Constitution Day

Constitution Day Event

Constitution Day at Unity Environmental University

September 17, 2025

Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. In accordance with federal law, all educational institutions receiving federal funding must provide an annual educational program about the Constitution.

At Unity Environmental University, we honor this day by offering programs that deepen students’ understanding of democratic values and promote active citizenship.

Constitution Day Activities at Unity at Pineland

EVJ 3001: Ethics at Work – Practical Approaches to Decision-Making

During Week Four of EVJ 3001, students will explore diverse approaches to civic engagement, including:

Anarchism – emphasizing non-participation
Civic Responsibility – encouraging change through engagement with existing systems

The U.S. Constitution will be the focal point of the second half of the week’s analysis, with special attention to the First, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Students will also examine the federal government’s role in shaping and implementing environmental solutions.

Additional Activities Include:

A Constitution Day video, available continuously from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Flyers across campus featuring a QR code linking directly to the Constitution
Social media posts by In-Person Education to promote and highlight the event

Constitution Day Activities in Enterprise Education

Enterprise Education students will engage with a variety of resources to explore the Constitution’s history, interpretation, and modern relevance.

Planned Activities Include:

Viewing educational programming and debates from:
Reading essays and legal analyses via:
- Interactive Constitution
- Library of Congress’ Constitution Annotated
Exploring multimedia resources such as:

Library Resources

Constitution of the State of Maine : codification of 2013.
Call Number: REF KFM401 1820 .A33 2013
The Debate on the Constitution: Federalist and Antifederalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification by Bernard Bailyn (Editor)
Call Number: JK155 .D33 1993 Part 1

ISBN: 0940450429

Publication Date: 1993-06-01

"The Debate on the Constitution" charts the course of the revolution that created the government of the United States . In speeches, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and letters, this unique collection captures firsthand the energy and eloquence of the stormy ratification struggle. Along with a detailed chronology and notes, each volume also includes the full texts of the Declaration in Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution.
The Debate on the Constitution: Federalist and Antifederalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification Part 2: January to August 1788 by Bernard Bailyn (Editor)
Call Number: JK155 .D33 1993 Part 2

ISBN: 094045064X

Publication Date: 1993-06-01

"The Debate on the Constitution" charts the course of the revolution that created the government of the United States . In speeches, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and letters, this unique collection captures firsthand the energy and eloquence of the stormy ratification struggle. Along with a detailed chronology and notes, each volume also includes the full texts of the Declaration in Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution.
Evolving Constitution : how the Supreme Court has ruled on issues from abortion to zoning by Jethro K. Lieberman
Call Number: REF KF4548 .L54 1992

ISBN: 0679405305

Publication Date: 1992-12-07
Living with Guns : a liberal's case for the Second Amendment by Craig Whitney
Call Number: KF3941 .W4425 2012

ISBN: 9781610391696

Publication Date: 2012-11-13

In Living with Guns, Craig R. Whitney, former foreign correspondent and editor at the New York Times, seeks out answers. He re-examines why the right to bear arms was enshrined in the Bill of Rights, and how it came to be misunderstood. He looks to colonial times, surveying the degree to which guns were a part of everyday life. Finally, blending history and reportage, Whitney explores how twentieth-century turmoil and culture war led to today's climate of activism, partisanship, and stalemate, in a nation that contains an estimated 300 million guns; and probably at least 60 million gun owners.
The Origins of the American Constitution by Michael Kammen (Editor)
Call Number: KF4502 .O73 1986

ISBN: 0140087443

Publication Date: 1986-11-04

The complete story of the American Constitution, told in the words of those who created it.
Our Constitution by Donald A. Ritchie; JusticeLearning.org Staff
Call Number: KF4550.Z9 R57 2005

ISBN: 0195223853

Publication Date: 2006-04-27

An in-depth look at the entire text of the U. S. Constitution, annotated with detailed explanations of its terms and contents.
Searches, Seizures, and Warrants: a reference guide to the United States Constitution by Robert M. Bloom
Call Number: REF KF9630 .B58 2003

ISBN: 0313314454

Publication Date: 2003-09-30

An inherent tension resides in the Fourth Amendment's strictures on unreasonable searches and seizures. We want it to protect our privacy from government intrusion, yet we want the police to do whatever is required to solve crime. Greater controls on the power of the police provide more privacy protections to citizens. Reduced controls on police actions provide less privacy protection to citizens. Bloom explores this tension as he guides the reader to through the history and relevant Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the current state of Fourth Amendment law.
The Words We Live By : your annotated guide to the constitution by Linda R. Monk
Call Number: KF4550.Z9 M66 2003

ISBN: 9780786867202

Publication Date: 2003-02-12

The United States Constitution is the basis for our most fundamental rights as Americans and has been a key element in nearly every major legal and political debate ever argued.

