The Constitution for Kids

Parts of the Constitution

The United States' defining document.

What is the purpose of the Constitution?

Our Constitution's main use is...

to form our government and lay out everything that is required of our government to its people.

We have seen one place where we use the Constitution in our VS10 lesson with the Judicial Branch!
The Constitution is actually written by a Virginian, James Madison!

Multiple Choice

Who wrote the Constitution?

• Thomas Jefferson

• James Madison

• George Washington

• George Mason

Multiple Choice

Which branch of government uses the Constitution to decide whether or not laws are constitutional?

• Legislative

• Judicial

• Executive

• Military

Our constitution is made up of a few parts:

1. Preamble

   1. This is the beginning of the Constitution

2. Articles 1-7

3. The Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments)

4. All other amendments (11-27)

The Preamble

The beginning of the Constitution

This part of the constitution clearly communicates the intentions and purpose of the US Constitution. It's the "introduction to the highest law of the land."

Articles of the Constitution

The Articles of the Constitution talk about the powers of gov't

There are 7 articles of the Constitution that talk about the duties of the main three branches of government.
Virginia's three branches are also the same as the three branches for the entire United States!

The seven articles of the Constitution

1. Creates the Legislative Branch

2. Creates the Executive Branch

3. Creates the Judicial Branch

4. Grants states, citizenship, and new states power.

5. Creates the amendment process (to make new amendments)

6. Promises the US to pay its debts, all members of the three branches of government are sworn by Oath or Affirmation, and have no religious tests

7. Ratifies (makes the document legal) the Constitution in 1787

Multiple Choice

What year was the Constitution ratified (it became a legal document)?

• 1776

• 1775

• 1787

• 1783

Multiple Choice

What are the different parts of the Constitution?

• Preamble, Articles, Postamble

• Preamble, Articles,

  Amendments (includes Bill of Rights)

• Only the amendments matter!

• The three branches of government

The Bill of Rights

These are the first 10 amendments in the Constitution

These first 10 amendments list important individual rights for the US citizens and also limits the power of the government in certain ways.

The first 10 amendments (Bill of Rights):

1. Grants freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to protest

2. Grants the right to bear arms

3. States that soldiers cannot take over a home during war or peace without the homeowner’s permission

4. Protects Americans from unreasonable and unlawful search and seizure of property

5. Allows all citizens due process and states that a person cannot be forced to serve as a witness against himself when accused of a crime

6. Provides a speedy and public trial by jury for all who are accused of a crime

7. Allows a trial by jury to be held for certain civil disputes

8. Prevents those accused of suffering cruel and unusual punishment

9. States that no one’s Constitutional rights should be used to infringe upon the rights of another citizen

10. Provides each state with powers that are not specifically assigned to the nation’s government in the Constitution

The rest of the amendments (11-27)

The rest of the amendments are built from the first 10

These amendments are used to help the government change with the times and to modernize. We see a lot of updates amendments that grant voting rights, end slavery, give women rights, and set limits on certain government actions.

Multiple Choice

How many amendments are in the Constitution?

• 24

• 20

• 10

• 27

Multiple Choice

What are the first 10 amendments called in the Constitution?

• Bill of Rights

• Amendments

• Articles

• Articles of the Confederation