The United States Constitution

Dear Educators,

Federal law passed in 2004 states:

"Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution."

As you and your schools decide how best to meet this federal requirement, we hope the following list of resources will assist you. This bibliography includes books that are available at MCPL as well as links to web sites for both children and teachers.

UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

Banks, Joan. The U.S. Constitution. (J 342.029 Ba)
In text appropriate for older elementary-aged readers, this book discusses the debates surrounding the writing and ratifying of the U.S. Constitution as well as how the document continues to evolve with the country's needs.

Bjornlund, Lydia. The Constitution and the Founding of America. (J 342.73 Bj)
Discusses the United States Constitution and the founding of America, covering such aspects as the Constitutional Convention, the writing of the Constitution, the struggle for ratification, and the enduring legacy of this document.

Catrow, David. We the Kids : the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. (J 342.029 Ca)
An illustrated preamble to the Constitution of the United States.

Commager, Henry Steele. The Great Constitution : a Book for Young Americans. (J 342.7 Co)
An account of the writing of the U.S. Constitution, beginning with Shay's Rebellion and ending with Washington taking the oath of office. Has a narrative style in which the text is written directly to the reader. Some black and white images of historical figures and events throughout.

Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. Constitutional Amendments. (J 342.73 Fe)
Examines the twenty-seven amendments that have been adopted since the Constitution was approved more than 200 years ago.

Fritz, Jean. Shh! We're Writing the Constitution. (J 342.73 Fr)
Describes how the Constitution came to be written and ratified. Also includes the full text of the document produced by the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Giddens, Sandra. A Timeline of the Constitutional Convention. (J 342.73 Gi)
Lists major events surrounding the writing of the U.S. Constitution with accompanied by additional explanatory text, images, glossary, and index. Also explains the uses and strengths of a timeline in understanding history.

Hudson, David L. The Bill of Rights: the First Ten Amendments of the Constitution. (J 342.73 Hu)
Traces the history of the writing of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and examines each amendment's provisions and applications in detail.

Krull, Kathleen. A Kid's Guide to America's Bill of Rights : Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-pound Giant. (J 342.73 Kr)
Examines the ten amendments to the United States Constitution that make up the Bill of Rights, explaining what the amendments mean, how they have been applied, and the rights they guarantee.

Levinson, Isabel Simone. Gibbons v. Ogden : Controlling Trade Between States. (343.088 Le - Adult Nonfiction)
Describes the Supreme Court case concerning the steamboat monopoly between New York State and New Jersey, which established the right of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.

Marcovitz, Hal. Independence Hall. (J 974.811 Ma)
Explores the history of the Pennsylvania State House, later called Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation were adopted and the Constitution was signed.

Swain, Gwenyth. Declaring freedom : a Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. (J 973.31 Sw)
Explores the origin, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Weidner, Daniel W. The Constitution : the Preamble and the Articles. (342.73 We - Adult Nonfiction)

Weidner, Daniel W. Creating the Constitution: the People and Events that Formed a Nation. (342.7302 We - Adult Nonfiction)
Explores the creation of the United States Constitution, including the people involved, the ratification process, and the implications for the nation's government, both at its inception and today.

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION : WEB RESOURCES

WEB LINKS FOR TEACHERS

National Constitution Center - http://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/Welcome/index.shtml
Contains the complete U.S. constitution, an interactive exploration of individual parts of the constitution, a constitutional timeline, fast facts, basic governing principles, information on founding fathers, scholarly essays, activities for kids, and related links.

National Constitution Center's Constitution Day - http://www.constitutionday.us/
Explains Constitution Day and contains lesson plans to help teachers teach about and celebrate Constitution Day.

National Constitution Center : Lesson Plans - http://www.constitutioncenter.org/education/ForEducators/LessonPlans/GradeLevels/Elementary.shtml
Contains lesson plans on the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Federal Powers.

The U.S. Constitution Online : Teaching the U.S. Constitution - http://www.usconstitution.net/constteach.html
Contains ideas and resources for teaching the Constitution to different grade levels and incorporating the teaching into various subjects.

Schools of California Online Resources for Education : Constitution Day - http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/special_events/constitution_day/
Check out these lesson plans, resources, and games to assist in teaching about the Constitution.

Law Library Resource Xchange - http://www.llrx.com/columns/govdomain8.htm
Explains the legislation about the observance of Constitution Day and contains numerous links to teaching resources.

The National Archives : Charters of Freedom - http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution.html
Contains high resolution scans of historic government documents.

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/pt/index.html
Explains the legislation about the observance of Constitution Day and contains numerous links to teaching resources.

