Why is Constitution Day important to teach? Constitution Day, September 17, 2023, is an opportunity to engage students in the U.S. Constitution’s continued relevance. Use this day and the weeks leading up to teach students about the Constitution’s history, the rights students have, how those rights are protected, and how understanding their rights can help them make their voices heard.
Watch the recording of our virtual Constitution Day program with award-winning Constitutional scholar Linda Monk in conversation with George Washington and James Madison. They discussed the origins of the Constitution and the compromises made during the Constitutional Convention.
PLAY a Constitution-themed game
Race to Ratify
Take students back to 1787 with this immersive game. The debate over the Constitution comes to life as students have their say over whether it gets ratified.
Do I Have a Right?
Test students’ knowledge of constitutional rights with one of our most popular games. Students will run their own firm specializing in constitutional law.
WATCH our Constitution EXPLAINED video series
Teach students about the text, history, and relevance of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and additional amendments with our new video series, The Constitution EXPLAINED. These 35 short-form videos are assignable, and each ends with call-to-action questions to prompt further exploration of the topics covered in the video.
Autoplay each category’s videos using our YouTube playlists and download transcripts for the videos to make them more accessible.
Developed in partnership with the Center for Civic Education, and with the invaluable contributions of constitutional scholar Linda R. Monk, JD. This video series was made possible by Kenneth C. Griffin.
USE our Constitution Day lesson plan
Don’t have much time to plan? This interactive lesson plan gives students a quick snapshot of the Constitution, including the purpose of each article, the powers of the three branches, how a bill becomes a law, and the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances.
See samples of what is included in the Teacher’s Guide and Student Documents below. Click “Use the Lesson” to get access to the complete lesson plan.
Step-By-Step Teacher’s Guide
Ready-To-Use Student Documents
Other Popular Constitution Day Activities
These Constitution Day resources will help you highlight the ways in which the Constitution still guides our government institutions and processes today, including the roles and responsibilities of citizens.
Lesson: Anatomy of the Constitution
Help students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process, and the role of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
DBQuest: America’s Founding Preambles
Task students with digging into the preambles and introductory text of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution.
WebQuest: Constitutional Influencers
Magna Carta, Montesquieu, the Mayflower, and more! This WebQuest takes students through history to the events, people, and documents that inspired the writers of the Constitution.
Find more resources in these Curriculum units
Read reviews of our game, Race to Ratify
Race to Ratify was recognized with an official seal for quality and impact by Common Sense Education 2020 Selections for Learning. Reviewers noted:
“Immersing students in the human side of history — allowing them to see what it was like to live during this time and why people formed the opinions and stances they did — brings history to life and helps students realize that these people weren’t all that different from people today. Their debates may have been on different topics and their methods of communication were different, but they still fought for many of the same issues relevant today…”