Constitution Day

K-Gr 4—Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are celebrated jointly on September 17th, commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Since the Articles of Confederation did not provide for a strong central government, representatives met in Philadelphia in 1787 and agreed upon a four-page document defining the structure of government and providing ways to amend it as the country developed. This overview offers important information about the Constitution, the Preamble, the Bill of Rights, and citizenship for those not born in this country. A "Preamble Scramble" clarifies the language for three children at a community center, and a class field trip to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia shows life-sized statues of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The rights and responsibilities of citizenship are discussed, and the process of becoming a naturalized citizen is covered. Important terms are defined, study questions are provided, and patriotic music is played in the background of the live-action segments and the pictorial representations. Narration is available in English and in Spanish. Whether used to introduce the Constitution or to begin a discussion about the rights and privileges of citizenship, this brief presentation is right on the mark.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN