Social Studies

Teaching the Constitution in Middle School

In this blog, you will get simple, practical, and effective tips on teaching the Constitution in middle school.

You’ve been assigned to teach the Constitution. Now what? Teaching civics can arguably be one of the most important endeavors for a social studies teacher. Teaching students about a document like the Constitution is historically significant, but it also impacts our present lives. This is something that all social studies teachers would be tasked to do.

But let’s face it…people actually go to law school and study Constitutional law because it is so complex and foundational. So how do you do it in a way that is meaningful to your middle school students? If you are a middle school teacher, you know that there is a lot more on their developing minds than the day’s civic lesson, and that this material most likely seems “out of reach” in their world.

In this blog, you will learn how to easily and interactively teach the Constitution to your Middle Schoolers!

Getting Started with Teaching the Constitution

Luckily, it is possible. Here is how I have approached this in my middle school class:

  • I usually start with a mock creation of the Continental Congress, casting students as representatives, and dividing them up into the North and the South.
  • Each section brainstorms what they feel would be most important for laws for the new country. If your students are struggling, give them some areas of focus (qualifications of leaders, the issue of rights, etc.)
  • Have students present their thoughts. It might be fun to post an editable document and let each student (or group of students ) add to it.

Teaching the Constitution…simplified!

  • Now that there has been a bit of engagement, it’s time to teach. I usually start out by giving the students a copy of the Constitution. We take a “walk-through” to see the structure and basic components.
  • You will definitely need to do some direct teaching. You can create your own slideshow that gives the most important information without overwhelming them, and ask them to respond to information. If you are short on time, you may want to purchase some resources to teach the Constitution here. Just be sure not to make it overly detailed and add some interactive components so that they can respond in a meaningful way.
  • Now it’s time for students to “get their hands on” the information. You could create a worksheet in a “scavenger hunt” style, where they are looking through the actual Constitution for the answers.
This will get kids searching through the Constitution.
  • Who doesn’t love a fun, interactive game? You could create many games on your Google Slides. There are lots of free formats for Jeopardy-style questions and other games on the web.
This is a sure-fire interactive game that kids will love!

Assessment

Assessment is important. After doing this many ways, here is what I recommend:

  • Questions should be both literal and inferential. For example: How old do you need to be to become a Senator? Who has more power, a Senator or a Rep?
  • Short responses are also helpful. For example: Which Amendment is the most important to you? Explain why in a well-developed paragraph.
  • Whatever you choose, I recommend doing this as an “open document” assessment. Students should be able to use their Constitution; memorizing the entire Constitution is certainly not advisable.  Here’s a ready-made product if you need one:

Important: Don’t forget to grab your free product! There are 2 weeks of engaging discussion questions for your students…perfect for an easy anticipatory set…absolutely free!

Two weeks of engaging questions…yours free!

Your Entire Year of U.S. History…Already Planned

Imagine having your entire year of middle school U.S. History already planned. The All in One Middle School Social Studies Membership includes ready-to-use lessons, engaging activities, assessments, and teacher resources that save you hours of prep time. Whether you’re planning one week or the entire school year, you’ll have everything you need in one place—so you can spend less time planning and more time teaching.  Membership is now open, so don’t delay. 👉 Click here to learn more and join!

Questions?  Email me anytime:  linda@allinonemiddleschool.com

Best of luck to you and your students!

-Linda A. – “All in One Middle School

Helpful links:

Membership for Social Studies Teachers American History Year-Long Curriculum

Constitution Products on TPT

Free Constitution Question of the Day

One-on-One Coaching for Observations and Lessons 

Linda Asaro

View Comments

  • This is the right webpage for anyone who hopes to understand this topic. You realize so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually will need toÖHaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject that has been discussed for many years. Excellent stuff, just wonderful!

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