5 Fun Ways to Teach the Constitution

Teaching the Constitution can be challenging. From the difficult vocabulary to the complex details, it can be hard to keep students engaged. Below, are 5 fun ways to teach about the U.S. Constitution in your classroom.

1. Simulated Constitutional Convention

Overview:

Simulations can be an effective tool for getting students excited about history. In this activity, students get a taste of what it was like to create the U.S. Constitution by debating a few issues. 

Teaching Suggestions: 

• Assign students an identity – federalist or antifederalist.
• Students research arguments from their assigned point of view for some of the major issues of the Constitutional Convention. Questions might include: How should representatives in congress be chosen? How should the states be represented in congress? How long should the presidential terms be? 
  • Another topic that was hotly debated at the Constitutional Convention was slavery. I do NOT recommend having students debate this topic. One reason why is you don’t want to put students in a position where they have to argue for slavery.
• Students may need help coming up with arguments. I recommend laying out the pros and cons for each question. For example, what are the pros of long presidential terms? What are the cons of long presidential terms? 
• Once students understand their arguments, hold a “convention” in which students debate the presented issues. You could have a few select students share their arguments, pair up federalists and antifederalists to debate in small groups, or even hold a class-wide debate.
• After listening to all arguments, students vote on each issue. Students must vote from the perspective of their assigned identity. *Tip: It is always fun to have students write down what they would have personally voted for as well. Ask students to back up their opinion with reasons. 
• Discuss what really happened at the Constitutional Convention and compare it to your class simulation.

Don’t want to create all of this on your own?! I have included a multi-day Constitutional Convention simulation in my 3-week U.S. Constitution unit. This simulation comes with everything you need: 

• Constitutional Convention procedures 
• activities to help your students create an identity
• descriptive articles that clearly explain the varying viewpoints
• worksheets to guide the debate and voting

2. Be a Constitution Detective

Overview:

Have your students take on the role of a detective by analyzing the U.S. Constitution. 

Teaching Suggestions: 

• Create a list of questions that you want students to answer using the Consitution. Decide if you want to ask broad questions (ex: What is the main idea of each section of the Constitution?) or specific questions (What are three requirements to become president? – Article 2, Section 1). 
• Ask students to read through the U.S. Constitution to find the answers.
  • You can have them read a physical copy, this online transcript, or this interactive online version.
• I recommend having students work in groups to complete this activity.

Don’t want to come up with the questions yourself? I’ve created a “Constitution Detective” lesson in my 3-week U.S. Constitution unit. This lesson has: 

• an activity where students find the main ideas of each section of the Constitution
• an activity where students answer 20 specific questions using the Constitution

3. Apply the Constitution to Students’ Daily Life

Overview:

Help students see how the Constitution’s Bill of Rights applies to their daily lives. 

Teaching Suggestions: 

• Come up with several situations that relate to the Bill of Rights. 
  • For example, “It is Wednesday morning. As soon as you wake up, you check Facebook on your phone. You see that your friend Liam has posted several articles claiming that the earth is flat, not round. According to the Constitution, which action makes the most sense? (Select all that apply).
    
    • A) Sue your friend Liam for spreading lies.
    • B) Report Liam to the police.
      
    • C) Ignore the articles or unfollow Liam. He has the freedom to say what he wants, even if you think it’s untrue.
      
  • Ask students to read the situations and determine the answers. Students must back up their answers by writing which part of the Constitution applies.

I have created a “The Constitution in Your Daily Life” lesson in my 3-week U.S. Constitution unit. Here’s what’s included:

• 6 Bill of Rights situations
• Student worksheets for organizing their thoughts and giving evidence from the Constitution
• Answer keys
• A worksheet to analyze The American’s Creed

4. Race to Ratify Game on iCivics

Overview:

Games are usually a great way to get students excited about learning. In this game, students learn the major arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Students take on the identity of a New England pamphleteer in 1787 and interview fellow citizens. As they gain insight into the differing viewpoints of the Constitution, they choose a side and write to convince others to join them. Will their efforts help to ratify the Constitution or will it “fall into the dustbin of history?” What a fun way to teach the Constitution!

Teaching Suggestions: 

• This game is available to play for free without an account. However, to access further resources (such as a teacher’s guide, extension activities, and lesson/activity ideas) you must create a free account! I highly recommend downloading these resources.
• Before students play, have a brief class discussion about the opposing viewpoints – Federalist and Antifederalist. Define keywords they might come across during the game (ex. pamphleteer, aristocrat, ratification, etc.). 
• Fold a paper in half. At the top of the paper, label one side Federalist and the other side Anti-Federalist. As students play, they write down the main arguments they find for each side. 
• After the game has been played, have students create their own pamphlets outlining key arguments for the side they choose to support. You can hang these around the room, or even have students present them to the class!
• Analyze the different ways people communicate opinions and news. Compare the ways used in the 1700s to the way people communicate today! (Ex. pamphlets, word of mouth, personal letters, newspapers, social media, TV, texting, etc.).
• Give students several quotes/statements from both the Federalist and Anti-Federalist viewpoints. Using evidence from their research, students must determine which viewpoint the quote is representing.

5. Free Clever Teacher Lesson – Bill of Rights

In this free lesson, students will dive deep into the Bill of Rights! Here are some of the activities included:

• For each amendment, students find an illustration that best represents the main idea.
• Students analyze 12 task cards containing fictional scenarios. As students walk around the room analyzing each task card, they use evidence from the Bill of Rights to decide which amendment was violated in the scenario. 
• Students create a classroom Bill of Rights describing what rights and responsibilities each student has in the classroom.

Download your FREE Bill of Rights Lesson!

More Constitution Resources

I hope these 5 fun ways to teach the Constitution bring more depth and energy into your classroom as you teach U.S. History. 

Looking for more resources to help you teach the Constitution? 

• Constitution Videos: 5 of my favorite educational and age-appropriate videos for teaching the Civil War to middle school students. 
•  Constitution Primary Sources: An outline of 5 primary sources, complete with teaching suggestions. I have also created a compilation of primary sources for several other US History topics as well!
• 3-Week U.S. Constitution Unit: This all-inclusive unit provides interactive lesson plans that will keep your students engaged and help them learn the information in a meaningful way.