WorldStrides Updates

Constitution Day

On this day in 1787, state delegates gathered in Philadelphia to sign the United States Constitution. Since then, we’ve come a long way! Happy Constitution Day!

The Signers

You can probably name many of the Constitution’s most famous signers—George Washington and James Madison come to mind—but how many other people signed the document, and what do we know about them? Check out these 60 second podcasts from the Center of Civic Education to learn about all of the Constitution’s signers.

Bonus question: Which two founding fathers are conspicuously absent from this list? Hint: they were busy representing the United States abroad!

Fast Facts

Curious about the average age of the signers of the Constitution? Ever wondered how many words make up the document in total? The National Archives Q&A page answers these questions, plus more questions you didn’t even know you had about the Constitution.

What Came First?

The Articles of Confederation predate our country’s constitution. Learn how the founding fathers ended up with the document we know today by watching this short Crash Course video from author John Green.

Your State’s Constitution

The Constitution established a framework for a stronger federal government. It has influenced the drafting of many similar founding documents, including your own state’s constitution.

Take a look at the constitution of your state, and consider the following questions:

• How long is your state’s constitution? When you visit the National Archives, you may be surprised to find that our federal Constitution is only four pages in length. State constitutions are often much longer and more detailed!
• How many times has your state’s constitution been amended? While both documents can be amended, the process is much easier and faster for state constitutions.
• Has your state constitution ever been extensively re-written? You might be surprised to find that it has been entirely replaced, maybe even more than once! What were the reasons for each revision?

Making comparisons between our state constitutions and our federal Constitution can help us better understand and appreciate both documents, as well as the role that “we the people” play as citizens in our democracy.

Looking for ways to celebrate Constitution Day in the classroom? Consider hosting a mock Constitutional Convention, have students write their own constitution, or propose a new amendment. Take it one step further by giving your students a U.S. citizenship test—Constitution Day also happens to be Citizenship Day in America!