Some years teaching about the U.S. Constitution to my upper elementary students has felt like a tall order. The vocabulary is complex, the history is dense, and there were some early years in my teaching career when it quickly turned into a day of glazed eyes and forced recitations of the Preamble. It took me a few years in the classroom to learn that it did not need to be that way!

Constitution Day, celebrated every year on September 17th, is a perfect opportunity to bring history to life in your classroom. With the right mix of activities, your students can connect with the foundational ideas of our government in ways that are meaningful, interactive, and even fun.

Here are some creative, ways I have learned to celebrate Constitution Day that go beyond the textbook.

Write Your Own Class Constitution

Start the day with a discussion about what a constitution actually is—then challenge your students to write one of their own! Brainstorm classroom values, expectations, and responsibilities together. Decide on a class “preamble,” and let each student sign the final version. You can even roll it up like a scroll and display it on the wall. This is such a fun and powerful way to make the concept personal and help your kiddos take ownership of your classroom community.

Act Out the Constitutional Convention

Assign your kids roles as delegates from different states and reenact the debates of the Constitutional Convention. Be sure to keep it simple. Just focus on major issues like representation and compromise. Let your students voice opinions, propose solutions, and “vote” on outcomes. Not only is this so engaging, it also helps kids understand the real-life tensions and challenges the Founders faced.

Use a Hands-On Constitution Unit That Does the Heavy Lifting for You

If planning Constitution Day lessons from scratch feels overwhelming, I’ve got you covered. This Constitution Unit includes everything you need: reading passages, printables, task cards, timelines, foldables, posters, and more. You can teach about the Articles of Confederation, Shays’ Rebellion, the Constitutional Convention, the Bill of Rights, the branches of government, and so much more—all in student-friendly language with interactive tools that make history stick. Whether you want to teach it all or just pick and choose activities for Constitution Day, this resource has some of my most favorite tools that give you the flexibility to do both. It’s one of my go-to resources every September.

Host a “Preamble Poetry” Challenge

Break down the Preamble line by line and help students paraphrase it in their own words. Then, invite them to turn it into a short poem, rap, or song. Let them present their creations to the class. It’s a fun and creative way to help students internalize some of the most important language in American history.

Explore the Bill of Rights Through Real-Life Scenarios

You can also give your students kid-friendly examples of rights from the Bill of Rights—like freedom of speech or the right to a fair trial—and let them match each one with its corresponding amendment. I also like to pose “What if?” scenarios that challenge them to think about what life might look like without those rights. These discussions spark amazing thinking and great conversations.

Constitution-Themed Literacy Stations

Rotate your kiddos through literacy centers focused on the Constitution. One station could be a vocabulary sort using key terms from the Preamble. Another might feature a nonfiction close reading passage about the Founders. You could even include a station for drawing or illustrating different amendments. These stations keep things moving and help students engage with the content in multiple ways.

Timeline Walk Through History

I love to print out key events leading up to the Constitution and lay them out in timeline format across my room or hallway. I have my students walk the timeline, reading each card and reflecting on how the events built on one another. You can also pair this with task cards or journal prompts for a deeper dive into the historical sequence.

Make It Interactive and Student-Led

I’ve found that the very best Constitution Day activities are the ones where students are doing the talking, thinking, creating, and connecting. Some ideas you might try are letting your kids take the lead by presenting short skits about Founding Fathers, debating hypothetical scenarios, or sharing projects you have them create about the Bill of Rights. You’ll be amazed at how much ownership kids take when the learning feels relevant.

Teaching the Constitution doesn’t have to feel like a history lecture or a last-minute obligation. There have beeb many years when Constitution Day was one of my most meaningful days of learning in September. Whether you focus on class discussions, role play, literacy connections, or hands-on projects, what matters most is just helping you students understand the value of the document that shaped our country.

Save This Post for Later

Make sure to save this post to one of your favorite Pinterest boards for teaching ideas. This will allow you to find it quickly this September when you are hunting for fun and fresh ways to celebrate Constitution Day in your classroom!