Constitution Day has been designated as a day to incorporate studies of the history of the U.S. Constitution into the classroom. It usually takes place on September 17th (the anniversary of the actual date in 1787 that the Constitution was signed), but if that day falls on a weekend, then the nearest weekday is dedicated to Constitution studies. To help focus those studies and involve everyone in the class in a hands-on activity, I have developed a large, colorful, collaborative poster of the preamble portion of the Constitution. This Constitution Day activity is fun and engaging for students and easy for the teachers. It is a great activity that can supplement or complement any other Constitution lessons you may teach (FYI, the U.S. National Archives has a collection of good activities). It leaves a lasting impression in your classroom.

How The Poster Works

My classroom collaboration posters (I have a large collection here) are straightforward. Just print out the pages that combine to make the poster (in this case, there are 30 individual pieces, which should, fingers crossed :), be enough for everyone in your class to get one). Each page includes a key for how to color the page. So all you have to do is hand them out and make available the necessary colors (either in the form of crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc.). Some pages have more details and more intricate coloring than others, so you can differentiate as you see fit (including giving some students multiple pages if necessary).

Then the kids will…

1) Color

2) Cut out their finished piece:

3) Assemble the 30 individual pieces into the final collaborative poster!

When everything is put together, the final Constitution poster measures about 35 inches by 42 inches–so it makes an impressive wall or bulletin board display!

If you are on Instagram, I love getting tagged when you post my projects as @Mrs.Fryling did…

There are more detailed instructions included in the resource, as well as tips for putting it together, how to make a smaller version (if you can’t find enough wall space!), and suggestions for other interesting coloring techniques. I’ve done everything I can think of to ensure a fun and successful outcome!