Constitution Day Bingo Cards (free printable, 30 cards)
Thirty-six civics words for Constitution Day, from the Preamble and the Bill of Rights to the three branches and the delegates in Philadelphia, on unique printable cards.
36 items · a 5 × 5 card with a free space needs 24 or more. More items make the cards differ.For review bingo, type answer | clue (“56 | 7 × 8”): the card shows the answer, the caller reads the clue. Two columns pasted from a spreadsheet work too. Start a line with an emoji (“🐶 dog”) for a picture square.
Showing 4 of 31 pages. (Print always prints every page.)
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.
30 different cards. No two are the same. The card number and set number on every card let the caller check a winner (press C while calling).
About this set
Constitution Day, September 17, marks the day in 1787 when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution. This set follows the document itself: the Preamble that begins “We the People,” the three branches and what each does (Congress makes laws, the President carries them out, the courts decide what they mean), the Bill of Rights and the freedoms in it, and the people who wrote it, among them James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, with George Washington leading the convention. Words such as ratify, amendment and checks and balances give upper elementary and middle school students real civics vocabulary to define, not just to recognize.
Grades: 3rd to 8th grade. Best in: September.
The words on the cards
Constitution · Preamble · We the People · Amendment · Bill of Rights · Congress · Senate · House of Representatives · President · Supreme Court · Legislative branch · Executive branch · Judicial branch · Checks and balances · Ratify · Philadelphia · Delegates · James Madison · George Washington · Benjamin Franklin · Citizen · Rights · Freedom of speech · Freedom of religion · Vote · Law · Liberty · Federal · Separation of powers · September 17, 1787 · Constitutional Convention · Independence Hall · Founding Fathers · Democracy · Parchment · Justice
How to play, and five ideas
Define before you cover: a student must explain a word in their own words (ratify, amendment, delegate) before they can mark the square.
Three branches sort: after the game, students sort the squares into legislative, executive and judicial, and explain one that was hard to place.
Preamble read: when “We the People” is called, read the Preamble aloud together from a copy of the Constitution.
Rights in action: when a freedom such as speech or religion is called, students give one example from school or community life.
Clue caller: instead of the word, read a clue (“the first ten amendments”) and students cover the answer (Bill of Rights).
Do schools have to teach about the Constitution on this day?
A federal law passed in 2004 requires schools that receive federal funds to hold an educational program about the Constitution on September 17, or the nearest school day when it falls on a weekend. Check your district’s guidance on how it counts. These cards are one free way to take part.
Is the full list too hard for 3rd grade?
Third graders can play with a shorter list. Delete the harder terms (ratify, separation of powers, Constitutional Convention) and keep citizen, vote, law, president, flag, rights and freedom of speech.
Can I change the words?
Yes. The 36 words are in the box above the cards. Delete, add or edit any line and the cards are rebuilt at once. Nothing is saved on our servers.
How do I call the game?
Press “Call the game”. Each press of the space bar tumbles the ball cage and pops out the next item in very large type, with the list of items already called beside it. Press C and type a card number to check a winner, P to change the win pattern, V to have each call read aloud, and F to fill the projector.
How do I save the cards as a PDF?
Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. Each page can also be saved as a PNG picture from under its preview.
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