I am so proud of my ESL 1 Class! They did an excellent job hosting the morning signing of the US Constitution for their fellow students at Milpitas Adult School. You can read their Constitution Day story and see their photos here.
Live coverage of Constitution Day & Citizenship Day from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, and Ellis Island in New York, NY, begins at 10:45 a.m. ET on 9/16. Watch new American citizens take the oath of allegiance at naturalization ceremonies.
Hint: This video is 1 hour 40 minutes. It is very inspirational, but a bit too long for class. Check out the US Courts' 40 seconds preview here.
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day was celebrated on September 16th, 2016 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution and the rights and protections it provides to all American citizens. In partnership with the Civics Renewal Network, the U.S. Courts participated in naturalization ceremonies held at over 40 locations across the United States including National Historic Places and National Parks. These locations were chosen to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. This video features ceremony highlights from Ellis Island, the Lincoln Memorial, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and others. It includes speeches by federal judges, administrators of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the National Park Service, musical performances and student presentations.
USCourts: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day 2016(39 minute summary)
Special coverage of Constitution Day & Citizenship Day from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, and Ellis Island in New York. Watch as new American citizens take the oath of allegiance at naturalization ceremonies. Recorded on September 16, 2016.
The nation celebrated Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on September 16, 2016. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor delivered congratulatory remarks to those naturalized at Ellis Island. Her message was webcast by the U.S. Courts as part of their coverage of ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial and Ellis Island, which were hosted by the National Park Service and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Associate Justice Sotomayor discussed the U.S. Constitution, her family's migration from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States, the challenges of becoming U.S. citizens, and the rewards and responsibilities that come with citizenship, including voting, volunteering, and jury duty. She urged the new citizens to embrace the American culture, but not abandon their native cultures, as diversity is America's greatest strength.
uscitizenpod: The U.S. Constitution A basic introduction to the Constitution for ESL/Citizenship students. This video is based upon a ppt that I made in 2005 and modified in 2008.
US Constitution and Citizenship Day Resources from US Citizenship Podcast
NEW PODCAST: Summary of the US Constitution MP3 http://goo.gl/V93Twm
USScourts: U.S. Courts: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day Live Coverage (video) Live coverage of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, and Ellis Island in New York, NY, begins at 10:45 a.m. ET on 9/16. Watch new American citizens take the oath of allegiance at naturalization ceremonies. Hint: This video is 1 hour 40 minutes. It is very inspirational, but a bit too long for class. Check out the US Courts' 40 seconds preview here. VOA Learning English: What's So Important about Sept. 17? Thanks for studying the U.S. Constitution--I know that you will be a great American citizen!
A student displays her personal copy of the Constitution
that she received after signing the Constitution.
USCIS 11-20x.mp3
For the next ten days, we will present 10 of the 96 questions plus two dictation sentences and handout. Today's questions are 96:11-20. Direct download: 11-20x.mp3
New Citizens: San Cuc Bac and her husband are Chinese-Vietnamese. They stopped by on Constitution Day to tell their class about how they became US Citizens. They signed the Constitution and then went to their afternoon Citizenship Oath Ceremony. Their classmates and I are so proud of them!
A student proudly display his constitution worksheet.
New Citizens: San Cuc Bac and her husband stopped by to sign The Constitution before going to their afternoon Citizenship Oath Ceremony. They are standing in front of the USCIS 96 hall cards.
Ask the new citizens to talk about studying for citizenship and what has happened after they became citizens.
Assign classmates to help people sign the Constitution and give each student a copy.
Sign the Constitution.
Eat cake!
Here are some Constitution Day Resources from us @ US Citizenship Podcast.
96:17-19 M638 Explanations pdfmp317. What is the Constitution? 18. What do we call changes to the Constitution? 19. How many changes, or amendments, are there to the Constitution?
96:34-35 M638 Explanations pdfmp3 34. What is the supreme law of the United States? 35. What is the Bill of Rights?
Our school is counting down the hours to Constitution Day.
Since the first day of school (August 250 we have been getting to know each other, setting goals, and studying the Constitution every day.
Last week, we printed out the slides for the Constitution ppt and posted them in the hall. We also added some posters about the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other govenrment displays.
On Saturday, we ordered three sheet cakes that said: HAPPY CONSTITUTION DAY! HAPPY CITIZENSHIP DAY! and one cake that said: WE SIGNED THE CONSTITUTION. These cakes will be served at the post-signing reception for the day and evening classes.
We also ordered 1500 postcards to be sent to the CA State Legislature that said PASS THE STATE BUDGET! FULLY FUND ADULT EDUCATION plus two quotes from the 1st Amendment & the CA Constitution about petitioning the government. These postcrds were going to be distributed during the "I signed the Constitution" ceremony to link the Constitution with civic participation. On Monday, the CA Legislature announced a "deal"--yeah! (We are keeping the postcards for next budget crisis). We also ordered 500 copies of the Constitution to be printed on 8.5x11" pieces of "antique resume" paper. The copies of the Constitution will be given to each student.
Yesterday, assembled the USCIS 100 hall-cards.
