Structure of the U.S. Constitution Activity for Civics and American History!

In this Structure of the U.S. Constitution Headline News Activity for Civics and American History, students create a headline news “webpage” connecting news stories (real life examples of the government in action, both contemporary and historical) to specific Articles and Sections of the United States Constitution. This cut-and-paste activity would fit in nicely with a Civics or American Government interactive notebook or lapbook! 

Students match real news stories to the correct sections of the U.S. Constitution, then write 1-2 sentences specifying how the Constitution gave the government the power or responsibility described in the story. Making real-life connections to the U.S. Constitution will help students understand the structure of the document, making this a perfect activity for a middle or high school Civics, American History, or American Government class! 

Compatible with the Florida State Standard for Middle School Civics:

• Standard 3: Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, functions, and organization of government. 

This Structure of the U.S. Constitution Headline News Activity includes: 

✯ The Structure of the U.S. Constitution Headline News Cut-and-Paste Activity.

• Students read through nine contemporary and historical news stories and figure out which Article and Section of the Constitution the news story relates to. They paste the news stories on the correct squares on the worksheet, then write 1-2 sentences in their own words describing the connection.
• For example: The news story “Vice President Kamala Harris breaks a 50-50 tie in the Senate on a vote for COVID-19 economic relief” would be placed on the “Article 1, Section 2” square, and the student might write: As President of the Senate, the Constitution gives the Vice President the power to break tied Senate votes.

More News Stories include:

• Marriage Ban Overturned: The White House lights up in rainbow colors to celebrate Obergefell v. Hodges. The Supreme Court ruled state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, making gay marriage legal nationwide. (Article VI of the Constitution: The Supremacy Clause means that federal law takes precedence over state laws.) 
• Gen Z Goes to Congress: In November 2022, 25-year-old Maxwell Frost (D-FL) became the first member of Gen Z to join the House of Representatives. (Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution details the requirements for joining Congress, including a minimum age limit of 25.)

Students must analyze these news headlines, make concrete connections to the Constitution, then apply their knowledge to defend their claim and explain the connection in their own words. This hands-on activity keeps students engaged and making real connections between the Constitution and political events that have shaped our lifetime!

This resource comes as a non-editable PDF and includes an Answer Key!

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