September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Day). This day commemorates the September 17, 1787, signing of the United States Constitution.

Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year is required to hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17, of such year for the students served by the educational institution. This posting is intended to remind affected educational institutions of this responsibility and to provide some resources for them to use in developing their program.

To assist in planning Constitution Day programs, we are pleased to provide links to Federal Web sites that contain materials that can be publicly accessed for general use or for use as teaching materials in the classroom.

The Department of Education maintains a Web site for finding teaching resources across the Federal government. It is called FREE and can be found at: http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=19

Constitution Resources
Meet the delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. Learn what issues they faced. Discover the sources that inspired them. Read the essays printed in New York City papers urging ratification of the delegates' proposal. Explore a 200-year timeline showing the impact of the Constitution on our history. Search the Constitution, and see explanations of 300 topics.

We also encourage participants to visit The National History Education Clearinghouse (NHEC) Web site at www.teachinghistory.org. The NHEC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under contract no. ED-07-CO-0088. The NHEC homepage features special, highlighted information on teaching resources for Constitution Day.

In addition, we refer you to the National Archives and Records Administration's Web site, www.archives.gov.

Celebrate Constitution Day
Read the Constitution in its original form and in a transcript. View Webcasts of Senator Byrd's remarks and discussions on federalism and checks and balances.

The Constitution of the United States
View high resolution scans of the original, signed Constitution. Obtain a transcript. Read an essay about the Constitutional Convention. Learn dozens of fascinating facts about the Constitution. Learn about each of the signers of the Constitution.

Observing Constitution Day: The Signers of the Constitution
Find out about the delegates who signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Observing Constitution Day: The Constitution Game
Explore, in this simulation, how the members of the Constitutional Convention might have felt as they gathered in Philadelphia's Independence Hall and began the task of writing the Constitution.

Teaching With Documents: The Ratification of the Constitution
Uncover the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution and the new government it established.

Thank you for your interest in Constitution Day and these resources. If you have any questions regarding Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, please contact Tony Fowler at (202) 401-3673 or Anthony.Fowler@ed.gov.