Constitution Day – (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday.

The law establishing the present holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions, and all federal agencies, provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind. This holiday is not observed by granting time off work for federal employees.

Universities and colleges nationwide have created "U.S. Constitution and Citizenship Weeks" in order to meet the requirements of the law. For example, the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) has created a celebration week that includes "Constitution Trivia Contests", distribution of free copies of the U.S. Constitution, a campus & community fair (in which volunteer and community groups can share information with students), a web page with facts and links related to the Constitution and history of the United States. MSOE has also distributed thousands of free "Presidential quote" T-shirts to all students on campus.

Instructions: Go through each link below. Read and listen (use headphones) then answer the questions that follow. Type your answers on a word document then print out your word document. You can copy and paste the questions to your word document. Print to Library printer then turn in to teacher.

FreeResources
Constitution Center -About /
Centuries of Citizenship -A Constitutional Timeline /
Questions and Answers aboutthe Constitution from the National Archives / http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_q_and_a.html
Interactive Constitution /
Meet the Founders - biographies ofthe 55 delegates of the Constitutional Convention /
The Fabled Birth of theConstitution / D419-4583-A76A-B77F437ECC89

Questions: answer ALL questions and ALL parts of the question. It will be counted incorrect if you do not answer

all parts of the question.

●Why was the Constitutioncreated?

●HowistheConstitutiondifferentthantheDeclarationofIndependenceandtheArticleof Confederation?

●WhatpurposesofgovernmentareoutlinedinthePreambletotheConstitution?

●Why are limits on the governmentnecessary?

●CouldtheArticlesofConfederationhavebeenrevised?Whywasanentirelynew governmentnecessary?

●Who were the men who signed the Constitution? What ideas did theypropose?

●What were the major topics of debate during the Constitutional Convention? Howdo those debates help provide context for the timeperiod?

●DidtheConstitutionandBillofRightsrepresenttheinterestsofallAmericans?Whyor why not? Do theynow?

●Whatisthedifferencebetweenglobal,digital,andnationalcitizenship?Whyareeach important?

●What further amendments would you make to theConstitution?

●Where is the National Constitution Centerlocated?

●Why is its location significant to theConstitution?

●HowhaverightschangedovertimesincetheConstitutionwassigned?Provideexamples.

●HowdoestheConstitutionreflectmajorprinciplesofAmericandemocracy?

●IstheConstitutionstilleffectiveforgoverningtheUnitedStatestoday?Whyorwhynot?