Top of page

Printed copy of the top of the Constitution
Constitution, Printed, with Marginal Notes by George Washington, September 12, 1787

Skim-Swim-Dive: Constitution Day Resources from the Library of Congress

Share this post:

This post is by Colleen Smith, the newest member of the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog team.

As Constitution Day approaches, here is a collection of resources organized according to how deeply you want to immerse your students in a study of the Constitution: skim, swim, or dive.

Skim

Limited on time and looking for quick tips on teaching about the Constitution? Dip your toe into these blog posts from Teaching with the Library.

  • Origin and Evolution of the Bill of Rights Explore how the Bill of Rights came to be and the compromises that were made. In addition to the suggested teaching ideas, share this with students to spark a greater discussion about the role of compromise in a representative democracy.
  • Celebrating Constitution Day Teachers and their students are invited to think about how Americans celebrated Constitution Day. Depending on time constraints, search Chronicling America to find articles, perhaps at other milestone anniversaries, and see how celebrations of and discourse about the Constitution have changed over time.
  • Constitution and Citizenship Day This blog offers some background on Citizenship Day and how it became a day of honoring new citizens and the Constitution.
  • Preamble to the Constitution Practice critical thinking skills such as inference-building with two classroom-ready activities using different drafts of the preamble to the Constitution.
  • Father of the Constitution Learn about the contributions of James Madison, known to many as the “Father of the Constitution.”

Swim

Want to go deeper? Jump into the Constitution Primary Source Set. Included in the set are eighteen primary sources and a teacher’s guide with background information and teaching ideas. A thread that connects the teaching ideas is that the adoption of the Constitution was not a foregone conclusion. This source set also allows students a glimpse into ideas as they were understood at the time and the uncertainty that permeated debates about the Constitution. You might use this set and the resources included to help students recognize the value and necessity of civic engagement in a representative democracy.

Dive

For those looking for extensive resources for teaching and learning about the Constitution, explore these robust guides and essays. You’ll find scholarly analysis and opportunities for a deep dive into the Constitution, its precursors, and related primary documents.

How will you use these and other resources to help students learn about the Constitution? Let us know in the comments.

Do you enjoy these posts? Subscribe! You’ll receive free teaching ideas and primary sources from the Library of Congress.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *