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Exploring September Civics Activity |
1. In September, the
United States recognizes Labor Day as a federal holiday.
When
was Labor Day declared a national holiday?
Who does the holiday honor?
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. 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? (Research required)
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.
When the Federal government passes a law, it 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?
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, capitol
and capital are an example of a homonym.
Use Google's
define feature to write the definition for each word as it was used
in question 8.
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?
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?
Watch: U.S. Constitution video online cspan
Extras:
* You have been selected to give a speech at the local VFW Post. You want to open with a quote.
Select your favorite
quote about bravery. Write it here, include the author's name!
* Use a
search engine like Google or Yahoo or harness the Internet Public Library's resources to find out one fact about the person.
* Find a few facts about a Founding Father who served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
* Or do the Founding Mothers & Daughters of Liberty activity
* Freedom In America: Some Assembly Required - free, fantastic electronic field trip
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
Done already? Excellent!
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2006 Cynthia J. O'Hora In the spirit of Thomas Paine released to public domain for not for profit use. posted 7/2006.
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: 
, Symbol, 
or 
). 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. 
How to: Make your own printer ready paper answer sheet with lines.