After the flag ceremony this morning students learned that it was Constitution Day. Since 2004, our country has observed this day. We learned that the Constitution was first signed in 1787. The first sentence of the Constitution is called the preamble.
The first three words of the preamble, "We the People," may be the three most important words in the history of American democracy! These words tell us that "we" are the real government.
Students discussed the Constitution's seven articles that divide the power between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was ratified, or approved, in 1791. It outlines the basic rights and freedoms of American citizens.
Other important amendments include:
The Thirteenth Amendment became law in 1865. It makes slavery, and other forms of forced labor, illegal.
Ratified in 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment stated that no citizen should be denied the right to vote on the basis of race or color.
In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote.
Students also participated in classroom activities, watched video's and had great discussion about our country and it's heritage. Fun sites we watched are included below (Do you remember these?).
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