General Colin Powell will lead the nationwide annual traditional recitation of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution on Monday, September 18, 2006 (11am PST / 2pm EST). Visit Constitution Day, Inc. to download the video.

Students        Teachers

Students

Copley First Amendment Center
This site includes a history of the First Amendment and information on each of the five freedoms.

Grolier Encyclopedia: Bill of Rights
Read an encyclopedia entry about the development of the Bill of Rights.

Liberty! The American Revolution
This PBS companion Web site to a television series contains useful background information on the war that set the stage for the drafting of the Constitution.

The National Archives Experience: The Charters of Freedom
The National Archives presents a media-rich exploration of the documents that forged the national identity of the new United States: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

National Constitution Center
Read about the Constitution and find out about the Philadelphia landmark where it was written. Be sure to check out the Interactive Constitution, which will give you a clause-by-clause explanation of the text.

To Form a More Perfect Union: The Work of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention
Find out about the challenges that faced the Continental Congress when the colonies were at war and controversies raged about what form the new government should take.

Teachers

Before and Beyond the Constitution: What Should a President Do?
This curriculum unit examines the role of the U.S. President as defined by the Constitution. It also looks at some of the precedent-setting actions of George Washington in his role as first President of the country. (Grades 6-8)

A Case for Reading: Examining Banned Books
Use this position paper by the International Reading Association to help students understand how challenges to books occur. (All grades)

The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation?
From the Library of Congress comes this lesson plan devoted to exploring what type of government would best represent the ideals of the American Revolution. (Grades 5-12)

Constitution Primary Source Set
Classroom resources for "primary sources" and the Constitution, including teachers guides. (Grades 6-12)

Drafting the Constitution
This lesson plan explores the debates and compromises in the Constitutional Convention that led to the drafting of the Constitution. (Grades 9-12)

Exploring Constitutional Law
Take a look at some of the controversies that have arisen around Constitutional meaning and rights over the past 200 years. The site, published by a faculty member of the University of Missouri-Kansas City law school, is organized by issue and supporting cases. (Grades 9-12)

First Amendment Schools
This site is a collaboration between the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the First Amendment Center. It's part of a national initiative designed to transform how schools teach and practice the rights and responsibilities of citizenship that frame civic life in our democracy. Find resources, quizzes, and a comprehensive discussion of the five rights outlined in the First Amendment. (All grades)

The First (and Last) Word: Applying the First Amendment to Internet Issues
Students discuss Internet content control and how it relates to child safety, privacy issues, spam, and filtering in the context of First Amendment rights. (Grades 6-12)

Future of the First Amendment
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation funded a research project to examine the knowledge and attitudes of high school students, teachers, and administrators about First Amendment issues. The result is this Web site which discusses the study's findings. Read about the key points, watch videos of students and teachers discussing the issues, and find many resources. (Grades 9-12)

HighSchoolJournalism.org: Introduction to First Amendment
Use this detailed lesson plan for high school journalism and civics classes for a thorough grounding in First Amendment rights. (Grades 9-12)

How Do You Make a More Perfect Union?
Focus on the Preamble to the Constitution as this lesson plan guides students' attention to the framers' understanding of history and their goals for the future. (Grades 3-5)

THOMAS Constitution Day Resources
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. (All grades; lesson plans for 6-12)

U.S. Constitution: Background and Preamble
Use this lesson plan to help your students understand the development of the Constitution. (Grades 5-12)

Writing a Classroom Constitution
Let your students become framers in their own classroom. Write a Constitution to govern classroom goals and behaviors. (Grades 3-5)

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