C O N S T I T U T I O N D A Y L E S S O NL E S S O N

In 1 dayCelebrating Our Constitution

Why are 200 year old words

meaningful?

Overview

Students analyze key vocabulary from the Preamble as

they discuss the importance of the Constitution in the

lives of people today.

Preview Students listen to and analyze the lyrics to the

song “Preamble” from School House Rock.

Activity In a Response Group, students analyze a word

cloud of the Preamble to the Constitution and discuss

how the words relate to the 21st century.

Processing Students write a short letter to the editor

commemorating Constitution Day.

ObjectivesIn the course of this lesson and participating in the

classroom activity, students will

• analyze the words to the Preamble of the Constitution.

• define key words from the Preamble.

• discuss the importance of the Constitution to 21st

century citizens.

Key VocabularyUnion, justice, domestic tranquility, welfare, liberty,

posterity, ordain

Materials

• Video of “Preamble” from

source like iTunes store.

You can follow link from

School House Rock’s

website

(http://www.schoolhouserock

.tv/Preamble.html)

• Copies of Student Handout

1: The lyrics to “Preamble.”

One for each student

• Visual 1: Word cloud of the

Constitution of the United

States

• Copies of Student Handout

2: Vocabulary Matrix. One

for each student

• Copies of Student Handout

3: Small Group Discussion

items. One for each group

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P r o c e d u r e s

PreviewSuggested time: 10 minutes

1. Greet students at the door. Distribute a copy of

Student Handout 1: Lyrics to “Preamble” to students

as they enter the room.

2. Play video and have students analyze lyrics. Play

the video “Preamble” for the students and have them

analyze the lyrics while the video is playing.

3. Debrief the video and lyrics. Ask the students a

series of questions to debrief the song.

• What is this song about?

• How would you describe the music? Happy? Sad?

Why?

• What words are unfamiliar to you? Circle them.

• Where did these words come from?

• Why are 200 year old words meaningful?

Response GroupSuggested time:35minutes

1. Place students into groups. Group students

heterogeneously into triads.

2. Distribute handouts. Give each student a copy of

Student Handout 2: Vocabulary Matrix and each

group one copy of Student Handout 3: Discussion

Items. You will also want to make a dictionary and/or

thesaurus available for each group to use.

3. Explain the purpose of the activity. Project Visual

1: Word Cloud to students and tell them that this

lesson is intended to celebrate Constitution Day. To

that end, you want them to study the words in the

opening of the document. Tell them that each group

will be given an excerpt from the Preamble and will

define key words and discuss its importance today.

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Student Handout 1

Visual 1

P r o c e d u r e s

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4. Give first excerpt to groups. Challenge students to

read the assigned excerpt taken from the Preamble.

Have students point to the key vocabulary found in

the word cloud. Direct the students to the same

vocabulary on their matrix.

5. Have groups use a dictionary or thesaurus to

complete the first two columns on their matrix. In

the first column, students are to define the term in

words appropriate to their age level (not a textbook or

dictionary version). In the second column, students

are challenged to draw a simple visual to help

remember what the term means.

6. Have groups discuss the excerpt. Groups discuss

the question in the third column on their matrix. One

person from each group will be assigned the role of

presenter to share with the rest of the class what the

term(s) mean and why they are important to people

today. Stress to the students that groups must provide

at least one example in their response.

7. Large group discussion. Each group will select one

person to present their group discussion to rest of the

class. (The role of presenter will rotate for the next

excerpt discussion.) Presenters from each group

should stand up. One by one, presenters should share

how their group defined key vocabulary and the

visuals they used to help them remember it.

Presenters should then provide an answer to the

excerpt and why it is important to people today.

8. Repeat the process. Assign the next excerpt and

follow steps 4-7. Have groups rotate the role of

presenter so that each person within a group of three

will be presenter at least one time.

Going Digital

Suggestion

Instead of a print dictionary or

thesaurus, have the students use

the internet and sites like

www.wordsift.com to find the

meaning of key vocabulary.

