Held annually in September, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day commemorates the 1787 signing of the Constitution of the United States of America. The day provides an opportunity for students across the country to learn about the history and meaning of the Constitution and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. APSA offers the following resources to aid faculty to fulfill this requirement.
For additional civic education resources, please visit the APSA Civic Education & Engagement page.
Online Civic Education Resources
Annenberg Classroom
Annenberg Classroom offers a wide array of educational resources. Educators can find curricula, lesson plans, documentaries, and other teaching materials. The material is searchable by keyword, by subject area, or by state standard.
American Bar Association
A Constitution Day and Citizenship Day website put together by the American Bar Association includes lesson plans, conversation starters, and information on landmark Supreme Court cases.
Bill of Rights Institute
Provides lesson plans, seminars, and fellowships on Constitutional issues and history, for both students and teachers.
Center for Civic Education
Focused on K-12 civics education, the Center for Civic Education runs a number of programs, including We the People and Project Citizen. It also provides lesson plans for all grade levels.
Civics Renewal Network
A compilation of civic education resources from over 20 organizations, searchable by subject, grade, resource type, standards, and teaching strategy.
Dirksen Congressional Center
Founded in honor of Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, the Dirksen Center seeks to improve civic engagement by promoting a better understanding of Congress. Includes a teaching section with lesson plans and archival materials on Congress.
iCivics
iCivics provides free online support for civics and government teachers, including lesson plans, games, and curriculum units. Topics include foundations of government, elections, media, citizenship and participation, civic rights, and international affairs.
Library of Congress
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day resources provided by the Library of Congress include primary documents from the Executive and Legislative Branches, as well as links to journal articles and other online resources.
National Archives
The National Archives provides teacher resources for civics education, including documents and class activities related to the whole span of American history, from the founding until the present-day.
National Constitution Center
Resources from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a non-partisan, non-profit museum devoted to the Constitution. The materials provided for Constitution Day include videos, lesson plans, quizzes, puzzles, and other activities.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The EDSITEment program at the NEH provides many resources for Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, including worksheets and guides for students reading the Constitution, educational games and interactive modules, lesson plans, assignments, and recommended websites.
United States Courts
Maintained by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on behalf of the Federal Judiciary, this website provides activities and resources to teach high school students about the Constitution and Supreme Court cases. Includes videos and class activities geared towards both civic education broadly and Constitution Day and Citizenship Day specifically.
In 2014, Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit launched the circuit-wide civic education initiative -- Justice For All: Courts and the Community -- to increase public understanding of the role and operations of the courts and bring courts closer to communities. A team of judges, court staff, attorneys, and educators work together on the project's different components.