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. printer version

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?

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 did he do to earn a living?

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

8. A homophone 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 homophone. 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.

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!

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 - 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.

Save a tree use a digital answer format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or artistic fonts. Or perhaps you have the resources to record verbal answers. If you do, be sure to first read / record the question. Then record the answer immediately after it