A Short Activity for Third Grade
Question: Why do we celebrate Constitution Day?
Note: The "Thinking Through Timelines: Creating the Constitution" Powerpoint, also available in eMedia, was created to accompany this lesson plan.

A Short Activity for Third Grade
Question: Why do we celebrate Constitution Day?
Note: The "Thinking Through Timelines: Creating the Constitution" lesson plan, also available in eMedia, was created to accompany this PowerPoint.

In this lesson, students are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive) through a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Next, students are given descriptions of the three functions of government and asked to match tasks to departments (lawmakers, executives, and judges). Finally, students create job descriptions for lawmakers, executives, and judges. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

In this lesson, students decide which of the rights included in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights they value the most. First, students discuss the basic rights of all Americans. Next, they read a short story (or watch a video) about a hypothetical alien creature that takes over the world. The creature is not totally hostile and will allow humans to keep five rights. Finally, students work in small groups to prioritize the five basic rights they find important and report back their findings. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

The We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Program promotes civic competence and responsibility among the nation’s upper elementary and secondary students. This webpage provides a description of the program.

This lesson explores some ideas in the Preamble to the Constitution. Students learn that the power to govern belongs to the people who have created the government to protect their rights and promote their welfare.

In this lesson from the We the People: The Citizen & Democracy textbook, students will learn a very simple definition of democracy from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The lesson introduces the essential elements of a democracy, which is a country where the people have the right to make all the rules and laws either directly or by means of elected representatives. The teacher's goal for the lesson is to help students understand what it means for a democracy to be a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

In this activity, students make a poster illustrating their “best freedom.” They discuss individual freedoms they have at school and as Americans and then focus on the freedom they enjoy most. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

This two-part lesson demonstrates natural and human impact on the environment by examining changes in a hypothetical river system over time. In part one, students worked in groups to solve a hypothetical problem about a river during one of these eras. In part two, students will present their problems and solutions in chronological order, thus revealing a story of one river over time. Finally, students will discuss issues around water pollution in their own community and consider possible ways of addressing pollution problems. Ideas for service projects are also included. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

This resource is from the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service. This primary source set is designed to help students learn about Women's Suffrage and the 19th Ammendment from a government and politics perspective as well as through the eyes of average Utahns and their experiences.