September 17 is National Constitution Day

Did you know that September 17 is National Constitution Day and Citizenship Day? Its is the one day a year that the Federal government requires educational institutions who receive Federal funds to teach children about the U.S. Constitution.

The U. S. Department of Education maintains a Web site for finding teaching resources across the Federal government. It is called FREE and can be found at:http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=19

Constitution Resources
Meet the delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. Learn what issues they faced. Discover the sources that inspired them. Read the essays printed in New York City papers urging ratification of the delegates' proposal. Explore a 200-year timeline showing the impact of the Constitution on our history. Search the Constitution, and see explanations of 300 topics.

Teachers looking for additional resources can also visit The National History Education Clearinghouse (NHEC) Web site at www.teachinghistory.org. The NHEC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The NHEC homepage features special, highlighted information on teaching resources for Constitution Day.

In addition, teachers can go to the National Archives and Records Administration's Web site, www.archives.gov.

Celebrate Constitution Day
Read the Constitution in its original form and in a transcript. View Webcasts of Senator Byrd's remarks and discussions on federalism and checks and balances.

The Constitution of the United States
View high resolution scans of the original, signed Constitution. Obtain a transcript. Read an essay about the Constitutional Convention. Learn dozens of fascinating facts about the Constitution. Learn about each of the signers of the Constitution.

Observing Constitution Day: The Signers of the Constitution
Find out about the delegates who signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Observing Constitution Day: The Constitution Game
Explore, in this simulation, how the members of the Constitutional Convention might have felt as they gathered in Philadelphia's Independence Hall and began the task of writing the Constitution.

Teaching With Documents: The Ratification of the Constitution
Uncover the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution and the new government it established.