Mr. Goldstein's Classroom Blog: September 2014

"On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created." -National Archives

That document was the Constitution of the United States.

What is a "Constitution?"

"The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. Empowered with the sovereign authority of the people by the framers and the consent of the legislatures of the states, it is the source of all government powers, and also provides important limitations on the government that protect the fundamental rights of United States citizens." -Whitehouse.gov

In other words, the Constitution is the document that defines the government of the United States. It's the rule book for our nation. It states what powers the government has and what rights are left in the hands of the people.

More information on the Constitution can be found here.

So how did Constitution Day become a special day to celebrate?

According to ConstitutionFacts.com...

[An] important figure in the creation of Constitution Day is Louise Leigh. Leigh, after taking a course in Constitutional History with the National Center for Constitutional Studies, was inspired to spread her newfound love of the Constitution throughout the country. In 1997, she founded a nonprofit organization called Constitution Day, Inc. to help encourage recognition of the importance of this national holiday.

Through her efforts, Constitution Day became an official holiday alongside Citizenship Day in 2004 when, with the help of support from Senator Robert Byrd, the "Constitution Day" amendment to the Omnibus Spending Bill passed. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education backed the law when it announced that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.

The two allowances of the law were that the head of every federal agency provide each employee with educational materials concerning the Constitution on 17th of September and that each educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a program for students every Constitution Day.

Constitution Day, along with Independence Day and Presidents' Day, is an important part of the cultural heritage of the United States of America, because it recognizes the value of the American experiment, and the success of a nation of free people whose rights and liberties are protected by a written Constitution.

Why does the Constitution deserve to be celebrated?

To answer the question, watch this video and think about the ideas you read about above.

On a "Post It" note or index card, write a high quality 1-2 sentence response to answer the question "why does the Constitution deserve to be celebrated?" Bring it with you to class!

When it comes to researching about a topic today, there are plenty of sources available to students. The internet, which is probably a 6th graders first stop, contains vast amounts of information available in a fraction of a second. Students also commonly use books or magazine articles from the local library. No matter where you go for information, there are two main types of sources: Primary & Secondary. The video below explains each type of source and gives examples.

Most of the research currently done by students is with secondary sources, like Encyclopedias or websites. However it is important to learn to use primary sources too! This year in school, students will practice analyzing primary sources and interpreting their meaning. While more challenging, this process will allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the past.

For class tomorrow, bring the definition of each type of source and examples of each type of source to class.

- Mr. Goldstein