What Is Constitution Day?
September 17 is recognized in the United States as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. On this day, we commemorate the creation and signing of the supreme law of the land and celebrate the privileges and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship, be it for native-born or naturalized citizens.
Federal law requires that all schools receiving federal funds hold an educational program for their students on September 17 of each year.
What is the Constitution EXPLAINED?
Learn about key aspects of the U.S. Constitution in everyday language. This series of 35 videos was created by the Center for Civic Education in partnership with iCivics and constitutional scholar Linda R. Monk, JD, to make our nation's founding document accessible to everyone.
The Constitution EXPLAINED was made possible by the generous support of Kenneth C. Griffin.
The Framers of the Constitution
Fifty-five delegates were present at the Constitutional Convention, which was held in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. Most students can identify George Washington, James Madison, and maybe even Alexander Hamilton. But what about the other fifty-two?
- Abraham Baldwin
- Richard Bassett
- Gunning Bedford, Jr.
- John Blair
- William Blount
- David Brearly
- Jacob Broom
- Pierce Butler
- Daniel Carroll
- George Clymer
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
- William R. Davie
- Jonathan Dayton
- John Dickinson
- Richard Dobbs Spaight
- Oliver Ellsworth
- William Few
- Thomas Fitzsimons
- John Francis Mercer
- Benjamin Franklin
- Elbridge Gerry
- Nicholas Gilman
- Nathaniel Gorham
- Alexander Hamilton
- William C. Houston
- William Houston
- Jared Ingersoll
- Daniel of St. Tho. Jenifer
- Rufus King
- John Langdon
- John Lansing
- William Livingston
- James Madison, Jr.
- Luther Martin
- Alexander Martin
- George Mason
- James McClurg
- James McHenry
- Thomas Mifflin
- Robert Morris
- Gouverneur Morris
- William Paterson
- William Pierce
- Charles Pinckney
- Edmund Randolph
- George Read
- John Rutledge
- William Samuel Johnson
- Roger Sherman
- Caleb Strong
- George Washington
- George Whythe
- Hugh Williamson
- James Wilson
- Robert Yates
Lesson Plans by Grade Level
From kindergarten to 12th grade, we have lesson plans on topics appropriate for Constitution Day. Younger students learn about the country's rules and what authority is, while older students dive deep into federalism, the amendments, and more.
Kindergarten
1st Grade
1st–2nd Grade
- Constitution Day Rap (PDF)
- What Is Authority? (PDF)
3rd–4th Grade
3rd–5th Grade
- What Is Democracy? (PDF)
4th–5th Grade
7th–8th Grade
9th–12th Grade
Primary Documents
There's no substitute for the original. When exploring the Constitution and the themes of citizenship and democracy, encourage students to dive into the primary documents from the Constitution to the writings of the Federalist to the many amendments.
The Constitution of the United States
The Bill of Rights
All Amendments to the Constitution
The Articles of Confederation
Federalist 10
Federalist 51
The Constitution Over Time
From its drafting through ratification to its various amendments, the U.S. Constitution has changed along with our understanding of it. Below are a few of the key milestones in that history.
