1. Grand Canyon University POS-500
Nolan R. Tomboulian
Grand Canyon University
POS-500
Project for POS-500 Constitution Day
MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESENTATION
Grades 6-8
Nolan Tomboulian
For the Activities, there are many websites with resources. Activities can be simple memorization, on-line games or activities that require deeper level thinking skills, collaboration and discussion.
A PowerPoint of lesson plans and activities is posted at:
The original presentation had 28 slides which was over the slide limit requested by the instructor.
A grade of ZERO credit was assigned but the instructor gave feedback and allowed for resubmission of the assignment.
Hyper Link on the Capitol to:
SEPTEMBER
17th 1787
Assignment #1
Due Date: December 7, 2016
REVISED - December 18 after feedback from instructor

2. Louise Leigh and The History of Constitution Day (anything is possible if you have a dream to do it!)
Louise Leigh took a course in Constitutional History with the National Center for Constitutional Studies and was inspired to share the Constitution throughout the country.
In 1997, she founded a nonprofit organization called Constitution Day, Inc. to help encourage recognition of the importance of this national holiday.
Through her efforts, Constitution Day became an official holiday alongside Citizenship Day in 2004.
In May 2005, the United States Department of Education backed the law when it announced that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.
The two allowances of the law were that the head of every federal agency provide each employee with educational materials concerning the Constitution on the 17th of September and that each educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a program for students every Constitution Day.
Constitution Day, along with Independence Day and Presidents' Day, is an important part of the cultural heritage of the United States of America, because it recognizes the value of the American experiment, and the success of a nation of free people whose rights and liberties are protected by a written Constitution.

3. The Preamble We the People
of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
HISTORY OF CONSTITUTION DAY
This commemoration had its origin in 1940 setting aside the third Sunday in May
for the public recognition of all who had attained the status of American citizenship. 
The designation for this day was “I Am An American Day.”
1952: Moved to Sept 17 and also known as Citizenship Day.
Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation to change
"I am an American Day" to "Citizenship Day"
Honors the 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention who signed the United States Constitution
Constitution Day become a holiday in 2005.
RESOURCES:

4. Separation of Powers Checks and Balances Federalism Judicial Review
The following principles have been recognized as core tenets of the U.S. Constitution:
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Federalism
Judicial Review
Limited Government
Popular Sovereignty
CORE TENETS OF THE CONSTITUTION

5. Separation of Powers

6. Checks and Balances
The Constitution divided the government into three branches:
That was an important decision because it gave specific powers to each branch and set up something called checks and balances.
Just like the phrase sounds, the point of checks and balances was to make sure no one branch would be able to control too much power, and it created a separation of powers.

7. Some Examples of Checks and Balances and Separation of Powers
The legislative branch makes laws, but the President in the executive branch can veto those laws with a Presidential Veto.
The legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws unconstitutional.
The executive branch, through the Federal agencies, has responsibility for day-to-day enforcement and administration of Federal laws. These Federal departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities that vary widely, from environmental protection to protecting the Nation’s borders.
The President in the executive branch can veto a law, but the legislative branch can override that veto with enough votes. (2/3rds)
The legislative branch has the power to approve Presidential nominations, control the budget, and can impeach the President and remove him or her from office.
The executive branch can declare Executive Orders, which are like proclamations that carry the force of law, but the judicial branch can declare those acts unconstitutional.
The judicial branch interprets laws, but the President nominates Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges who make the evaluations.
The judicial branch interprets laws, but the Senate in the legislative branch confirms the President’s nominations for judicial positions, and Congress can impeach any of those judges and remove them from office.

8. Federalism
Federalism is the process by which two or more governments share powers over the same geographic area.
In the United States, the Constitution grants certain powers to both the U.S. government and the state governments.
These powers are granted by the Tenth Amendment, which states,
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
The original Articles of Confederation gave the states individual power and limited the role of the federal government.
Yet, to function as a unified republic, there had to exists a government that would work for the good of all states.

9. Federalism (some examples of authority) Federal State Declare war
Establish local governments
Create and maintain the Armed forces
Raise taxes
Establish and maintain schools
Provide for the public welfare
Establish Foreign Policy
Criminal justice
Regulate interstate and foreign trade
Regulate Trade within states
Borrow money
Make copyright and patent laws
Charter banks
Conduct elections
Build roads
Establish Post offices
Provide for public safety
Civil Rights
Coin (make) money
Federal Law will override State Law

10. Judicial Review
Judicial Review is the ability of a court to examine and decide if a statute, treaty or administrative regulation contradicts or violates the provisions of existing law, a State Constitution, or ultimately the United States Constitution.
While the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly define a power of judicial review, the authority for judicial review in the United States has been inferred from the structure, provisions, and history of the Constitution.

11. Why Are There 9 Supreme Court Justices? - Live Science
Article III of the Constitution establishes the federal judiciary.
Article III, Section I states :
"The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."
Although the Constitution establishes the Supreme Court, it permits Congress to decide how to organize it.
Congress first exercised this power in the Judiciary Act of 1789.
This Act created a Supreme Court with six justices. It also established the lower federal court system.
"The number of justices has been as high as ten.” Congress increased the number to seven in 1807, to nine in 1837, then to 10 in 1863.
In order to prevent President Andrew Johnson, who was soon to be impeached, from naming any new Supreme Court justices, Congress passed the Judicial Circuits Act of 1866.
Why Are There 9 Supreme Court Justices? - Live Science

12. Limited Government
the Ninth Amendment and the Tenth Amendment summarily spelled out the principle of limited government.
Together, these two last Amendments clarify the differences between the unenumerated (as well as enumerated) rights of the people versus the expressly codified delegated powers of the federal government.
The Ninth Amendment codified that the rights of the people do not have to be expressly written in the Constitution (i.e., do not have to be enumerated) to still be retained by the people.
In the reverse, though, the Tenth Amendment codified that any delegated powers of the federal government are only authorized to do be performed so long as such delegated powers are expressly delegated to the federal government specifically by the U.S. Constitution.
the Ninth Amendment and the Tenth Amendment summarily spelled out the principle of limited government.
Together, these two last Amendments clarify the differences between the unenumerated (as well as enumerated) rights of the people versus the expressly codified delegated powers of the federal government.
The Ninth Amendment codified that the rights of the people do not have to be expressly written in the Constitution (i.e., do not have to be enumerated) to still be retained by the people.
The Tenth Amendment codified that any delegated powers of the federal government are only authorized to do be performed so long as such delegated powers are expressly delegated to the federal government specifically by the U.S. Constitution.

13. Limited Government
The U.S. Constitution is supposed to limit the power of the federal government :
First, it prohibits the government from interfering with certain key areas, such as conscience, expression and association.
Secondly, certain forms are established for the dealing of governments with their own citizens: specific actions are forbidden to the government.
It was assumed that the Bill of Rights would be largely self-enforcing, and this solution proved to be inadequate to do more than slow the growth of government. Government powers were expanded, even while following the letter of the Bill of Rights, and increasingly, key elements were virtually ignored.
The term 'limited government' never appears in the United States Constitution.
This type of government is one that is bound to specific principles and actions by a state or federal constitution. Further, a limited government is one that has a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances to regulate the power of government.

14. Popular Sovereignty The Government is for the People