Research Guides: Constitution Day Resources: Home

Constitution Images

First page of the Constitution © Library of Congress

Second page of the Constitution © Library of Congress

Third page of the Constitution © Library of Congress

Fourth page of the Constitution © Library of Congress

What is Constitution Day?

All higher education institutions that receive federal funds from the Department of Education are required to implement an educational program relating to the United States Constitution on Sept. 17, 2005, and every subsequent year. The full text of the authorizing legislation can be found in Section 111 of Division J of Pub. L. 108-447, the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005," Dec. 8, 2004; 118 Stat. 2809, 3344-45 (Section 111).

This day will be known as "Constitution Day" to honor the signing of the Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. The legislation authorizing this Day states, "Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year should hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution." Should Sept. 17 fall on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, educational institutions should celebrate "Constitution Day" the preceding or following week.

Middle Georgia State University has celebrated Constitution Day each year since 2005.

Text from:

https://www.mga.edu/student-life/constitution-day.php

Constitution Day Resources- Books and Films

book cover: American Epic: reading the US Constitution

book cover: Framed America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (ebook)

book cover: A Brilliant Solution: inventing the American Constitution

book cover: This Constitution : our enduring legacy

book cover: Guide to the U. S. Constitution

book cover: Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 Reported by James Madison

DVD Cover image: In search of the Constitution with Bill Moyers (DVD)

DVD Cover image: Constitution USA : with Peter Sagal (DVD)

DVD Cover image: United States Constitution and Bill of Rights (DVD)

DVD cover image: Key constitutional concepts (DVD)

DVD cover image: Saving the national treasures (DVD)

Links to streaming films

In Search of the Constitution with Bill Moyers (series - stream with Films On Demand) Bill Moyers examines the vitality of our nation’s most important document by listening to people who interpret and teach it, as well as people whose lives have been changed by it. Moyers’ purpose in this series was "to hear a variety of opinions whose sum total will show that the Constitution is a living, if conflicted, force in contemporary lives, even as it shaped the generations before us. It is our common bond to the past and our legacy to the future." Featured in the series are Supreme Court Justices O’Connor and Powell, and former Justices Brennan and Blackmun; historians Forrest McDonald, Michael Kammen, and Olive Taylor; former Court of Appeals Judge Robert Bork; former Attorney General Edwin Meese; legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin; author and educator Mortimer Adler; and citizens whose battles for their rights went all the way to the Supreme Court. In the final program, Moyers examines contemporary issues such as drug testing, computer dossiers, and presidential war powers, and how they test the Constitution. 11-part series, 60 minutes each.
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First in the series is: “In the Beginning.” Films Media Group, 1987, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=114464&xtid=4906. Accessed 15 Sept. 2019.
Constitution USA with Peter Sagal (stream with Films on Demand) Breathing new life into the traditional civics lesson, Peter Sagal, host of NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me," travels across the country on a Harley Davidson to find out where the U.S. Constitution lives, how it works and how it doesn't ... how it unites us as a nation and how it has nearly torn us apart. Sagal introduces some major constitutional debates today and talks with ordinary Americans and leading constitutional experts about what the Constitution actually says and what it means, the dramatic historical events and crises that have defined it, and why all this matters.
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First in the series is: “A More Perfect Union: Constitution USA with Peter Sagal.” Films Media Group, 2013, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=114464&xtid=58627. Accessed 15 Sept. 2019.
The U.S. Constitution (Revised) - (stream with Films On Demand) DESCRIPTION: The Almost Painless Guide to the U.S. Constitution uses contemporary video footage, archival video footage and photographs, original graphics, and dialog narration to provide students in grades five and up with information on the U.S. Constitution. The program examines the inception of the Constitution as it succeeded the Articles of Confederation. It discusses the importance of the Constitution as the foundation of a federal system of government and the concept of “We the People” as the ultimate authority. The articles of the Constitution that defined the three branches of government are discussed, as is the concept of “checks and balances.” The Preamble is explored in depth, as are the first ten amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments to the Constitution. The program concludes with “The Almost Painless Review,” which offers an excellent synopsis of the entire program. Also, a Video Quiz is provided prior to the closing credits in order to help you assess student comprehension immediately following the video presentation.
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“The U.S. Constitution (Revised).” Films Media Group, 2012, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=114464&xtid=146036. Accessed 15 Sept. 2019.
Amending the Constitution (stream with Films On Demand) DESCRIPTION: This program is an indispensable tool for helping students to understand the constitutional amendment process and to see its importance in their own lives. It defines what an amendment is, explains why amendments have been needed down through the centuries, and describes the process for proposing and ratifying an amendment. Amendments used as illustrations of the process of changing the Constitution have been carefully selected for their interest value to today’s students. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. Correlates to National Standards for United States History Education. A Cambridge Educational Production. (18 minutes)
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“Amending the Constitution.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2002, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=114464&xtid=29906. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020.
The United States Constitution (stream with Films on Demand) DESCRIPTION: The Constitution is one of the most important and versatile documents ever written. Orderly systems of government, a president who is held accountable by Congress, and brilliantly conceived checks and balances all flow from the Constitution and have served as the backbone for creating and maintaining the greatest nation in history. It has stood the test of time and remains viable and fresh in an age, today, when life is much different than when it was written.
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“The United States Constitution.” Films Media Group, 2004, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=114464&xtid=154875. Accessed 15 Sept. 2019.
The Constitution and Foundations of Government (stream with Films on Demand) DESCRIPTION Why do written documents figure so prominently in the early history of the United States? There are plenty of explanations, but they all boil down to the philosophical ideas that drove the American colonies to declare their independence—and a profound awareness that those ideas should be inseparable from the rule of law. This program explores the origins, outbreak, and outcome of the American Revolution, the major political texts which grew out of that struggle, and their ongoing significance today. Topics include the heavy British taxation that helped spark the Revolution; the spirit and structure of the Declaration of Independence; the short-lived Articles of Confederation; the drafting and ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and their implications for U.S. government as we know it today. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. A part of the series U.S. Government: How It Works. (26 minutes)
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“The Constitution and Foundations of Government.” Films Media Group, 2010, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=114464&xtid=39964. Accessed 15 Sept. 2019.

Websites

National Archives: America's Founding Documents: The Constitution of the United States
Explore America's Founding Documents with these high quality resources from the National Archives.
Library of Congress: Primary Documents in American History;United States Constitution
Explore this Library of Congress web guide for the United States Constitution.
Constitution Day
On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created. We encourage all Americans to observe this important day in our nation's history by attending local events in your area. Celebrate Constitution Day through activities, learning, parades and demonstrations of our Love for the United State of America and the Blessings of Freedom Our Founding Fathers secured for us.

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Constitution Day Resources