Constitution Event Kit

LaShana Burris-Wade

PRE READING

ACTIVITIES
Dear Reader,
Join Juliette as she takes you on a journey
through our Constitution.
Before reading, gather the ingredients for the
Patriotic Cake, and bake away. (page 3)
Gather some friends around and serve it up as you
take part in these awesome Constitutional activities.
Enjoy!

This Constitution Packet provides

a great party theme for celebrating:
Constitution Day (September 17)
Election Day (the first Tuesday of November)
Presidents Day (the third Monday of February)
Independence Day (July 4)

Pre-Reading Quiz Questions:

Who is known as the Father of the Constitution?
What is a framer?
What is a founding father?
When was the constitution written?
Where was the first constitutional convention held?
Answers (in order): James Madison; someone who helped write the Constitution; someone who led the United States
in the Revolutionary War, and who signed the Declaration of Independence; 1787; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PATRIOTIC CAKE

ACTIVITY
Cake Ingredients:
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. If you plan to serve
your American flag cake in the pan, greasing it is fine. If youd like to remove the
cake for a prettier presentation, lightly grease and flour the pan as well.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed
until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
4. One at a time, add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating on medium-high speed
between each addition. Add the vanilla. Beat about 3 minutes, until well mixed.
5. Stir in a third of the flour mixture, followed by a third of the milk. Repeat twice
more until all flour and milk have been incorporated. Mix your batter until just
combined.
6. Pour into pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Decoration Ingredients:
Vanilla icing
cup blueberries, rinsed
1 cup strawberries, rinsed and hulled

Decoration Instructions:
Spread vanilla icing on cooled cake.
At the top left corner of the cake, line up blueberries to make a square.
Place strawberries horizontally in rows to create the red and white stripes.
Make sure there is enough space between the horizontal strawberry lines
so that white vanilla icing stripes are visible.
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PREAMBLE

SCRAMBLE
The US Constitution sets the foundation
for the United States Government.
The Preamble (introduction) gives the
(6) reasons/goals why the writers wanted
to form such a government.

Ben Franklin tripped and dropped the Preamble before he could set it in the
printing press. Help Ben reassemble the Preamble. Write it in corect order on
the lines below.

this Constitution of the United States. and secure the Blessings of Liberty
We, the people do ordain and establish of the United States provide for
the common defence, in Order to form insure domestic Tranquility,
a more perfect Union, of America to ourselves and our Posterity,
promote the general Welfare, establish Justice

For the correctly unscrambled Preamble, see Teachers Guide at the end of this document.

LETS ROCK TO THE

CONSTITUTION!
Read the Preamble of the Constitution.
After reading, translate each phrase below
into everyday language. There are many
paraphrased videos you can watch on
websites like YouTube.com for examples:

To form a more perfect Union means:

Establish Justice means:

Insure domestic Tranquility means:

Provide for the common defense means:

Promote the general Welfare means:

Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity means:

WHAT ARE MY

RIGHTS?
Directions: Draw a line to match
each of the scenarios with the
amendment that it addresses.

1st Amendment

An Army soldier comes to your home, tells you hes

hungry, and demands you feed him.

2nd Amendment

Florida makes a law saying you are not allowed to

kill alligators.

3rd Amendment

A police officer stops your moms car, asks everyone

to get out, and starts looking inside it.

4th Amendment

A school suspends a student for refusing to say the

Pledge of Allegiance.

5th Amendment
You want to sue your friend for borrowing $10 and
not paying it back.
6th Amendment
A judge ties a childs hands together for two days
after he is caught stealing.

7th Amendment

Congress decides that no one can eat candy

anymore.

8th Amendment

Your dad is sent to jail and no one tells him why.

9th Amendment
Your grandpa owns a gun for hunting.
10th Amendment

The government builds a new public road on your

property without asking.

For correct answers, see Teacher's Guide at the end of this document.

CREAT A FREEDOM

QUILT

Directions: Draw four patriotic symbols in each square.

Include a caption below each square that explains each
symbol.
Cut each square out and tape them together. Tape your
four squares to the squares of your friends or classmates,
and create a larger Freedom Quilt for everyone to enjoy.
Did you draw the same symbols as anyone else? Talk about
the similarities and differences in the symbols you chose, and
why you chose them. If large enough, attach the Freedom
Quilt to your classroom wall, or a wall in your home.

A MORE PERFECT UNION

CONSTITUTIONAL
READERS THEATRE
Cast List:
o Articles (of Confederation)
o Narrator 1
o Narrator 5
o Framer 2

o Small States
o Narrator 2
o Narrator 6
o Framer 3

o Large States
o Narrator 3
o Narrator 7
o Framer 4

o Narrator 4
o Framer 1
o Framer 5

Narrator 1: In the summer of 1787, fifty-five men called Framers ...

Framer 1: Im a Framer!

Framer 2: So am I!

Narrator 1: ...went to Philadelphia to begin working on a new Constitution. For six

years, America had a weak central government created by the Articles of
Confederation.

