Bill of Rights Day

The National Constitution Center has the educational resources you need to celebrate the first 10 amendments to the Constitution in your classroom!

Lesson plans:

The Bill of Rights lesson provides students with information about one of our nation’s most important documents. In this lesson, students in grades 3-5 or grades 6-8 learn about the specific rights and freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights.
Use the First Amendment Plan of Study to explore every part of the First Amendment, including why all of the clauses were grouped together in the first place. Structured as a two-week plan, or as individual lessons, this plan of study also includes lessons on civil dialogue and discussion questions to spark conversation in your classroom.

Videos:

Watch one or both of the Center's Bill of Rights videos to get a comprehensive view of the first 10 amendments. There are also discussion questions available for before and after viewing!
Start a discussion about three different rights included in the Bill of Rights with these videos from Living News, a fast-paced theatrical production that introduces current and controversial issues to middle and high school students.
First Amendment: Freedom of Expression
Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure
Eighth Amendment: Freedom from Excessive Punishment
Explore the First Amendment further with two overview videos where National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Associate Justice Elena Kagan discuss the First Amendment and how the Supreme Court, legal scholars, and citizens have interpreted it over time.
First Amendment Overview Part I
First Amendment Overview Part II

Less Than Ten Days Left to Apply!

The education team at the Center is thrilled to host four Summer Teacher Institutes in July 2020. These weeklong professional development opportunities provide educators the chance to experience the museum and the surrounding historic district, learn from constitutional scholars from across the philosophical spectrum, and collaborate with their peers from around the country. Dates and topics for July 2020 are:

July 5–10: Federalism
July 12–17: Federalism
July 19–24: First Amendment
July 26–31: Battles for Freedom and Equality

Applications are available online and are due by Friday, December 20, 2019. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application on Friday, January 17, 2020.

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Upcoming Classroom Exchanges

Celebrate upcoming civic holidays with select Classroom Exchange dates throughout the school year.

Start the conversation about First Amendment rights on Friday, December 20, 2019.
Few Americans have used their Freedom of Speech to affect change like Martin Luther King Jr. Explore what Freedom of Speech means today with a Classroom Exchange on Friday, January 17, 2020.
Starting a new semester? Continuing with your yearlong course? Keep civil dialogue fresh in your students' minds with a Classroom Exchange on Thursday, January 30, 2020.

Interested in participating in one of these exchanges? Click here to enter your availability for these dates. A member of the education team can then update your account and start the matchmaking process. You will receive a notification when a partner class matches your criteria.

Email [email protected] with any questions you may have before signing up.

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