Students will compare the preamble of the U.S. Constitution with the preambles from two state constitutions. They will extract common themes from the three, and note key differences. The preamble to the Constitution has not been changed since its drafting; the Constitution, however, has been amended. Students will reevaluate the ideals expressed in the Preamble and consider their relevance today. They are given the chance to rewrite the Preamble, share their rationale, and explain the values contained expressed inside.
Constitutional Index
The Constitutional Index breaks down the U.S. Constitution by Section, Amendment, and Clause and contains broader topics and themes. These are used to cross-reference Library resources in an effort to annotate constitutional history. Each index page displays a summary, a list of related resources in the ConSource library, and a guide to the selected topic if one has been written.
Celebrate Constitution Day By Exploring the 1787 Constitutional Convention Debates
Over the last several months, ConSource has detailed on our Blog the key debates that occurred during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia from May 25, 1787 to September 17, 1787. We hope you will join us in re-exploring the Constitutional Convention debates in honor of Constitution Day on September 17!
Justice Stephen Breyer on the Constitution
Justice Stephen Breyer discusses the Constitution, Separation of Powers, and the role of the Supreme Court.
Primary Source Documents Correlated with “We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution” High School Textbook
Looking for a quick and easy way to read the primary sources mentioned in the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution textbook? ConSource has created correlations linking lessons of the We the People text with primary sources available at ConSource.org. The correlations of the We the People text are listed by unit and lesson. Clicking on the link takes you to the full text of the primary source on the ConSource website.
Primary Source Documents Correlated with “We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution” Middle School Textbook
Looking for a quick and easy way to read the primary sources mentioned in the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution textbook? ConSource has created correlations linking lessons of the We the People text with primary sources available at ConSource.org. The correlations of the We the People text are listed by unit and lesson. Clicking on the link takes you to the full text of the primary source on the ConSource website.
Slavery and The Constitution
Explore the text and history of the Three-Fifths Clause, the Migration and Importation of Slaves or Slave Trade Clause, and the Fugitive Slave Clause.
Reconstruction and The American Founding
Explore primary source documents in the ConSource digital library to see how the provisions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are connected to the issues and debates discussed during the revolutionary and constitutional periods.
#ConstitutionDay2015
Schools across the nation participated in the 2015 Preamble Challenge on Constitution Day. Students pledged to recite the Preamble to the US Constitution in creative ways. Here are some of our favorites. Read More ⟶
#ConstitutionDay2014
Nearly 900 schools across the nation participated in 2014’s Preamble Challenge on Constitution Day, led by the National Constitution Center. Students who participated in the Civics Renewal Network’s Constitution Day program in Washington, D.C., recited the Preamble at the U.S. Capitol. Read More ⟶