Articles: (weakly) Whats wrong with me? I was OK when I was written.

Framer 3: You are too weak. We need a strong central government.

Framer 4: (Patting Articles on the back) Its OK. You did the job we needed then.
Now we need something else.
Articles: (Slouching) I do feel rather weak.

Narrator 2: The framers met all summer long. The weather was hot and so were
the arguments.
Framer 1: (Powerfully) We need to protect states rights!

Narrator 2: Under the Articles of Confederation, each state was like its own little country.
Each made its own laws. Each had its own currency.

Framer 3: We need to protect states rights, but we also need to be a

more perfect union.
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 Narrator 3: America needed to be more united. It needed one currency. It needed to be

able to protect the people of the United States equally.

Framer 2: This Constitution must establish justice and insure domestic tranquility.

Framer 3: It must also provide for the common defense and promote the
general welfare.

Narrator 3: The framers got to work. They wanted to make sure they had a strong leader
who would not be a king.
Small States: NO KING! NO KING!
Large States: We need a strong leader!

Framer 4: A president is what we need. A president will lead our country. He will sign
laws or veto them. The president will work on foreign policy. He will be in
charge of the armed forces.

Framer 5: This will be called the executive branch.

Narrator 4: The first part of the government was decided. But an argument arose during
the meetings over representation of the people.
Small States: We want to be represented equally.
Large States: But we have more people than you do! How will we work this out?

Framer 1: I have an idea!

Narrator 4: The Great Compromise was put in place. This formed the Legislative Branch
of our government. It is called Congress.

Framer 2: Our legislature will have two houses. One will be the House of
Representatives.

Large States: The House of Representatives is based on the population of each state.
That makes us happy!

Framer 3: The other will be the Senate.

Small States: Two senators from each state! We like that.

Narrator 5: Now, the framers needed to put together the judicial branch. This branch
of government would make sure the laws lined up with what the
Constitution says.

Framer 4: The highest court in the land will be called the Supreme Court.

Framer 5: Thats a great idea! We need to keep checks and balances on all the branches
of government.

Narrator 5: Things were shaping up. The new government was set. The Constitution
would replace the Articles of Confederation. One Article set up cooperation
among the states. They would have to get along. The states had to obey the
central government.
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 Small States: Were glad well be working together now.

Large States: (Shaking Small States hand) It will be much better this way.
Narrator 6: The new Constitution also had a way it could be changed. It wouldnt be easy
to make a change, but the framers knew it would be necessary someday. They
didnt want to have to start over again. This made the document a living
document. Once approved, the Constitution would be the highest law in the
land. All the other laws would have to agree with it.

Framer 1: Its time to send this on to the states.

Small States: We like it! Well approve!

Narrator 7: Nine states would need to approve the Constitution. But there was a
small catch.
Large States: Hmmm ... Theres nothing in here about peoples rights. I think Ill send a letter
to the Congress.

Framer 5: Its a good thing we added in the part about changing the Constitution!

Narrator 7: The Congress agreed that the rights of the people needed to be added. They
promised the states they would write a Bill of Rights for the people. Soon
the Constitution was approved, and the Bill of Rights was added. A strong
government was in place ...

ALL: ... for the United States of America!

THE END

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I HAVE, WHO HAS

This is a looping game that helps friends and students learn facts
about the Constitution in a fun way!
First, gather a small group of friends or students together.
Cut along the dotted lines to create individual I have, who has
cards. Pass all of the cards out in the small group until each person
has one or more cards.
The student who has Start Card printed on his/her card will
begin by reading the Who has clue on the bottom half of their
card. Others must listen carefully to the clue while reviewing the
I have answers on the top half of their cards.
The person who correctly shouts out their I have answer will
get to read aloud the Who has clue on the same card they used
to answer correctly. The game continues in this fashion until all the
cards have been read aloud, and ends when the I have answer
on the top half of the Start Card is read aloud to correctly answer
the final Who has clue.

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Start Card

I have Founding
Fathers.

I have
unalienable rights.
Who has the men who
wrote and signed the
Declaration of
Independence?

The date when

the Declaration of
Independence was
signed?

I have
July 4, 1776

I have life, liberty,

and the pursuit
of happiness.

Who has what the

Declaration of
Independence
declares?

Who has the type of

government by, for,
and of the people?

I have
Democracy.

I have
The Constitution.

Who has the highest

law of the land?

Who has the year

the Constitution was
written?

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I have 1787.

I have Framers.

Who has the group of

men who first met to
write the Constitution?

Who has where

the Constitutional
Convention took
place?

I have
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania.

I have
Rhode Island.
Who has the person who
was too weak to sign the
Constitution and had to
be carried in a chair
by four prisoners?

Who has the state that

was not represented at
the first Constitutional
Convention?

I have
Benjamin
Franklin.

I have
September 17th.
Who has the branch
of government that
includes the office of
the President and
Vice President?

Who has the day the

Constitution was
signed?

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I have
Executive Branch.

I have
Judicial Branch.

The branch of
government that
includes our courts
and judges?

