation requiring the development of student programming to celebrate U.S. Constitution Day on September 17th of each year. Poster contest this year.

 A&E Television Networks History.com site has multimedia and content-rich resources on the Constitution and related history.

On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created. The National Archives and Records Administration celebrates this important day in our nation's history by presenting the following activities, lesson plans, and information. Encourages teachers and students at all levels to learn more about our Constitution and government.
 

  • ImageUS Constitution Day Federal Mandate   http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html

  • The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement announces that, pursuant to legislation passed by Congress, educational institutions receiving Federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year. This notice implements this provision as it applies to educational institutions receiving Federal funding from the Department.

In celebration of Constitution Day, the Library of Congress has compiled a variety of materials from across its collections. Explore these rich resources and features to learn more about one of America’s most important documents.

Annenberg Classroom has created classroom-ready digital resources to help schools celebrate Constitution Day.