Faculty Publications
Document Type
Guide
Keywords
Citizenship Education; Civil Rights; Constitutional History; Elementary Education
Abstract
Because attaining citizenship skills remains the principal goal of social studies; this unit was designed to highlight the founding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in a manner appropriate to both primary and intermediate elementary children. Each lesson includes objectives; materials; and procedures; as well as supplementary materials which may be duplicated for student use. Student awareness of the need for rules and laws is developed through the activities in lesson one. Lesson two helps students recognize reasons for settling the original 13 colonies and identify their locations. Students become informed about the events leading to independence and the contents of the Declaration of Independence in lesson three. In lesson four; students develop the understanding that everyone benefits from cooperation. Students identify events that led to the writing of the U.S. Constitution which developed a strong government in lesson five. An investigation of the purposes and structure of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights is carried out in lessons six and seven. A classroom constitution reflecting the rights and responsibilities of students is created through a mock constitutional convention is lesson eight. In lesson nine; students plan a celebration for the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the unit through a test in lesson 10. A bibliography is included. A copy of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights is appended. (SM)
Department
Department of Teaching
Original Publication Date
1987
Object Description
1 PDF file (99 pages)
Repository
UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa
Copyright
©1987 Janet McClain
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
McClain, Janet, "Celebrating the Constitution: An Instructional Unit for Elementary Grades" (1987). Faculty Publications. 5709.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/5709
Comments
ERIC Document - ED286802 found in the ERIC Database