Celebrate the Constitution

September 17 is designated by Congress as the annual day for all public schools to create activities that helps students understand and appreciate our Constitution. On September 17, 1787, after months of work at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, a majority of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention finally approved the new Constitution. The original mandate of Congress was for the delegates to update the Articles of Confederation. What emerged was a unique document that became the foundation of our current Constitution.

Before the Constitution could become official, it would have to be accepted by Congress and then be ratified by the states. Congress was quick to debate whether the delegates had exceeded their authority in crafting this unique document. But on September 28th they decided to drop the matter, and instead directed the state legislatures to call ratification conventions in each state.

It took 10 months for the first nine of thirteen states to approve the Constitution. This period was used for speeches and newspaper articles that debated the merits of the new Constitution. The Federalists argued for ratification and the Anti-federalists against it and for a weaker central government. The first state to ratify was Delaware, on December 7, 1787, by a unanimous vote, 30 - 0. The first real test for ratification occurred in Massachusetts, where a recommendation for adding a Bill of Rights to ensure specific personal freedoms proved to be the difference maker. The new Bill of Rights would also prove to be a deciding factor for ratification with the remaining states.

eLibrary Elementary BookCarts are flexible lesson plans for inquiry-based learning activities. Instead of sending students out to search eLibrary, and often waste time, send them to the BookCart lesson plan for the topic/issue. BookCarts can include all the information and resources that students need to complete the learning activity:

• Essential Questions for Critical Thinking that guide and motivate students
• Student Directions that list what students are expected to do with the resources
• Correlated Print Resources that provide call numbers for students to include in their research
• Quizzes when appropriate to assess student knowledge of content

ProQuest has created a BookCart learning activity for your students to use: "The Constitution-- History and Importance." The BookCart includes a 10-question multiple choice QuizCart on the Constitution. It also includes five models of essential questions for critical thinking that you can assign to your students. You can even create more or substitute others if you wish.

• Logon to the eLibrary Elementary Teacher Edition to access BookCart Editor.
• Click the BookCart Admin link at the top right of the Teacher Edition.
• Click the ProQuest Carts tab.
• Review the list of Folders and click Elementary BookCarts.
• Scroll down and click page 3.
• Click the Copy icon in the Actions column for "The Constitution--History and Importance."
• Return to My Local Carts.

This BookCart can easily be edited for most effective use:

• Click the new BookCart Title with the prefix "Copy of".
• Delete "Copy of" and then type your first and last name in the Author boxes.
• Type your email address in the box next to Author
• Type any brief and specific STUDENT DIRECTIONS in the Description box.
• Scroll down and click Save.
• Click My Local Carts tab to see your newly edited and ready to use activity.

Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.

Assign students to write a report of about 100 words that cites at least two eLibrary articles/websites and one print resource and that addresses at least three of the following examples of essential questions for critical thinking (you can create others):

1. Who were the most important founders of the Constitution and why?
2. Why is the Constitution so different than other forms of government at that time and now?
3. Which of the amendments of the Bill of Rights is most important to you and why?
4. What new amendments do we need or which ones would you delete and why?

Click the Topics tab > Government > United States Government > Constitution

Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.

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