Why
Congress has declared Sept. 17 United States Constitution Day in celebration of the original ratification, Sept. 17, 1787. The purpose of a designated day is to foster in the American people a deeper reverence for and a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution was written to be flexible in its application but staunch in the ideology, making the document a masterpiece of thought and language, and worthy of a special place in the classroom curriculum.
How
Congress has suggested public readings and/or class discussions of the world's oldest codified constitution. The expectation of Senate Bill 2808 is that teachers and students throughout the United States in classrooms kindergarten through higher education will celebrate the American Constitution all year but especially on Sept. 17. (The federal Department of Education states that "when Sept. 17 falls on a Saturday (2005), Sunday (2006), or holiday, Constitution Day shall be held during the preceding or following week.") For these reasons the Newsweek Education Program has teamed with National History Day and Oxford University Press to bring teachers a variety of classroom activities as well as our favorite resources to teach about the Constitution.
