Teaching the Principles of the Constitution Worksheet

While lectures and discussions are important, when it comes to teaching young students about constitutional principles, the federal government, and the separation of powers, well-designed worksheets are a teacher's best friend!

The backbone of the American government, the U.S. Constitution plays a critical role in shaping the country's political and social landscape. As history teachers, it's absolutely essential that we help our students understand the principles of the Constitution and how they apply to our modern-day society.

In this article, we'll my favorite types of worksheets that can be used to effectively teach students about the principles of the U.S. Constitution, including the aforementioned separation of powers, as well as individual rights and the role of limited government!

To teach these constitutional principles, I recommend using a variety of worksheets and lesson plans that cater to different learning styles and levels of student comprehension!

Fill-in-the-Blank Worksheets

One of my favorite types of worksheets when it comes to teaching students about the principles of the U.S. Constitution is tried and true fill-in-the-blank worksheet. They're an effective way to introduce students to the vast (and often complex) terminology associated with the U.S. Constitution and its principles. Fill-in-the-blank worksheets can cover a wide range of topics when it comes to the Constitution, such as the branches of the federal government, the role of state governments, and the primary principles of the U.S. Constitution, etc., etc. I also like them because they're an easy-to-use tool for teachers to assess student understanding and as a starting point for classroom discussions.

Matching Worksheets

Another of my personal favorites, matching worksheets are a great type of worksheet to use with your students when it comes to the U.S. Constitution for many of the same reasons I've outlined above with fill-in-the-blank worksheets. They're easy to cover a wide range of topics with, but they're especially useful when it comes to assessing your students comprehension of the complex terminology that is so often associated with the Constitution, by requiring students to recall information and associate it with a corresponding concept and/or image, matching worksheets help students better retain their learnings!

Example of a matching worksheet on the three branches of government and system of checks and balances from my U.S. History Curriculum Bundles!

Photo Analysis/Political Cartoon Analysis

These types of worksheets are great for several reasons! Namely, they encourage visual literacy by requiring students to interpret visual media/illustrations which is an important skill set that can be applied to a variety of contexts beyond the study of the U.S. Constitution or any other historical topic for that matter!

Political Cartoon Analysis worksheet from my 8th Grade U.S. History Curriculum Bundle!

Written Exercises

Written exercise worksheets (a.k.a. short answer worksheets), in my humble opinion, are the creme de la creme when it comes to really, TRULY, getting a gauge on how well or how poorly your students are doing on any given historical topic - the same holds true when it comes to the U.S. Constitution. Written exercises not only encourage students to think critically, they provide practice when it comes to written communications and inspire students to reflect on their learnings and to synthesize information from multiple different sources when crafting their response. Not to mention that written exercise worksheets are an excellent way to allow for differentiation helping you the teacher better accommodate the different learning styles and needs of your students!

Written exercises provide a tangible product that allow you as the teacher to get an accurate read on student comprehension and based on those findings can then be used as a guide for future classroom instruction.

Written exercise worksheet from my 5th Grade Social Studies Curriculum Bundle! 

Graphic Organizers

One of the main benefits of graphic organizers is that they are an EXCELLENT tool for students (especially your visual learners!) when it comes to organizing information and/or data (especially larger sets of information and data)! Graphic organizers are also great in that they can help clarify relationships for students between the many different concepts as they relate to the U.S. Constitution, such as, for example, the roles of the three branches of government or the Bill of Rights.

Download a FREE WEEK of lesson plans HERE!

Crossword Puzzles

A fun and engaging way to help students learn key concepts related to the U.S. Constitution and its principles are crossword puzzles! They promote active learning as they require students to not only work through the puzzle, but also necessitate the need for students to recall and apply their knowledge of Constitutional principles, terms, and concepts that have been taught in class. Crossword puzzles are also a fantastic tool at helping students build their vocabulary as often times, they'll encounter new terms and definitions as they work through the puzzle, for example, popular sovereignty, Founding Fathers, limited government, and so on. Often times this leads to students having a better understanding and comprehension of the subject matter!

Crossword puzzle all about Alexander Hamilton included in both my 5th & 8th Grade U.S. History Curriculum Bundles!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This list of types of worksheets is by no means all-inclusive, there are many other types of worksheets that are extremely effective when it comes to teaching your students about the principles of the Constitution (ie., multiple choice worksheets, scavenger hunts, etc., etc.). Those types of worksheets named above are just my personal favorites (for a variety of reasons) when it comes to the Constitution.

By using a variety of worksheets, history and social studies teachers can more effectively teach students about the Constitution, the federal government, and the principles that guide it!

Imagine...

• Spending more time on teaching and less on lesson plans

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Thank you for reading!

-Jillian (a.k.a. the "Lesson Plan Guru")  

Related Articles:

• Outline of the U.S. Constitution Worksheet for History Class!
• The BEST Bill of Rights Worksheets for Your History Class!
• The BEST Multiple Choice Questions on the US Constitution
• Constitution Lesson Plans for 8th Grade
• Engaging and Printable Constitution Worksheets for Middle School
• U.S. Constitution Lesson Plans for 5th Grade