We printed out each of the USCIS 100 questions on separate white sheets of 8.5x11" paper.
We printed out all the USCIS 100 answers on separate white sheets of 8.5x11" paper.
We used a paper cutter to cut the questions and answers down to 8.5x5.5" rectangles.
We folded a 9x11" pieces of Federal Blue construction paper in half.
We used a glue stick to glue the corners of the questions on the outside of the hall card.
We used a glue stick to glue the corners of the answers on the inside of the hall card.
Today we will:
Put four loops of blue sticky-tape on the back of the hall cards and hung them up in four rows of twenty-five cards.
Make hall cards for the USCIS 96. We will use red construction paper.
Un-roll the big Constitution and parchment paper.
Sharpen the quills and test the ink.
Set up tables in the hallway.
Tomorrow we will
Study the Constitution.
Ask the new citizens to talk about studying for citizenship and what has happened after they became citizens.
We will assign classmates to help people sign the Constitution and give each student a copy.
Each class will come and sign the Constitution.
Eat cake!
Here are more resources for Constitution Day!
The National Constitution Center held the first “America Reads the Constitution” on September 17, 2004. A diverse group of people read the Constitution from start to finish, from “We the People” to the final words of the 27th Amendment. The NCC has developed a downloadable toolkit for the public reading of the Constitution. The NCChas divided the Constitution into 100 reading sections, so that the Constitution can reflect thediversity of the community.
Listen to the Constitution: Debra Jean Dean reads The Constitution of the United States (Including all amendments) >>Download the entire audio file.(62 megs, 68 minutes, high-quality MP3). Download the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments of the Constitution)
Need a copy of the Constitution for your class, but it too late to order? Go here and download #3 Constitution for the United States — Formatted to print on two sides of one letter-size sheet of paper. (click the black square for a Word.doc) Don't have parchment or a quill pen? The American Bar Association invites everyone to Sign the Constitution online. Crossword, Word Search, & Treasure Hunt Puzzles from Constitution Facts Choose one of the following puzzles to print out.
Some cities and states passed laws to make their local businesses pay their employees a higher local minimum wage to match the living expenses in their area. For example:
Workers in California are paid a minimum of $8.00/hr.
Workers in San Francisco are paid a minimum of $9.36/hr.
However, a living wage is the hourly wage that a person must earn to support his- or her-self by working full-time (2080 hours per year). For example:
A single adult need to make $12.10/hr to live in San Francisco. The amount needed rapidly rises with the inclusion of dependents.
Today's Topic: The 24th Amendment 24th Amendment made it illegal to make a citizen pay a voting fee. It is illegal to make a citizen take a reading test to vote. The 24th Amendment (1964) and the Civil Rights Movement led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. crushed Jim Crow laws which discriminated against African Americans.
VOANEWS: Civil Rights Movement: In the '60s, a Struggle for Equality in US: Activists marched, held sit-in protests and led "freedom rides" to demand better treatment of black Americans. Martin Luther King Junior lived by the idea of nonviolence, but his murder led to riots in more than 100 cities.
20th Amendment: The President used to be inaugurated in March. The inauguration was moved up to January, to stop "lame duck" government. FDR was the last president to be inaugurated in March. The 20th Amendment was added in 1933.
96:83. In what month is the new President inaugurated?
22nd Amendment: The President cannot serve for more than two terms. FDR was elected to four terms as president and died in office. The 22nd Amendment was added in 1951.
96:44. How many full terms can a President serve?
100:26. We elect a President for how many years?
100:80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
VOANews: 'Happy Days Are Here Again': FDR, One of America's Greatest PresidentsFranklin Delano Roosevelt served longer than any other U.S. president. With his New Deal, he led the nation through its worst economic crisis. And, until his death, he led America through World War Two.
The life story of the woman who helped start the National Organization for Women. Her 1963 work "The Feminine Mystique" has been called one of the most influential books of the twentieth century.
21st Alcohol is legal. Each state can make laws about making, selling, and drinking alcohol. 1933.
The 18th Amendment was passed to protect the health and safety of the American people. Instead of preventing alcoholism, Prohibition contributed to the rise of organized crime. The 21st Amendment made the alcohol legal and controlled by many federal, state, and local laws.
Although a US citizen can vote at the age of 18 years, the legal drinking age can be older. In the State of California, a person must be 21 years old to drink alcohol.
On the N-400, and during the Citizenship interview, you will be asked:
The USCIS is not asking: Have you ever been drunk?
The USCIS is concerned that alcohol abuse prevents citizens from freely exercising the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Example: if a person is drunk when they vote, they cannot make a good decision.
Alcohol abuse can also lead to crimes such as drunk driving or maintaining a safe work place.
Here are some groups that help alcoholics and people affected by alcoholism:
Alcoholics Anonymous: is an informal meeting for recovering and recovered alcoholics.
Al-Anon/Alateen: Al-Anon is an informal meeting for friends and family members of alcoholics. Alateen is an informal for young adullts (12-24).
MADD Mothers Against Drunk Driving: is a group that works to stop drunk driving, supports those affected by drunk driving, and prevents underage drinking.
Today's Topic: 
