Teachers are often surprised when I tell them that all public school teachers are required to teach a lesson about the Constitution on Constitution Day every September. It’s true! If you teach at a school that receives government funding, then you are legally obligated to teach your students about the Constitution on that day each year. One way to teach this topic at the elementary level is through Constitution Day read alouds. Reading aloud picture books about the constitution is an effective way to introduce Constitution Day.
The following Constitution Day read alouds are included in this post:
- We the Kids
- Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
- We the People
- A More Perfect Union
4 Constitution Day Read Alouds
Below are 4 children’s books about the constitution that are great fall books for kids. Your students will love these Constitution Day books!
1. We the Kids by David Catrow
We the Kids tells the Preamble through the adventure of a group of children and their dog on a camping trip. Using the illustrations to tell the story, readers can see how, by establishing camping rules, the children are establishing justice, and by telling stories in their tent they are promoting the general welfare. This is our favorite on this list of Constitution Day read alouds! Check out these We the Kids activities!
2. Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution tells the story of the hot summer in 1787, when fifty-five delegates from thirteen states worked together to write the constitution for the United States. The book also introduces some of the delegates, and includes some of their hobbies. It also describes the debates about state rights, representation, slavery, and choosing a president that took place in order to write the Constitution.
3. We the People by Lynne Cheney
We the People tells the story of the Constitutional Convention that happened in Philadelphia. The country was faces with some difficulties, such as farmers’ protests in Massachusetts. It was clear that, in order to see improvement, change needed to happen. This book introduces some of the key participants in the writing of the United States Constitution, such as George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin. The book shows how the delegates worked together to create a change for the government in the form of the Constitution.
4. A More Perfect Union by Betsy Maestro and Giulio Maestro
A More Perfect Union describes how and why the United States Constitution was written. Throughout the writing of the Constitution, the delegates had to face struggles such as difficult travels, never-ending debates and many months of separation from friends and family in their home states. At the end of the story, Maestro provides more information about the Constitution.
Or Get All of the Activity Packets for 600+ Picture Books!
Starts with a Story is a collection of hundreds of book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Each book companion includes:
- reading comprehension questions with sample student responses
- 30 writing prompts targeting 10 different types of writing
- SEL lesson ideas based on character and events from each story
- printable student activities
- editable teaching slides with book-based clipart
- and more.
Learn how to get unlimited access to all 600+ book companion packets below!
Teachers Love these Other Constitution Day Activities for Kids
We have lots of Constitution Day activities you can use in your classroom. Check out the blog post Constitution Day Activities for Kids to get more ideas and teaching resources!
One Last Thing Before You Go… Grab this Free Reading Resource!
If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It includes:
- seasonal read aloud books lists for teachers
- printable reading logs to track students’ reading
- monthly reading challenges to motivate students to read more
It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
In closing, we hope you found this list of Constitution Day read alouds helpful! If you are a member of Starts With a Story, you have access to all of these book companion activities. Lastly, you may also be interested in these fall books for kids if you love read alouds like us!
