Resources to Prepare for Constitution Day

Everything you need to plan your Constitution Day classroom visit. This guide is about one thing: planning the time you'll spend in the room — so that walking in feels easy, not daunting. For many students, you'll be the first legal professional they've ever met. When you walk into a classroom, you're not just teaching a lesson — you're living proof that the rule of law belongs to everyone. That’s what makes you the lesson, too. The single most memorable part of your visit is a real legal professional in the room — you don't have to be perfect, and you don't need to build anything from scratch. Every day is a good day to teach about the Constitution; Sept. 17 is simply where we start.

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Core Constitutional Ideas to Teach

Every visit should land at least two of these core constitutional ideas — the principles at the heart of what the Constitution is and means. Think of them as a starting point: pick ones that fit your grade band, then choose a lesson plan that brings them to life. Fewer ideas taught well, with room for discussion, beats a rushed survey of all six.

These resources are designed to help you plan and run a K–12 classroom visit — public, private, or tribal. Questions? Contact the Lawyers in the Classroom program team at lawyersintheclassroom@courts.wa.gov.

All Constitution Day Resources