Although it was written in the 18th century, the U.S. Constitution is the principle by which our country lives.
This means that it is very important for students to read, learn about, and understand the Constitution and how it affects their lives—even in ways that they’d never realized.
As you study American History and the Constitution, it is important to give students a chance to write about and reflect on what they’ve learned so they can really understand the material.
Below, you’ll find a list of writing prompts—which can be changed depending on grade level—to help students think more deeply about the Constitution and what they’ve learned.
How to use these prompts:
Use this writing guide in tandem with your curriculum about American History and the U.S. Constitution. Here are some ways you can use this list of prompts in your classroom:
- Divide your classroom into groups and have each group work on a certain number of prompts.
- Challenge your students to write using one prompt in their journal each day for a week.
- Use these prompts to help students gain a further understanding if they seem to be struggling with the topic.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Writing Prompts
- Who are some prominent people who were at the creation of the Constitution?
- Why is the Constitution important?
- What is the Bill of Rights?
- Why is the Bill of Rights so important today?
- Make a list of 5 things that are considered a right.
- Make a list of 5 things that are not considered a right.
- Copy the preamble to the Constitution in your best handwriting.
- Pretend to be a reporter and write an article about the creation of the Constitution.
- How does the system of checks and balances work?
- What is the role of the legislative branch of the government?
- What is the role of the executive branch of the government?
- What is the role of the judicial branch of the government?
- What is an amendment?
- Why was it important to create amendments to the Constitution?
- Paparazzi are protected by freedom of the press. Do you think they overuse this right in order to get the best pictures and stories, or are they within their rights to do what they want?
- If you could write an amendment to the Constitution today, what would it be?
- Write your own Bill of Rights for your classroom.
- How did the Constitution create a division in the U.S.?
- Why did the U.S. abandon the Articles of Confederation in exchange for the Constitution?
- Do you think the Constitution applies to today, or should it be changed because times have changed?
- Which amendment in the Bill of Rights do you think is the most important? Why?
- Do you agree that all U.S. citizens should read and understand the Constitution? Explain your answer.
- How did the Revolutionary War influence the Constitution?
- Do you think the Constitution could be changed in the future?
- Write 2-5 paragraphs discussing what you know about the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
- Are students able to influence a change in school rules and policies? Explain with examples.
- Have you ever signed a petition for change? Explain?
- What does it mean to be accountable to the law?
- What happens when groups of people stop abiding by the law?
- Give an example of someone following a law even when it’s inconvenient for them to do so.
- Give at least five examples of how the rule of law affects your daily life.
- How does the Constitution guarantee that citizens are to be treated fairly by the government?
- Summarize the Preamble of the Constitution.
- What does the first amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantee? Give a few examples throughout U.S. history where this right proved to be important.
- Compare and contrast two amendments in the Bill of Rights.
- Why do you think Congress is so unpopular among the American people?
- Why do states have their own constitutions? Do they vary by state?
- Which U.S. state’s name is spelled wrong in the Constitution? How do you think this happened?
- Does the Constitution mention women’s rights? Explain your answer.
- Is slavery mentioned in the Constitution? Explain your answer.
- Compare and contrast the U.S. Constitution with state constitutions.
- What are the seven main purposes of the U.S. Constitution? Do you think any one is more important than the others? Explain.
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