Celebrating Freedom in the Classroom
AETN Engage
- Posted by
- AETN
- on
Arkansas educators looking for help as they teach their students about and celebrate Patriot Day, Constitution Day and Celebrate Freedom Week (in compliance with new state and national requirements) can find great resources with ArkansasIDEAS and PBS LearningMedia!
The new requirements, announced by the United States Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, now require public schools’ social studies classes to incorporate educational materials pertaining to the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 of each year to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. State legislation also now requires Arkansas public school to observe Celebrate Freedom Week during the last full week of classes in September in order to educate students learn about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of our nation and the values on which the United States was founded. Full details about these requirements can be found in the Arkansas Department of Education’s SharePoint Commissioner’s Memos here.
To help our educators prepare, we and ArkansasIDEAS have rounded up resources to help for events throughout September! Scan through to see what you can use:
Patriot Day (Sept. 11)
Patriot Day is an annual observance on Sept. 11 to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
Learn more about Patriot Day and its celebration at whitehouse.gov.
Free Lesson Plans:
- Center for Civic Education — 9/11 and the Constitution
- 9/11 Memorial Lesson Plans
- The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial — 9/11 Education Materials
- PBS America Responds — Afghanistan Today: Civil War and Human Rights
- PBS America Responds — Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: Model Summit
- PBS America Responds — A World at Peace
- PBS America Responds — A Nation of Many Cultures
-
PBS America Responds — Tolerance in Times of Trail
-
PBS America Responds — Emergency Preparedness
- PBS America Responds — Taming Terrorism
- PBS America Responds — The American Flag
- PBS America Responds — Conflicting Views
- The New York Times: The Learning Network — Reaching and Learning About 9/11 With The New York Times
- Scholastic — Official 9/11 Day Lesson Plans
- Scholastic — Hallway of Heroes (grades K-6)
- Scholastic — The Giving Garden (grades 3-5)
- Scholastic — A Tribute to First Responders (grades 3-8)
Additional Resources:
- Scholastic 9/11 Day Teacher’s Guide
- Constitution Rights Foundation Chicago Teaching Materials
- National History Education Clearinghouse
- 9/11 Memorial — Teaching 9/11 Teaching Guides
- 9/11 Memorial — Teaching 9/11 Webcasts
- 9/11 Memorial — Teaching 9/11: 9/11 Primary Resources
- National Park Service — Flight 93 Memorial
- National Park Service Flight 93 Virtual Tour
- National Park Service — The Flight 93 Story
- The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
Celebrate Freedom Week (Sept. 14-20)
Celebrate Freedom Week is designed to teach students about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of the United States, as well as the values on which our nation was founded. While schools are free to determine the best method of instruction, it’s recommended that social studies educators discuss the meaning and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution — with emphases on the Preamble and the Bill of Rights — in the documents’ historical context.
General information:
Free Lesson Plans:
- Bill of Rights Institute Advanced Placement DBQ Lesson Plan Downloads
- Bill of Rights Institute Free Lesson Plans
- The National Archives — Lesson Plans by Era
- Center for Civic Education — varied lesson plans for grades K-12
- Center for Civic Education — Executive Branch (elementary, middle and high school levels)
- Center for Civic Education — George Washington (elementary, middle and high school levels)
- Center for Civic Education — James Madison (elementary, middle and high school levels)
- Center for Civic Education — What is the role of president in the American Constitution?
- Center for Civic Education — How Does the Constitution Safeguard the Right to Equal Protection of Law (middle school)
- Center for Civic Education — How Have Civil Rights Movements Resulted in Fundamental Political and Social Change in the United States? (high school)
- Center for Civic Education — The Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and Today
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Teaching Modules by Era
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Colonists Divided: A Revolution and a Civil War (grades 6-8)
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Questions Relating the Roots of the Revolution (grades 9-12)
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Revolutionary in America (grades 1-13+)
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Hollywood and the American Revolution (grades 1-12)
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Impact of the Revolution on Women and African Americans: Guided Readings (grades 8-12)
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — My Brother Sam is Dead (grade 7)
Teaching Guides:
Additional Resources:
- Bill of Rights Institute - Documents of Freedom
- Bill of Rights Institute - Constitutional Principles Video
- Bill of Rights Institute - Fight for your rights! SMARTboard Resource
- Bill of Rights Institute - America’s Founders Online
- Center for Civic Education — Talking Civics Podcast
- Center for Civic Education — Citizens, Not Spectators
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Primary Sources
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — History by Era Teaching Modules
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Colonization and Settlement
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — The American Revolution
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — The New Nation
- Veterans of Foreign Wars — Youth Contests
- Veterans of Foreign Wars — The VFW in the Classroom
- Veterans of Foreign Wars — Flag Etiquette
- Veterans of Foreign Wars — Echoes from the Wall
Additional Resources for Kids:
Constitution Day (Sept. 17)
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 observed on Sept. 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787 at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.
Learn more about the holiday at: constitutioncenter.org/constitution-day.
Free Lesson Plans:
Additional Materials:
- Bill of Rights Institute - Separation of Powers Video
- Bill of Rights Institute - Consent of the Governed Video
- Bill of Rights Institute - Rule of Law Video
- Bill of Rights Institute - Representative Government Video
- The National Archives — Charters of Freedom
- The National Archives — A More Perfect Union: an in-depth look at the Constitutional Convention and ratification process
- The National Archives — Questions and Answers Pertaining to the Constitution
- The National Archives — Errors in the Constitution — Typographical and Congressional
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Creating a New Government
Free, Downloadable SMARTboard Resources:
Games:
test
