Catrow, David. We the Kids! The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. New York: Dial, 2002.
Catrow has taken the most important introduction in our country's history and made it easy to understand in a hilarious new book.
Krull, Kathleen. A Kid's Guide to America's Bill of Rights. New York: Wm. Morrow & Co., 1999.
This book examines the ten amendments to the United States Constitution that make up the Bill of Rights, explaining what the amendments mean, how they have been applied, and the rights they guarantee.
Monk, Linda R. The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution.. New York, NY: Hyperion, 2003.
Written by an award-winning journalist, this book takes a look at the Constitution and its amendments in an informative and entertaining way.
Patrick, John J. The Bill of Rights: A History in Documents. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003.
The preface of this book begins with comment of primary sources and how to use them. It then traces the heritage of rights, looking at English precedent, and proceeds to our country's history surround these rights. The book is filled with period maps, quotes, political cartoons, and other interesting primary sources.
Quiri, Patricia Ryan. Constitution. Connecticut: Childrens Press, 1999.
Quiri offers a clear explanation about why a Constitution was needed; describes the convention in Philadelphia in 1787, the Virginia and New Jersey plans, the Great Compromise, and the ratification process.
Sobel, Syl. The U.S. Constitution and You. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 2001.
Sobel tells students (3rd-5th grade) about the Constitution–explaining exactly what the Constitution does, as well as how it affects and protects people today.
Spier, Peter. We the People: The Constitution of the United States of America. New York, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1987.
Spier celebrates the Constitution by including the Declaration of Independence, the body of the document, amendments, a 1787 map of the United States, and a photograph of each of the signers.
On the National Constitution Center website is a section specifically devoted to resources for teachers and students alike. Included are a number of resources for students to understand the Constitution and other founding documents. This game called "Save the Bill of Rights," has students identifying the freedoms in the Bill by looking at pictures demonstrating them.
Independence National Historical Park http://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm
This website provides contact information, a brief history of Independence National Historical Park and a listing of educational and public programs to plan a visit.
NARA-U.S. National Archives and Records Administration http://www.archives.gov/
This site is a wonderful resource for learning more the founding documents. Don't forget to check out the link entitled "Educators and Students," which includes information about taking your class to the Archives as well as other resources for teachers such as workshops, trainings, and information on using primary resources.
National Constitution Center, National Constitution Center http://www.constitutioncenter.org
The National Constitution Center would be an excellent site for a field trip. Its exhibits are educational and very interactive and engaging. Its website is a strong resource for teachers. Link onto "Educational Resources" and find information on arranging school visits and resources for both educators and students. In the resources for educators, you can find classroom ideas for Constitution Day, curriculum resources, and helpful ideas for teaching with current events.
UShistory.org, A Background to Philadelphia, PA, UShistory.org, A Background to Philadelphia, PA http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/philadelphia.html
This website includes information about the history of Philadelphia including timelines.
