We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
-Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
Writing Prompts for Constitution Day
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- Copy the preamble to the Constitution using a quill and ink. (K-2)
- The Constitution established basic rules for American government. As a class, discuss and write basic rules for your class.
(K-2)
- Discuss what constitutes a right. Make a list of five rights and five things that are not rights. (Grades 2 and up)
- Make a timeline, charting events leading up to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. (Grades 3 and up)
- Create of "Wall of Rights." Divide class into ten groups, and assign each group one right from the Bill of Rights. Have each group of students create a poster that explains what that right means and why that right is important. Encourage them to include examples of situations in which that right would apply. (Grades 3 and up)
- Write a character sketch about one of the signers of the Constitution. You may wish to use this guide from the National Archives as a starting point for your research. (Grades 3 and up)
- Re-write the Bill of Rights in your own words. (Grades 3 and up)
- Brainstorm a list of ways the Bill of Rights protects American citizens. (Grades 3 and up)
- Pretend that just one right outlined in the Bill of Rights was suddenly taken away from you. How would your life change? Write a story about your life without this right. (Teachers, consider having students randomly draw a right to lose for this exercise.) (Grades 4 and up)
- As a class, write a book to help younger children understand the Bill of Rights. (You may wish to divide into groups, with each group tackling one or two rights.) Read your finished book to a kindergarten or first grade class. (Grades 5 and up)
- Work in groups to draft your own "Bill of Rights." How does your list compare to the actual Bill of Rights? (Grades 5 and up)
- Pretend to be an 18th century reporter. Write a news article about the ratification of the Constitution. (Grades 6 and up)
- Make a chart showing the three types of government. Explain the purpose of each. (Grades 6 and up)
- Create a flow-chart showing how the Constitutional system of checks and balances works. (Grades 6 and up)
- Divide into teams. As a team, study one section of the Constitution and write 30 questions about it. Arrange questions in order of difficulty, from easiest to hardest. Quiz your classmates (or students in an upper grade) to test their knowledge of the Constitution. (Grades 7 and up)
- Write an argumentative essay that tells whether you believe the Constitution is still relevant today. (Grades 8 and up)
- Write an extended definition of liberty. (Grades 8 and up)
- Work in groups to brainstorm a list of different types of government. Create a chart showing the strengths and weaknesses of each. (Grades 8 and up)
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