Constitution Day Crossword Puzzle (free printable)
A free Constitution Day crossword with thirteen civics words and clues for grades 4 to 8: preamble, amendment, Congress, ratify, Philadelphia and more, with an answer key.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.
All 13 words are in the crossword (13 × 16 squares).
About this set
Thirteen civics words with clues that explain each in a sentence, from what the Constitution is (the written plan for how the United States government works) to who made it (delegates from the states, meeting in Philadelphia in 1787) and what it says (the Preamble begins “We the People,” the Congress makes laws, the President carries them out, judges decide what they mean). Students who solve it have rehearsed the vocabulary they will meet again in every civics unit, and the answer key lists every answer by number. Turn off the word bank for 7th and 8th grade, and leave it on for 4th grade.
Grades: 4th to 8th grade. Best in: September.
The words and clues
- Constitution :
- The written plan for how the United States government works
- Preamble :
- The opening paragraph that begins “We the People”
- Amendment :
- A change or addition made to the Constitution
- Congress :
- The branch of government that makes the nation’s laws
- Senate :
- The part of Congress with two members from every state
- President :
- The leader of the executive branch, who carries out the laws
- Judge :
- A person in a courtroom who decides what the law means in a case
- Citizen :
- A person who legally belongs to a country and has its rights
- Vote :
- To make your choice in an election
- Delegates :
- The people the states sent to the 1787 meeting in Philadelphia
- Ratify :
- To approve something officially, as the states did for the Constitution
- Philadelphia :
- The Pennsylvania city where the Constitution was written
- Rights :
- Freedoms that every person has, such as speech and religion
How to use it: five ideas
- Before the lesson: students solve as many clues as they can from memory, then check the rest in the text.
- After the lesson: use the crossword as an exit ticket and have each student explain one answer in their own words.
- Clue writers: students write clues for three more civics words (citizen, liberty, justice) and trade puzzles.
- Branches sort: students mark each answer L (legislative), E (executive) or J (judicial) where it applies.
- Quiet station: put the puzzle and the answer key on separate tables so students can check their own work.
Related
Questions
Are the clues accurate?
Yes. The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia in 1787, the Preamble begins with “We the People,” the Senate has two members from each state, and the states ratified the Constitution after it was written.
Can I make it match my unit?
Yes. Edit the box to add your unit’s terms and clues (the Electoral College, the Great Compromise) and the crossword rebuilds with new numbers.
Can I change the words and clues?
Yes. Each of the 13 lines is a word, a colon and its clue. Edit any of them, and the crossword is rebuilt with new numbers.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. The puzzle is page one and the answer key is page two.
How do I get a different layout?
Press “Make another”. The same words and clues are placed in a new arrangement, so each table can have its own puzzle.
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