Naturalization Ceremonies Create America - The Beautiful Mosaic

Naturalization ceremonies, conducted regularly by federal judges across the nation, celebrate the American mosaic held together by the Constitution. Ceremonies are conducted at courthouses, historic landmarks, and civic sites such as a professional baseball game and outside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Watch video (4:35)

>> Discussion Topics: Responsibilities of Citizens

Students Welcome New Citizens to Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities

Oklahoma City middle school students wrote letters to new citizens about the Constitutional privileges and duties of being an American.

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Here are excerpts from two student letters that tie citizenship to jury service:

"... with those freedoms and rights also comes your duties and responsibilities ... including obeying the law, paying taxes and serving jury duty when called upon."

-- Danny (eighth grader)

"... with these new rights comes responsibilities for U.S. citizens. Jury duty is also required. And, although it’s not necessarily the most fun thing to do, it is necessary for people to have a fair and speedy trial."

-- Kayla (eighth grader)

Supreme Court Conversation on the Constitution: Jury Service

As a tie in with the Constitution and one of the obligations of citizenship -- jury service -- this year's Supreme Court video is on the Constitutional guarantee of trial by jury. Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Anthony M. Kennedy (l. to r.) discuss the importance of jury service with high school students. Produced by The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands.

Watch video (10:09)

>> Discussion Topics: Jury Service

Jury Service: The 411

• What You Need to Know About Serving on a Jury
• Function of Juries and Qualifications for Jury Service
• Courtroom and Classroom Activities
• Courthouse Tour Including Jury Deliberation Room
• Scripted Jury Trial of William Penn
• Supreme Court Case and Activity: Balancing Free Speech and Fair Trial

Order Pocket Constitution

• American Bar Association Store

For the Classroom and the Courtroom

Fast Facts

These resources provide a snapshot of what every citizen needs to know
about the federal courts.

• Federal Courts in a Nutshell
• Understanding the Federal Courts
• Constitution of the United States
• ConSource

Interactive Games (Flash is required)

These games test knowledge of the Constitution’s fundamentals.

• Double Jeopardy
• Who Wants to Be a Million-Dollar Citizen?

Background: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

Since 2005, when schools receiving federal funds were mandated by Congress to observe Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on September 17, the Supreme Court's annual Conversation on the Constitution, has become an anticipated part of the national educational celebration. High school American Government teachers may contact their local federal court http://www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks/ to request a viewing and discussion of the tape with a judge.

The jury service video is part of a series produced by the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. The videotaped conversation is part of The Sunnylands Constitution Project, available at AnnenbergClassroom.org.

Although Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is officially observed on September 17, every day is Constitution Day at the federal courts. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts continually offers updated Constitution-related educational resources on this web site. The sites listed below are portals to a wealth of materials and programs offered by other institutions.

• National Constitution Center
• U.S. National Archives & Records Administration