T
We the people parchment

Exploring September Civics Activity
Directions: Use the colored links provided to find the answers to the questions. Use the Back button of your browser to return to this page. Or use the Go menu to jump past several pages just viewed to return to this one.

1. In September, the United States recognizes Labor Day as a federal holiday.
When was Labor Day declared a national holiday?

The holiday honors ...........?

2. On September 2, 1789, the U. S. Treasury Department was established.
What do they do?

List three of the Treasury's jobs or departments.

 

3. On September 1, 1752 this icon of freedom arrived in Philadelphia. It had been cast in Great Britain.
On it was written, "By order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State house in the
City of Philada 1752". What had arrived? Use the clues and your online search skills to discover the answer.

 

4. Research required

a. On September 17, 1787, delegates from 12 states signed the newly drafted U.S. Constitution.
Which state was not represented at the Constitutional Convention? Why?

 

b. Was there consensus regarding the Constitution? Explain.

 

 

c. When our Federal government passes a law, it usually applies to all the states. The date it takes effect is written into the law.
This was not the case for the U.S. Constitution. What was the process by which it became the law of the land?

 

Facinating Fact - Thomas Jefferson and John Adams did NOT take part in the four month long Constitutional Convention.
At the time, Jefferson and Adams were serving as ambassadors to France and England, respectively.

 

5. What does the word constitution mean? Online Dictionary
("Constitution" is a long word to type with lots of chances to make a mistake.
Try highlighting just the word
constitution with your cursor. Go Edit... Copy. Click on the dictionary link.
Click in the search box and go Edit.. Paste. The word
constitution should appear. Click OK.)

 

6. On September 22, 1776, Revolutionary War hero, Nathan Hale was hanged by the British as a spy.
What is he famous for saying just before he died
?

 

What was his occupation?

 

7. Your teacher announces your class will be going on a field trip to see the state capitol. Name your state's capital.

 

8. A homonym is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word, but a different meaning.
In the last question, the words capitol and capital are an example of homonyms.

Use Google's define feature to write the definition for each word, as it was used, in question 7.
Go to Google's search engine page. Enter "define:capital". Repeat with capitol.

A capital is

A capitol is

 

9. The Legislative branch of the federal government is bicameral. What does this mean?

Describe the number of the legislative branches in your state's government.

 

If you read that a state had a tricameral legislature, how many legislative bodies would it have?

 

10. On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to a song. I am confident you have heard it and probably even sung it.

Name the song. Use your online research skills to find the answer.

 

Calculated to challenge:

How many decades has the song, in the question 10, been the USA's official national anthem?

 

11. E Pluribus Unum appears on the Great Seal of the United States. What does it mean?

 

How does this motto apply to the United States of America?

 

12. Gouverneur Morris, a Pennsylvania delegate to the Consitutional Convention of 1787, wrote the final draft of the U.S. Constitution.
He penned a famous phrase in the Preamble. What words, that he wrote, have echoed throughout the centuries?

 

Extras:

* Find a few facts about a Founding Father, who served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

* Or complete the Founding Mothers & Daughters of Liberty activity

* Solve the History Mystery Message

 

In all our associations; in all our agreements let us never lose sight of this fundamental maxim -
that all power was originally lodged in, and consequently is derived from, the people. George Mason

 

US Flag Done already? Excellent!

US Constitution & 100 Docs. essays and activities Landmark Legisaltion - The Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution
Privacy of Personal Information at School - pbl October Civics Activity
Symbols of U.S. Government U. S. Constitution Crossword
Reforming Government - Dickinson Constitution Mystery Message - challenging
Preamble facts Type the Star Spangled Banner for keyboarding practice
Government - The Common Good Centuries of Citizenship - Constitution timeline
A Note for Freedom reverberating through the centuries Make a Crossword Puzzle of Government Vocabulary
US Capitol art  

Internet Hunts / Nature / Computers / Puzzles & Projects / Pennsylvania Project / Problem Based Learning / Site map / Home
All trademarks, copyright and logos belong to their respective owners.

2006 Cynthia J. O'Hora In the spirit of Thomas Paine released to public domain for not for profit use. posted 7/2006. UTD 8/2020

tree icon How to make a Digital Answer Format: Highlight the text of the questions on this web page, copy them - Edit .. Copy. Open a text document or word processing document. Paste the questions into the blank document. Answer the questions in the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (avoid fancy fonts like: black, Symbol, dearform fomnt or broad). Save frequently as you work. I do not like losing my work. You will not like it either. Enter your name in a document header. Submit your work via an electronic class drop box, or email attachment.

Proof your responses. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets work. smiling icon
How to: Make your own printer ready paper answer sheet with lines.