Your students will learn about the Constitution of the United States and related government organization.

At its core, a constitution is the highest form of laws in a country. Each country has different ways to interpreting these laws into methods and governing bodies that provide citizens with law and order. In the United States the constitution helps establish three different branches of government to protect their citizens and provide them with basic rights. The formation of the U.S. constitution was the culmination of a wide number of plans and countless contributions from a wide array of historical figures including James Madison who is considered to be the father of the Constitution. Many of his basic ideas and principles were ratified into law. What powers and rights does the Constitution of the United States guarantee? What do the specific amendments address? What is the procedure for amending the Constitution?

These worksheets examine each of amendments from the aspects of the framers to the laws it forms and the enforcement of it all. We look at how this document was created from start to finish and the people involved in the process. We then look at what was created as a result of this document and its consequences. The following collection of worksheets examines the role of the Constitution in shaping the United States government. Your students will learn about the separation of powers, the three branches of government and how they function as checks and balances, the founding fathers, and more. Each reading passage is accompanied by questionnaires. Fun Stuff: Introduce your students to the Schoolhouse Rock songs covering these topics (especially the Preamble song!). They can all be found on YouTube.



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Print U.S. Constitution Worksheets

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The First Amendment

Even though these laws are clearly given to us they come under certain limitations. For example, you have freedom of speech but you can not say something that would endanger people like yelling "FIRE" in a crowded room.

The Fourth Amendment

The Fourth Amendment protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures from governmental actors such as police, sheriffs, and judges and so on.

The Eighteenth Amendment

A statement of the bounds of the amendment.

The Eighteenth Amendment Questions

These sync with the reading worksheet above.

The Thirteenth Amendment

This amendment made slavery illegal in the United States following the Civil War which was fought between the Northern and Southern states in 1861 through 1865.

The Fifteenth Amendment

Although this amendment made it possible for non-white men to vote women both white and black were still unable to vote.

The Nineteenth Amendment

It was proposed on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920. The amendment was the culmination of the work of many activists in favor of women's suffrage.

Nineteenth Amendment Questions

Works with the above reading passage.

The Twenty-First Amendment

This repealed the 18th Amendment.

The Twenty-Second Amendment

The twenty-second Amendment sets a limit on how many terms the president of the United States can serve.

The Twenty-Second Amendment Questions

This accompanies the above reading sheet.

Citizenship in America

This tells us that anyone born in the United States is automatically a citizen.

The Bill of Rights

Jefferson was in favor of adding a Bill of Rights for individual citizens. James Madison was the author of the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights - Multiple Choice Questions

The Sixth Amendment continues with the right to fair and speedy trial and the right to counsel by an attorney.

The Bill of Rights - Short Answer Questions

How long did it take for all thirteen states to ratify this document?

The Articles

The Constitution of the United States is a surprisingly brief document, just 7,400 words including the Amendments that have been ratified over the last 200 years.

The Articles - Multiple Choice Questions

In order to amend the document, how many states must approve?

The Articles - Short Answer Questions

Read the Preamble to the Constitution. Explain the six reasons given in the Preamble was written.

Amending the Constitution

Fifty-five delegates from twelve states met in Philadelphia in 1787 and wrote it defining the framework for the American government and the rights of its citizens.

Multiple Choice Questions

How many amendments are there?

Short Answer Questions

Why did the writers of the constitution plan on the fact that there would be changes needed to it over time?

Branches of Government

The delegates wanted to insure that their new country would preserve the freedoms that they had just fought a war to obtain.

Branches of Government - Multiple Choice Questions

Which of the following is NOT a branch of the federal government?

Branches of Government - Short Answer Questions

Why did the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention write a constitution with three branches of government?

The Constitution and Branches of Government

To achieve this separation of power, as it is called, the document calls for three branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial. Each branch of government has certain responsibilities that are defined in the document and particular roles that officials perform.

Multiple Choice Questions

How many branches are there in the U.S. government? Which federal official has a six-year term of office?

Short Answer Questions

How many Supreme Court justices are there and how are they selected?

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Explain what happens in stage of the process of a bill becoming a law.

Creators of the Constitution

The representatives who wrote the Articles did not give this centralized government much power; the new states wanted to retain as much independence as possible.

Multiple Choice Questions

Alexander Hamilton's plan for the government of the United States was not discussed much at the Philadelphia convention. Why do you think Hamilton's plan did not get more attention?

Short Answer Questions

Explain why the government under the Articles of Confederation did not have much power.

Changes to the Constitution

It was written over two hundred years ago and continues to serve as the framework of the American government.

Changes to the Constitution - Multiple Choice Questions

Some state leaders were reluctant to ratify the Constitution because they were concerned about the new federal government.

Short Answer Questions

Explain why the Constitution does not spell out the structure of the American government in great detail.

Separation of Power

Some countries, especially those in the less developed parts of the world, are still ruled by just one person, a dictator who seized power by military action.

Multiple Choice Questions

Which branch of the U.S. government includes the Supreme Court?

Short Answer Questions

A few times in the history of the United States the son or grandson of a previous president has been elected president. Do you think this should be allowed or forbidden because it is too much like having a royal family?

Checks and Balances

Explain what checks and balances each branch has on the other two branches of the United States government.

Amending the Constitution

The writers of the Constitution had the foresight to build into the Constitution the rules for changing it when needed, but it is not an easy process.

Amending the Constitution - Multiple Choice Questions

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called __________.

Amending the Constitution - Short Answer Questions

Why did the writers of the Constitution plan on the fact that there would be changes needed to it over time?

More Changes to the Constitution

Altogether there are twenty-seven amendments to the Constitution. Important amendments follow changes in social thinking over the centuries.

Multiple Choice Questions

Some state leaders were reluctant to ratify the Constitution because they were concerned about the new corrupt federal government.

Short Answer Questions

Explain why the Constitution does not spell out the structure of the American government in great detail.

What is the United States Constitution?

After some time it was clear to government officials that this confederation was not strong enough to govern properly and the states were suffering economically.

Multiple Choice Questions

The American colonists were accustomed to what form of government?

Short Answer Questions

Under the Articles of Confederation actions of the central Congress had to be approved by 9 of the 13 states. What percent of the states needed to approve an action of Congress?

Why Do We Need a Constitution?

Have you ever played a game of hide-and-seek or tag on the playground? Kids, even kindergarteners, have been playing simple games like these for centuries.

Multiple Choice Questions

Ordinary citizens do not have a say in which form of government?

Short Answer Questions

Why was a simple game like tag used as an analogy for studying the Constitution?