Constitution Week kicks off Sept. 17, also known as Constitution Day, and runs through Sept. 23. It was started by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and celebrates the signing of the U.S. Constitution by delegates to the Constitutional Convention Sept. 17, 1787. In 1955, DAR petitioned Congress to annually recognize Sept. 17–23 as Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

According to DAR, the goals of the Constitution Week celebration are: 

• Emphasizing citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.
• Informing people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s heritage and the foundation for our way of life.
• Encouraging the study of historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

Here are a few resources to get you started on celebrating Constitution Week with your students.

• The Texas Education Agency offers several useful links on its Celebrate Freedom Week page, which notes the specific relevant section of the TEKS.
• Visit the National Constitution Center’s website for a variety of live classes, virtual town halls, a media library, and other Constitution Day activities, as well as an interactive Constitution.
• Head to the National Archives’ website for a list of Constitution Day activities and resources.
• Statistics in Schools from the U.S. Census Bureau offers a plethora of activities and resources focusing on the importance of the census and other fun, Constitution Day-related facts.
• Check out this article “27 Classroom Ideas to Make Constitution Day Memorable” from WeAreTeachers.
• Education World has its own list of ideas for commemorating Constitution Day.

Constitution Week is a perfect time to learn more about the document integral to this country’s foundation and its future.