Constitution by Jackelyn Haggerty
ISBN: 9781536141986

Publication Date: 2018-08-15

While exercising its power to review the constitutionality of governmental action, the Supreme Court has relied on certain methods or modes of interpretation that is, ways of figuring out a particular meaning of provision within the Constitution. The first chapter or report broadly describes the most common modes of constitutional interpretation. The next chapters herein examine the Speech or Debate Clause of the US Constitution; provides an overview of Congresss power under the Constitution and Congresss role in interpreting the nations founding document; and discusses contemporary issues for Congress with regards to Article V of the US Constitution, and the two methods by which the nations founding charter may be amended.
The Constitution explained : a guide for every American by David L. Hudson, Jr., J.D.
ISBN: 9781803161525

Publication Date: 2022

Exploring the history and the various clauses, amendments, and interpretations, as well as addressing the debate over how well the country has lived up to the Preamble's lofty goals, The Constitution Explained: A Guide for Every American makes this groundbreaking document more understandable.
Constitutional amendments : encyclopedia of the people, procedures, politics, primary documents relating to the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution by Mark Grossman ; contributing authors: Scott Derks ; Schlager Group Incorporated.
Call Number: Credo Reference database

ISBN: 9781786843296

Publication Date: 2017

This thought-provoking and interesting text provides a complete examination of each of our nation's 27 Constitutional Amendments. From the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, to slavery, to the voting rights of women, this text illustrates how the US Constitution has changed since its ratification in 1789.
Keeping Faith with the Constitution by Goodwin Liu; Pamela S. Karlan; Christopher H. Schroeder
ISBN: 9780199750665

Publication Date: 2010

Chief Justice John Marshall argued that a constitution requires that only its great outlines should be marked and its important objects designated. Ours is intended to endure for ages to come, and consequently, to be adapted to the various crises of human affairs. In recent years, Marshall's great truths have been supplanted by originalism and strict construction. Such legal thinkers as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia argue that the Constitution must be construed as it was in the eighteenth century--that judges must adhere to the original understandings of the founding law. In Keeping Faith with the Constitution, three legal authorities make the case for Marshall's vision.
A Pocket Guide to the Us Constitution by Andrew B. Arnold
ISBN: 9781626165588

Publication Date: 2018-04-02

The Constitution is not so simple that it explains itself ? nor so complex that only experts can understand it. In this accessible, nonpartisan quick reference, historian Andrew Arnold provides concise explanations of the Constitution's meaning and history, offering little-known facts and anecdotes about every article and all twenty-seven amendments. This handy guide won't tell you what the Constitution ought to say, nor what it ought to mean. It will tell you what the Constitution says and what it has meant. A Pocket Guide to the US Constitution presents a straightforward way to understand the American Constitutional system. Without wading through lengthy legal prose, heavy historical analysis, or polemical diatribes, you can easily find out what the emoluments clause means, learn about gerrymandering and separation of powers, or read a brief background on why slaves in colonial America were considered 3/5 of a person. Small enough to put in your pocket, backpack, or briefcase, A Pocket Guide to the US Constitution can be used to comprehend current events, dig deeper into court cases, or sort out your own opinions on constitutional issues.
A Slaveholders' Union : Slavery, Politics, and the Constitution in the Early American Republic. by George Van Cleve
ISBN: 9780226846699

Publication Date: 2010-10-15

After its early introduction into the English colonies in North America, slavery in the United States lasted as a legal institution until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. But increasingly during the contested politics of the early republic, abolitionists cried out that the Constitution itself was a slave owners' document, produced to protect and further their rights. In this powerful book, George William Van Cleve demonstrates that the Constitution was pro-slavery in its politics, its economics, and its law.
The Soul of the First Amendment by Floyd Abrams
ISBN: 9780300190885

Publication Date: 2017-04-25

A lively and controversial overview by the nation's most celebrated First Amendment lawyer of the unique protections for freedom of speech in America The right of Americans to voice their beliefs without government approval or oversight is protected under what may well be the most honored and least understood addendum to the US Constitution--the First Amendment. Floyd Abrams, a noted lawyer and award-winning legal scholar specializing in First Amendment issues, examines the degree to which American law protects free speech more often, more intensely, and more controversially than is the case anywhere else in the world, including democratic nations such as Canada and England. In this lively, powerful, and provocative work, the author addresses legal issues from the adoption of the Bill of Rights through recent cases such as Citizens United. He also examines the repeated conflicts between claims of free speech and those of national security occasioned by the publication of classified material such as was contained in the Pentagon Papers and was made public by WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden.

