CQ Press In Context : Constitution Day

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Posted on August 4, 2006

The Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States , painted by Howard Chandler Christy in 1940. It depicts the signing of the U.S. Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On September 17, 1787, the United States Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Delegates from 12 states had gathered at the Convention with the purpose or revising the nation's first written charter, the Articles of Confederation. Instead, they discarded the nation's first system of government and created a new one they believed would provide the United States with a strong national government to deal with the many challenges of the Confederation. The Constitution was subsequently ratified by each of the original 13 states.

In 2004 Congress designated September 17 as a day to memorialize the Constitution. This September will be the second time America sees a nation-wide effort to observe and remember its founding with the designation of Constitution Day. Commemoration will take place on Monday, September 18 so students and teachers can participate in activities and lesson plans related to America's Founders and the Constitution.

This Web site provides a lesson plan and material from a variety of electronic CQ Press sources to help instructors and students observe Constitution Day. CQ Press resources include primary sources, pro/con debates on important constitutional issues, encyclopedia articles on the Constitution, expert commentary and analysis by CQ writers, and more. In addition, this site provides links to additional free sources available on the Web and links to CQ Press books and online collections related to the Constitution.

Below you will find a Constitution Day lesson plan designed by a CQ Press author. This lesson plan is intended for high school students, but can be modified for any grade level. In this document you will find an outline for learning the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District decision, the key Supreme Court case establishing that students and teachers have First Amendment rights in schools. In addition to this lesson plan, this site features excerpts and discussion questions on school searches from Youth Justice In America (CQ PRESS 2005).

For anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the nature of constitutions in general and background information on the U.S. Constitution, we highly recommend The Evolving Constitution essay listed in CQ Press Full-Text Documents section below. This essay provides insightful information on the theory behind written constitutions and illuminates the historical significance of the U.S. Constitution and the events leading up to the American Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution.

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Lesson Plans

Background on the Constitution

The Evolving Constitution (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
An Introduction to the U.S. Constitution (CQ Supreme Court Collection)
The Constitution of the United States (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Constitutional Law (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Constitutional Amendments (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Historic Milestones in Congress (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Bicentennial Observance of the U.S. Constitution (CQ Historic Document Series Online Edition, 1987)
Background on the Federalist Papers (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
A Glossary of Terms in the Constitution of the United States (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Index to the Constitution of the United States (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Organization of the Constitution of the United States (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Notes to the U.S. Constitution (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
The Struggle for Ratification of the Constitution (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)

Pro/Con Debates on Constitutional Issues from The CQ Researcher

Is the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act constitutional? (2002, 1st Amendment/Freedom of Speech)
Is the government misusing the USA Patriot Act? (2003, 4th Amendment/Search and Seizure)
Should there be a national moratorium on executions? <(2001, 8th Amendment/Cruel and Unusual Punishment)
Should Congress ban so-called partial-birth abortions? (2003, 14th and 9th Amendments)
Should public libraries use filters to block obscenity and pronography on the Internet? (2001, 1st Amendment/Freedom of Speech)
Should the federal government fund faith-based groups as proposed by President Bush? (2001, 1st Amendment/Religion: Establishment Clause)
Should colleges be allowed to use race as a factor in admissions? (2003, 14th Amendment)
Should gay marriage by legally recognized? (2003, Article IV/Privileges and Immunities Clause)
Did the president act responsibly in seeking authority to pre-emptively strike Iraq? (2002, Article I/War Power)

Government Powers

Judicial Review and Legislative Power: Marbury v. Madison (CQ Supreme Court Collection)
Amending Process (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Constitutional Powers of the President (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Structure and Powers of Congress (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Courts, Power of (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Supreme Court of States Rights (CQ Historic Document Series Online Edition, 1999)
States and Congress (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)

Constitutional Factoids

Legislation Declared Unconstitutional (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)
Unconstitutional Statutes (CQ Encyclopedia of American Government)

Free Web Sites

The National Archives

Library of Congress

Justice Learning Center

FindLaw for Legal Professionals

Supreme Court Cases in Constitutional Context

GPO Access (Government Printing Office)

Analysis and Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution

The Avalon Project at Yale Law School

National Constitution Center

Museum in Philadelphia and Online Resources

CQ Press Web Sites

CQ Press Books

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