Student Handout 2

Student Handout 3

P r o c e d u r e s

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ProcessingSuggested Time: 10 minutes; complete for homework

1. Challenge students to create a letter to the editor.

Have students write a short letter to the editor on the

topic of Constitution Day and why words written over

200 years ago are still important today.

2. Encourage students to reflect on their small group

work and class discussion. As students put their

response together, have them use their matrix and

memory of the class discussion to assist their writing.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

Going Digital

Suggestion

Have students use a web tool

that allows them to create a

realistic looking newspaper

item by using

http://www.fodey.com/generat

ors/newspaper/snippet.asp .

Make sure students complete

their letter in a word processor

before copy/pasting into this

web-tool.

Student Handout 1: Lyrics to “Preamble”

Hey, do you know about the U.S.A.?Do you know about the government?Can you tell me about the Constitution?Hey, learn about the U.S.A.

In 1787 I'm toldOur founding fathers did agreeTo write a list of principlesFor keepin' people free.

The U.S.A. was just startin' out.A whole brand-new country.And so our people spelled it outThe things that we should be.

And they put those principles down on paper and called it the Constitution, and it's been helping us run our country ever since then. The first part of the Constitution is called the preamble and tells what those founding fathers set out to do.

We the people,In order to form a more perfect union,Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,Provide for the common defense,Promote the general welfare andSecure the blessings of libertyTo ourselves and our posterityDo ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

In 1787 I'm toldOur founding fathers all sat downAnd wrote a list of principlesThat's known the world around.

The U.S.A. was just starting outA whole brand-new country.And so our people spelled it outThey wanted a land of liberty.

And the Preamble goes like this:

We the people,In order to form a more perfect union,Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,Provide for the common defense,Promote the general welfare andSecure the blessings of libertyTo ourselves and our posterityDo ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

For the United States of America...

Note:The lyrics here have a slightly abridged wording of the Preamble to the United States Constitution. The actual document starts, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union...“

Music & Lyrics by: Lynn AhrensPerformed by: Lynn Ahrens

Visual 1: Word Cloud of Preamble

Word Cloud made possible using www.wordle.net

Student Handout 2: Vocabulary Matrix

Word Cloud made possible using www.wordle.net

Excerpt Definition(s) VisualWhy is it

important?

We the People of the United

States, in Order to form a

more perfect Union…

…establish Justice, insure

domestic Tranquility,

provide for the common

defense, promote the general

Welfare…

…and secure the Blessings

of Liberty to ourselves and

our Posterity, do ordain and

establish this Constitution

for the United States of

America.

Directions: 1) Read the excerpt. 2) Define each underlined term in the second column using

words students your age would use. 3) Create a simple visual to represent one or more of the

terms taken from the excerpt in the third column. 4) With your group, write a brief summary as to

why these words from the excerpt are important to citizens today. Be prepared to share a specific

example in your group’s response to the large group discussion.

Student Handout 3: Discussion Items

Word Cloud made possible using www.wordle.net

Excerpt Discuss the following items related to the excerpt.

We the People of the United

States, in Order to form a

more perfect Union…

…establish Justice, insure

domestic Tranquility,

provide for the common

defense, promote the general

Welfare…

…and secure the Blessings

of Liberty to ourselves and

our Posterity, do ordain and

establish this Constitution

for the United States of

America.

Directions: Use this handout along with Student Handout 2: Vocabulary Matrix as a guide for

the group discussion. Be prepared to have one person in your group share a response to the

discussion items related to the excerpt. The role of presenter will rotate for each excerpt.

•What does Union mean?

•How would you describe “union” to other classmates?

•What did the authors mean when they said “a more perfect union?”

•What can we do today to make our union more perfect?

•What do the terms Justice, Domestic Tranquility, and Welfare mean?

•How would you describe these terms to other classmates?

•What did the authors mean when they said “provide for the common

defense?”

•Give an example of how the government provides Justice, Domestic

Tranquility or Welfare.

•What do the terms Liberty, Posterity, and Ordain mean?

•How would you describe these terms to other classmates?

•What did the authors mean when they said“..to ourselves and our

Posterity?”

•What blessings of Liberty do you hope to pass along to your posterity?