Constitution Patch
Honoring the Constitution’s 225 Anniversary
September 17, 2012
K-5th Grade – United States Constitution – The Basics
1. Learn more about the Constitution
™ What is the Constitution?
™ What is the Preamble?
™ What are the three branches of Government?
2. Investigate the Constitution
™ Where was the Constitutional Convention?
™ Who attended the Convention?
™ Name the individuals who represent the three branches of government?
3. Celebrate the Constitution
™ Write a Poem about “Why the United States Constitution is Important to
Me.”
™ Do a Storyboard describing the three branches of government.
™ Make a Greeting Card relevant to the United States Constitution and its
importance to the student with a drawing (no text).
™ Memorize a small section of the Constitution such as Article I, Section I; the
First Amendment, or another part that interests you. Explain why you chose
it.
**Interested in entering your Poem or Greeting Card in the Constituting America contest? Win
a trip to Philadelphia over Constitution Day Weekend, a $100 gift card and national exposure!
Click here for guidelines and rules for submitting your entry! Entries due July 4th
4. Share the Constitution
™ Perform a skit – options include separate groups acting out the different
branches of the government, or acting out the Constitutional Convention
with different individuals who attended the Convention represented.
™ Have a Constitution Day Party, playing such games as Constitution Bingo
(troop & troop leaders create the game by creating questions & answers
and designing game boards).
™ Share the Poems and Storyboards at a Nursing Home.
6th-8th Grade – United States Constitution – Focus on The Amendments
1. Learn more about the Constitution
™ How do the three branches of government, and their separation of powers,
work to protect the rights embodied in the First Ten Amendments?
™ What happens if one branch of the government oversteps its Constitutional
bounds?
™ Why are the First Ten Amendments important and what are they called?
™ List all the things the Bill of Rights says the government may not do –
Leaders, see this resource for a list.
™ When was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
2. Investigate the Constitution
™ What do you believe is the most important amendment listed in the Bill of
Rights and why?
™ What is a current event in the news that involves the U.S. Constitution?
*Voice your opinion and the above subjects and compare the thoughts of
others about this topic.
*Leaders are encouraged to initiate a healthy debate. Some resources to
set up a productive conversation for your group:
ƒ Tennis Debate Game
http://teachingdebate.typepad.com/teaching_debate/debate_gam
es/
ƒ Four Corners Game http://www.ehow.com/list_6327442_funclassroom-debate-games.html
™ What is an example in history in the past 20 years where the Bill of Rights
was utilized?
™ Describe a situation at school or home where you can apply a situation
addressed in the Bill of Rights.
™ What do you believe is the most important amendment out of Amendments
11-27 and why?
3. Celebrate the Constitution – Choose at least 2 of the 3 Activities Below
™ Write a Song about “Why the United States Constitution is Important to Me.”
™ Write a 750-850 word Essay with the topic “Why the United States
Constitution is Relevant Today.”
™ Post an essay on a blog (http://www.constitutingamerica.org/juliette/) on
what Amendment affects your life the most.
**Interested in entering your Song or Essay in the Constituting America contest? Win a trip to
Philadelphia over Constitution Day Weekend, a $200 gift card and national exposure!
Click here for guidelines and rules for submitting your entry! Entries due July 4th
4. Share the Constitution
™ Create a quiz about the Bill of Rights, and the specific items the the Bill of
Rights prohibits the government from doing. Have a history class take the
quiz. Then have a group of 10 adults also take the quiz. Compare the quiz
grades and analyze who scored better.
™ If you chose to write a song as part of the “Celebrate the Constitution”
badge requirements, perform the song you wrote (as an individual or a
group) for a Community Group.
™ Take a field trip to a Community group (Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, etc…) and
give a short presentation on the Constitution, explaining what each branch
of the government does, and how the separation of powers of the
government, support the rights embodied in the Amendments. Video the
presentation and share with others.
™ Utilizing social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, post or tweet a
link to the essay you posted on the blog, and encourage your friends to join
you in commenting on it, and discuss each of your opinions.
(http://www.constitutingamerica.org/juliette/)
9th – 12th Grade – United States Constitution – Applying the Constitution Today
1. Learn more about How the Constitution Applies To your Life
™ How do the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court each use the
Constitution in their roles of Government?
™ Which Articles in the Constitution apply to which branches of government,
and is each branch’s role limited?
™ How does the separation of powers in the Constitution protect our
freedom?
2. Investigate the Constitution
*Leaders are encouraged to initiate a healthy debate. Some resources to
set up a productive conversation for your group:
ƒ Tennis Debate Game
http://teachingdebate.typepad.com/teaching_debate/debate_gam
es/
ƒ Four Corners Game http://www.ehow.com/list_6327442_funclassroom-debate-games.html
™ Choose a current law covered in the news and debate whether it is constitutional.
™ Describe a situation at school where you believe the Constitution is being applied
or not applied.
™ Who are your Congressmen and Senators?
™ Make a list of elected officials for your county.
™ Why is it important that you reach out to your elected officials and express your
opinion?
™ Celebrate the Constitution – Choose 2 of the 4 Activities Below:
™ Write an original Song about “What the United States Constitution Means to
Me.”
™ Write a 750-850 word essay with the topic “Why the United States
Constitution is Relevant Today.”
™ Make a short film written, no shorter than 5 minutes and no longer than 15
minutes, with the subject “Why the United States Constitution is Relevant
Today?” You may partner with one other friend on this project, if you wish.
*Don’t have the equipment to complete this task on your own? Contact the
EDGE for equipment, workshops and individual project help at
[email protected].
™ Write, direct and film a 60 second Public Service Announcement with the
subject “Why Citizens Should Know Their United States Constitution.”
*Want to learn more about PSAs and media? Contact the EDGE for more
information on the Media Team, workshops and individual project help at
[email protected].
**Interested in entering your Song, Essay, Short Film, or Public Service Announcement in
the Constituting America contest? Win a trip to Philadelphia over Constitution Day Weekend,
a $1000 Scholarship Prize, and national exposure!
Click here for guidelines and rules for submitting your entry! Entries due July 4th
3. Share the Constitution
™ Perform your song for a Community Group, put it on YouTube or Vimeo.
™ Create a book club or interest group that meets several times during the
year, and discuss a recent book about an American Patriot during the time
that the Constitution was written.
™ Start a Patriot Club and spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or
other social media, encouraging others to learn about why we must become
involved today to preserve the rights set forth in the Bill of Rights (Optional).
™ Want exposure for your Patriot Club meeting? Film portions of your meeting
and email to Constituting America for placement on their website, at
[email protected] (Optional).
™ Write a letter to your Senator or Congressman discussing an issue whose
constitutionality has been debated in the news, discuss whether you
believe it is constitutional or not, and discuss what you believe Congress can
do in an effort to address the issue.
*Check out what other Girl Scouts are advocating for here
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/advocacy/advocacy_news/