U.S. Constitution Is Adopted

The U. S. Constitution and You by Syl Sobel; Denise Gilgannon (Contribution by)
Call Number: JUV 342.7302 S634

ISBN: 0764117076

Publication Date: 2001-05-01

All elementary school students learn about the history of the U.S. Constitution when they first begin social studies. This book is different. It tells boys and girls about the great American document itself--explaining exactly what the Constitution does, as well as how it affects and protects people today. Kids discover how the Constitution provides for the federal government's three branches--legislative, executive, and judicial. Then they see how it gives all citizens many rights, including the right to vote, to enjoy freedom of speech and the press, to worship--or not worship--according to one's religious beliefs, to disagree openly with government policy, and to defend oneself in courts of law when accused of crimes or civil wrongs. Kids also see how, according to the Constitution, many rights are kept beyond control of the federal government, and are reserved for the separate states, communities, and individuals. This book's language is clear and simple. It cites many examples that relate directly to each student's own experiences.
A Kids' Guide to America's Bill of Rights by Kathleen Krull; Anna DiVito (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV 342.7308 K78

ISBN: 9780062352316

Publication Date: 2015-09-15

Which 462 words are so important that they've changed the course of American history more than once? The Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the crucial document that spells out how the United States is to be governed. Newly revised and updated, packed with anecdotes, sidebars, case studies, suggestions for further reading, and humorous illustrations, Kathleen Krull's introduction to the Bill of Rights brings an important topic vividly to life for young readers. Find out what the Bill of Rights is and how it affects your daily life in this fascinating look at the history, significance, and mysteries of these laws that protect the individual freedoms of everyone--even young people. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts
The Constitution by Richard B. Morris; Leonard Everett Fisher (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV 973.4 M833c

ISBN: 0822517027

Publication Date: 1985-12-01

The story of the famous document by the noted historian.
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz; Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)
Call Number: PICTURE FRITZ

ISBN: 9780698116245

Publication Date: 1997-12-29

Go behind the scenes at the Constitutional Convention, thanks to award-winning author Jean Fritz's words! This factual gem that's written with Newbery Honor author Jean Fritz's humorous touch chronicles the hot summer of 1787 where fifty-five delegates from thirteen states huddled together in the strictest secrecy in Philadelphia to draw up the constitution of the United States! Includes a copy of the Constitution and those who signed it! "An informative, interesting, and immensely readable account of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 . . . An excellent choice for introducing young readers to the complexities of the constitution."--School Library Journal
Birth of the Constitution by Edmund Lindop
Call Number: YA 342.7302 L645

ISBN: 0894901354

Publication Date: 1987-01-01

A history of the Constitution from its inception to its ratification.

Our constitution : a conversation by Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands
Call Number: DVD 342.73 O97

Publication Date: 2005

Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer answer questions on the Constitution from a group of high school students. They explain why we need a written Constitution, separation of powers, federalism, individual rights, and more.

A Conversation on the Constitution: Judicial Independence
Call Number: DVD 342.73 C66
Publication Date: 2006

An Empire of Reason
Call Number: Streaming movie

Publication Date: 1988

What would it have been like if television had covered the ratification process of the U.S. Constitution? This film is a docudrama about the debate surrounding New York State’s ratification of the United States Constitution.

Key Constitutional Concepts
Call Number: DVD 342.73 K49
Publication Date: 2006

Web Resources

America's Founding Documents
Contains images of original U.S. Constitutional and other founding U.S. documents.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States of America
Includes the original text of the Constitution and annotated versions from 1992, 2002, 2012-14, and 2016, with biannual supplements.
The Constitutional Convention | Constitution 101
Explore three main compromises that took place at the #ConstitutionalConvention. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, explains the structure of Congress to balance the big and small states, the use of the Electoral College to elect the president, and the compromises made regarding slavery.
Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774 to 1789
Contains documents including extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Activities and Classroom Resources

Constitution Center
Constitution Day from the U.S. Courts
Includes videos, podcasts, and other resources on jury service and the Constitutional guarantee of trial by jury.
Constitution Facts
Activities include an online quiz, crossword puzzles, and treasure hunts.
Government, Law & Politics Lesson Plan Resources from the Library of Congress
Teacher-created, classroom-tested lesson plans using primary sources from the Library of Congress. Covers the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence.
National Archives - Observing Constitution Day
Includes activities and lesson plans.

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