3.+Literature+List

=__Literature List__=

__Shh! We're Writing the Constitution__ by Jean Fritz

__Exploring the Constitution__ by Knowledge Unlimited Inc- A resource book __We the People, The Story of Our Constitution__ by Lynne Cheney __The U.S. Constitution and You__ by Syl Sobel __. . . If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution__ by Elizabeth Levy and Joan Holub __We the Kids: A Preamble to The Constitution of The United States__ by David Catrow.
 * It is the story of how the Constitution was created. It points out the key people involved in the creation. This book explains the need for a Constitution and how it was created. (Historical Fiction)
 * A book that can be used for the teacher as a resource for ideas to use when teaching the Constitution. Some examples would be role-play, make amendment signs or draw out timelines. (Resource)
 * A picture book explaining how Washington, Madison, and Franklin came together to make the U.S. Constitution. It has really vivid illustrations that can be shared with the class. (Historical Fiction)
 * Explains how the constitution came about. It points out good vocabulary words that involved with the constitution and it really explains why the states came together to make rules of the United States. (Nonfiction)
 * This book takes the reader to the singing of the Constitution. It is an educational and fun way to teach students about when the Constitution was created.
 * This book explains the meaning of the Preamble. It makes the Preamble easier to understand for children.

//How to Bake an American Pie // by Karma Wilson This would be a great book to use to introduce concepts of patriotism and what American’s ideals are. The book is a “recipe” for what America is and the illustrations portray the concepts of America through the ingredients in a pie. It is in poem form, so it could be for word work and in other subject areas.

//The Creation of the U.S. Constitution // by Michael Burgan This book is set up like a comic strip, which would be especially appealing for boys. The book sets the stage with some historical facts about the American Revolution and uses bright cartoon pictures and dialog instead of a traditional text. There are four chapters: Government for the Revolution, Creating the Constitution, Battle in the States, and A New Government at Work; at the end there are more resources for the student, including a glossary, more fun facts on the Constitution, and online resources for them to look into if they are interested. That can also be a good guide for you as a teacher to look for sources that are appropriate for the age group you are teaching.

//We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution; // Published by: Center for Civic Education

The units of this book are based on the idea of the Constitution, and although it is most likely geared for upper elementary, you could certainly pull from it for your second grade class. There are plenty of facts, activities, and images appropriate; the text may just be too challenging. Instead of presenting it to the students in a text form, arranging the information into simulations, dinner parties, and class discussions could be just as, if not more effective. There are units to base lesson plans and entire chunks of lessons on, such as how the Constitution organizes our government, how the Framers wrote it, and so on. There is also a copy of the document in the back, along with a glossary for reference.

//Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution //<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 11pt;"> by Jean Fritz

<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 11pt;">This is essentially the story of the Constitution in a fun story format. It could be acted out in reader’s theater or used in a read aloud; the main theme is portraying the personalities of the major writers of the Constitution like Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. The book aims to show the reader why we need a Constitution and what role it plays in our everyday life.