The branch of
government that
makes the laws?

I have Senate
and House of
Representatives.

I have Legislative
Branch
(Congress).

Who has how the

three branches of
government work
together?

Who has the two

parts of the
legislative branch?

I have Senate
and House of
Representatives.

I have Checks
and Balances.
Who has what a formal
change to the
Constitution is called?

Who has how the

three branches of
government work
together?

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I have
Two-thirds.

I have
Bill of Rights.
Who has what all
humans born with?

Who has the name

of the first 10
amendments to
the Constitution?

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TEACHERS GUIDE
Preamble Scramble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

What Are My Rights?

1st Amendment

An Army soldier comes to your home, tells you hes

hungry, and demands you feed him.

2nd Amendment

Florida makes a law saying you are not allowed to

kill alligators.

3rd Amendment

A police officer stops your moms car, asks everyone

to get out, and starts looking inside it.

4th Amendment

A school suspends a student for refusing to say the

Pledge of Allegiance.

5th Amendment
You want to sue your friend for borrowing $10 and
not paying it back.
6th Amendment
A judge ties a childs hands together for two days
after he is caught stealing.

7th Amendment

Congress decides that no one can eat candy

anymore.

8th Amendment

Your dad is sent to jail and no one tells him why.

9th Amendment
Your grandpa owns a gun for hunting.
10th Amendment

The government builds a new public road on your

property without asking.

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TEACHERS GUIDE (I Have, Who Has?)

1. The men who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence?
Founding Fathers
2. The date when the Declaration of Independence was signed?
July 4, 1776
3. What the Declaration of Independence declares?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
4. The type of government by, for, and of the people?
Democracy
5. The highest law of the land?
The Constitution
6. The year the Constitution was written?
1787
7. The group of men who first met to write the Constitution?
Framers
8. Where the Constitutional Convention took place?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9. The state that was not represented at the first Constitutional Convention?
Rhode Island
10. The person who was too weak to sign the Constitution and had to be carried
in a chair by four prisoners?
Benjamin Franklin
11. The day the Consitution was signed?
September 17th
12. The branch of government that includes the office of the President and Vice President?
Executive Branch
13. The branch of government that includes our courts and judges?
Judicial Branch
14. The branch of government that makes the laws?
Legislative Branch (Congress)
15. The two parts of the legislative branch?
Senate and House of Representatives
16. How the three branches of government work together?
Checks and Balances
17. What a formal change to the Constitution is called?
Amendment
18. How many members of Congress are required to make an amendment to the Constitution?
Two-thirds
19. The name of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
Bill of Rights
20. What are all humans born with?
Unalienable rights
17

Our Constitution Rocks is a fun, informative, and relevant book that will empower the youth in our
country with the knowledge they need to succeed. Juliette Turner may be only fourteen years old, 
but she highlights the importance of the Constitution for her generation and many to follow.

Barbara Bush, Former First Lady of the United States
It is wonderful to see that a document over two hundred years old can still excite the imagination,
hopefulness and expectations of our nations younger citizens in a way that bonds them both to our shared
past and those values common to all Americans.

Terry McCuliffe, Former Chairman of the Democrat National Committee
Makes the brilliance of our Constitution and the founding principles of our country accessible to every
young patriot.

Congressman Scott Garrett, (RNJ) Founder and Chairman of the Congressional
Constitution Caucus
Our Constitution Rocks shows kids how a document written 225 years ago still matters today. It 
serves as a great tool for inspiring the next generation of Americans to become active participants in our
democracy.

David Eisner, President and CEO, National Constitution Center
So this is a great idea! A teenager writes a book explaining how the USA works for other teenagers. 
A very valuable tool for American kids.

Bill OReilly, Anchor, Fox News Channel

Imagine a world without television, facebook, iTunes ... a voice

You are invited on a totally unique journey through the Constitution with fourteen-year-old Juliette
Turner, the National Youth Director of Constituting America. Discover this document in a whole new
way, through fun facts, quotes, cartoons, actual debates, great graphics, and so much more. Juliette
breaks down the Constitution, clause by clause, and makes it real and relevant for a new generation,
Learn how those guys in wigs came up with some of the best ideas ever. Written for kids by a kid,
Juliettes passion and excitement breathes new life into an old document and reminds us why it
remains one of the most important documents in world history.
Fourteen year old, Juliette Turner, is an honor student, singer, dancer and the National Youth Director
for Constituting America. When she isnt writing or on the speaking circuit, she can be found with
her mother, actress and radio talk show host, Janine Turner, on their Texas ranch caring for their
herd of 25 longhorn cows, eight dogs, pony AB and cat, Sparkle.

LaShana Wade has been an educator for over 13 years. She graduated from Winthrop University
with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education in 2000 and Master of Education Degree in
Curriculum/Instruction in 2006. Most recently, LaShana obtained an Educational Specialist Degree
in Curriculum/Instruction from Converse College. She is a National Board Certified Early Childhood
Generalist, and is a certified CERRA Mentor Teacher in South Carolina.

9780310734215
$15.99

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