Teaching the Constitution: on September 17, everybody is teaching it. Here are some activities to get you started.Most days, the lesson plans of a first-grade reading specialist, a seventh-grade social studies teacher, and a university professor don't have much in common. But this fall, all three will have lessons on the Constitution penciled into their planning books. That's because a new law requires that all schools that receive federal funding teach the Constitution on September 17, the anniversary of the day the founding document was signed back in 1787. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new law has received mixed reviews. Some feel the federal government shouldn't tell schools when they have to teach a certain subject. Others agree with Robert C. Byrd, the West Virginia West Virginia, E central state of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland (N), Virginia (E and S), and Kentucky and, across the Ohio R., Ohio (W). Facts and Figures Area, 24,181 sq mi (62,629 sq km). Pop. Senator who wrote the law. He said he's concerned about surveys that show students know much more about "American Idol American Idol is an annual American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the British reality program Pop Idol. " than the Constitution. Despite the controversy, school districts are making plans to comply with the legislation and organizations such as the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia have offered a hand. (See "Take a Trip to the Constitution Center" on page 65 for more resources.) We've rounded up some favorite ideas for teaching the Consitution to kids of all ages, including a Reproducible puzzle on page 67 that decodes some of those 200-year-old vocabulary words. Great Idea: Paper Chain Flag [BEST FOR GRADES K-2] Create a meaningful display with your class to celebrate Constitution Day. First, read the preamble A clause at the beginning of a constitution or statute explaining the reasons for its enactment and the objectives it seeks to attain. Generally a preamble is a declaration by the legislature of the reasons for the passage of the statute, and it aids in the interpretation of to the Constitution to your students and discuss its meaning in terms they can understand. You might say that we are each an important part of this country, and even though we are individuals, united we also create something beautiful. Your paper-chain flag project will symbolize this idea. Precut pre·cut adj. Cut into size or shape before being marketed, assembled, or used: precut fillet of fish; precut construction materials. tr.v. 18" by 12" sheets of red, white, and blue construction paper into strips that measure 3" by 12". (Each sheet will produce 6 strips.) You'll need 120 white strips, 135 red strips, and 70 blue strips. Give each child one white strip. Have students write their name on the strip and show them how to tape it into a circle. Next, model how to make a paper chain by attaching a red strip to a white strip with your name on it. Then help students create a total of 25 paper chains: 15 should alternate red and white strips with a total of thirteen links, and 10 chains should contain seven blue links followed by six alternating red and white strips. Hang the ten strips with the blue links on the upper left of the display, followed by the fifteen red-and-white strips, to create a paper-chain flag, of which each of your students is an important link. Great Idea: Preamble Puzzle [BEST FOR GRADES 3-8] To teach the Constitution to students, you have to clear the hurdle of some long and unfamiliar vocabulary words, including posterity POSTERITY, descents. All the descendants of a person in a direct line. , tranquility, and ordain--and that's in the preamble alone! Get started by having kids solve our Reproducible "Preamble Puzzle" on page 67. The puzzle provides the definitions of several keywords from the preamble. It's up to your students to identify the words and figure out where the Consitution was signed. (Hint: It's at the bottom!) Great Idea: Classroom Constitution [BEST FOR GRADES 3-5] Just as we are citizens of our country, you and your students are citizens of your classroom. Help children to understand that all groups are made up of individuals, each responsible for being a contributing member of the community. In the center of a large, pre-drawn grid, write the words "We the People." As the leader of the classroom community, add your name to the grid, interlocking interlocking /in·ter·lock·ing/ (-lok´ing) closely joined, as by hooks or dovetails; locking into one another. interlocking Obstetrics A rare complication of vaginal delivery of twins; the 1st the letters crossword style. Randomly select student citizens to approach the grid and add their names to it. When all the students have added their names, work with them to rewrite re·write v. re·wrote , re·writ·ten , re·writ·ing, re·writes v.tr. 1. To write again, especially in a different or improved form; revise. 2. the preamble of the Constitution to reflect the goals and needs of the classroom community: We the students of ______'s class, in order to form a more perfect ______, establish ______, insure ______, provide ______, promote ______, and secure ______, do ordain ORDAIN. To ordain is to make an ordinance, to enact a law. 2. In the constitution of the United States, the preamble. declares that the people "do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America. and establish this constitution for the ______. After rewriting re·write v. re·wrote , re·writ·ten , re·writ·ing, re·writes v.tr. 1. To write again, especially in a different or improved form; revise. 2. the preamble, ask the students to draft a bill of rights that reflects their expectations as citizens of the classroom. For example, they have the right to not be bullied bul·ly 1 n. pl. bul·lies 1. A person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people. 