WEB LINKS FOR KIDS

The Constitution for Kids - http://www.usconstitution.net/constkidsK.html
Contains fact sheets written to three separate school-age audiences: K-3rd, 4th -7th, and 8th-12th. Also contains links to images of the constitution and related government documents.

Constitution of the United States : A Pathfinder for 5th Grade - http://nb.wsd.wednet.edu/lmc/pathfinders/constitution_pathfinder.htm
Designed as a pathfinder for 5th grade, this site contains links to both print and electronic resources about the U.S. constitution.

White House Kids - http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/constitution/
Contains constitutional facts, images, and related games and quizzes.

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html
Provides resources for K-12 students, parents, and teachers that teach how the U.S. government works. Includes a glossary of government terms and a guide to government Web sites for kids.

Kids Gov - The Official Kid's Portal to the U.S. Government - http:http://www.kids.gov/
Provides resources for K-12 students and teachers that teach how the U.S. government works. Includes a link to the constitution and links to state sites.

RELATED TOPIC : THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Brenner, Barbara. If You Were There in 1776. (J 973.3 Br)
Demonstrates how the concepts and principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence were drawn from the experiences of living in America in the late eighteenth century, with emphasis given to how children lived on a New England farm, a Southern plantation, and the frontier.

Burgan, Michael. The Declaration of Independence. (J 973.313 Bu)
Examines the political situation in America at the time of the troubles between England and her colonies there and describes how the Declaration of Independence was written and accepted.

Fradin, Dennis B. The Declaration of Independence. (J 973.313 Fr)
Examines the political situation in America at the time of the troubles between England and her colonies there and describes how the Declaration of Independence was written and accepted.

Freedman, Russell. Give Me Liberty! : the Story of the Declaration of Independence. (J 973.313 Fr)
Describes the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence as well as the personalities and politics behind its framing.

Graves, Kerry. The Declaration of Independence : the Story Behind America's Founding Document. (J 973.313 Gr)
Focuses on the framing of the Declaration of Independence and the meaning of the document, describing the circumstances leading to the Revolutionary War and some of the challenges faced by the men who wrote the document.

Marcovitz, Hal. Independence Hall. (J 974.811 Ma)
Explores the history of the Pennsylvania State House, later called Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation were adopted and the Constitution was signed.

Stein, Conrad. The Declaration of Independence. (J 973.313 St)
Tells the story of the writing of the Declaration of Independence by following Delaware delegate Caesar Rodney from his call to Second Continental Congress to the signing of the Declaration.

St. George, Judith. The Journey of the One and Only Declaration of Independence. (J 973.313 Sa)
In 1776 Thomas Jefferson put his quill to paper and the Declaration of Independence sprang to life. Follow the Declaration's journey over the next two centuries, surviving eight wars and traveling through five states on horseback, boat, railcar, and tank to its current home in the National Archives.

Swain, Gwenyth. Declaring Freedom : a Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. (J 973.31 Sw)
Explores the origin, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

United States. The Declaration of Independence. (J 973.313 Un)
The text of the Declaration of Independence is accompanied by illustrations meant to help explain its meaning. Inscribed and illustrated by Sam Fink.

RELATED BIOGRAPHIES

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Patrick Henry. (J 921 Hen)
Written for an older elementary school-aged audience. Includes a timeline of major events from the life of Patrick Henry.

Collier, James Lincoln. The Alexander Hamilton You Never Knew. (J 921 Ham)
Explores the childhood, character, and influential events that shaped the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers.

Crompton, Samuel Willard. Gouverneur Morris : Creating a Nation. (J 921 Mor)
Describes the life of Gouverneur Morris, who edited the final version of the United States Constitution, served as minister to France, and was instrumental in the establishment of our national coinage system and in the planning of the Erie Canal.

Grote, JoAnn A. Patrick Henry : American Statesman and Speaker. (J 921 Hen)
A biography of Patrick Henry, the Virginia lawmaker and politician known for his stirring speeches and eloquent writing.

Harness, Cheryl. George Washington. (J 921 Was)
Presents the life of George Washington, focusing on the Revolutionary War years and his presidency.

Harness, Cheryl. Young John Quincy. (J J921 Ada)
Presents the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence as seen through the eyes of the boy who would grow up to be the sixth president of the United States.

Kukla, Amy. Patrick Henry : Voice of the Revolution. (J 921 Hen)
Presents the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence as seen through the eyes of the boy who would grow up to be the sixth president of the United States.

Compiled by A. Ashton for MCPL Children's Services (10/05).