2. A hired ruffian; a thug. 3. A pimp. 4. , to share their ideas without interruption INTERRUPTION. The effect of some act or circumstance which stops the course of a prescription or act of limitation's. 2. Interruption of the use of a thing is natural or civil. or ridicule, and to not have their belongings belongings Noun, pl the things that a person owns or has with him or her Noun 1. belongings - something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone; "that hat is my property"; "he is a man of stolen. Great Idea: Radio Broadcasts [BEST FOR GRADES 6-8] Get middle schoolers excited about the Constitution by asking them to imagine what it might have been like to be at the signing. Then have them create a radio broadcast straight from Philadelphia. Begin by playing excerpts from old radio shows, which you can find at www.otr.com. Have students close their eyes and listen to the way the background noises and sound effects sound effects Noun, pl sounds artificially produced to make a play, esp. a radio play, more realistic sound effects npl → efectos mpl sonoros help convey mood, location, and events. Divide the class into groups and ask each group to create a radio script of a real or imagined event from the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Remind students to think about what questions a news reporter might ask the delegates about the event, and to include this information in the broadcast. Broadcasts tell stories through words and sounds, so ask the students to use as much dialogue as possible and to consider the types of sounds that might be heard in the background. (Provide a variety of musical instruments, wood blocks, or boxes of pebbles for sound effects.) Groups should record their radio shows and have the class listen to them. Encourage students to draw a picture of the main event from each story after listening to the recordings. Great Idea: Include the Excluded [BEST FOR GRADES 6-8] At the time America's founding fathers declared that all men are created equal The quotation "All men are created equal" is arguably the best-known phrase in any of America's political documents, as the idea it expresses is generally considered the foundation of American democracy. , 25 of the 55 delegates owned slaves, women did not have the right to vote, and Native Americans were being forced from their land. Challenge students to explore the true meaning of equality by having them stand in the shoes of people who were not fully included by the 18th-century concepts of freedom. Then ask the students to work in groups to write short plays that examine these issues. After learning the background of the Constitutional Convention, give small groups a list of the men who were at the convention (which you can find at www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/roc2/Sla2roc (RAID On a Chip) Refers to RAID circuits built on the motherboard rather than a plug-in host adapter. ROMB saves a PCI slot and improves speed because it is not using a shared bus. See ROMB and RAID. roc white bird of enormous size. [Arab. Lit. 2.shtml). This list describes the position each man held in society at the time, including the number of slaves he owned. Invite each group to choose 4 or 5 of the delegates and write a short debate against slavery slavery, institution based on a relationship of dominance and submission, whereby one person owns another and can exact from that person labor or other services. . Explain that these kinds of arguments eventually led to the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude Slavery; the condition of an individual who works for another individual against his or her will as a result of force, coercion, or imprisonment, regardless of whether the individual is paid for the labor. . Alternatively, invite students to write a scene between members of a crowd of women protesting their lack of rights as citizens, or to imagine a meeting on a Native American reservation between delegates from the Constitutional Conventions and tribal leaders. This activity will help students understand the struggle to create a document that addressed the needs of an entire nation. More important, students will see that the Constitution is a living document, which continues to adapt today. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION DAY? HAVE A GREAT CONSTITUTION ACTIVITY THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE? WRITE TO US AT INSTRUCTOR@SCHOLASTIC.COM. RELATED ARTICLE: This month on ... teacher.scholastic.com There are tons of terrific back-to-school materials on Scholastic's Web site just for teachers. Click on "Tools" to access the helpful resources below. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Class Set-Up Tool Channel your inner Martha by playing interior designer. Use this handy blueprint blueprint, white-on-blue photographic print, commonly of a working drawing used during building or manufacturing. The plan is first drawn to scale on a special paper or tracing cloth through which light can penetrate. format to find the best spots for a reading nook, classroom centers, and workstations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Flash Card Factory Customize these interactive flash cards with your weekly spelling words or current math facts. Kids will love going online to show off their budding budding, type of grafting in which a plant bud is inserted under the bark of the stock (usually not more than a year old). It is best done when the bark will peel easily and the buds are mature, as in spring, late summer, or early autumn. knowledge. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rubric RUBRIC, civil law. The title or inscription of any law or statute, because the copyists formerly drew and painted the title of laws and statutes rubro colore, in red letters. Ayl. Pand. B. 1, t. 8; Diet. do Juris. h.t. Maker Demystify de·mys·ti·fy tr.v. de·mys·ti·fied, de·mys·ti·fy·ing, de·mys·ti·fies To make less mysterious; clarify: an autobiography that demystified the career of an eminent physician. your grading process with this useful tool, which lets you spell out what's essential for each particular project. Calculate each student's score and print for an instant report. RELATED ARTICLE: Take a trip to the Constitution Center Go to www.constitutioncenter.org to check out the resources below. * HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES: Bring the Philadelphia museum's popular "I Signed the Constitution" and "America Reads the Constitution" programs to your school. * REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS: The Constitution will come to life with the Center's lessons tied to current events. * CONSTITUTION EN ESPANOL: You can download a free copy of the Consitution in Spanish or 10 other foreign languages. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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