App review by Stacy Zeiger, Common Sense Education | Updated March 2014
United States Constitution
Get it now
  • Download on Google Play

United States Constitution

Digitized version of historical documents is fine for reference

Get it now
  • Download on Google Play
Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
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Grades
6–12 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
Social Studies
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Android
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Take a look inside

4 images
Users can bookmark key passages.
Explains the meaning and purpose of select articles.
Provides analysis of some key passages.
Includes such details as when amendments were ratified.

Pros: Organizes the U.S. Constitution and other related texts into an easy-to-navigate format with some brief analysis of the content.

Cons: Design fails to engage kids and could use a bit more analysis.

Bottom Line: This digital version of the U.S. Constitution and related texts is a handy reference, but offers nothing to engage kids or deepen their learning.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers can use United States Constitution to replace more traditional copies of the iconic text. While using the app, teachers can have students search for answers to specific questions, such as "What power does the Constitution give the president of the United States?" The search feature, the analysis passages, and other annotations will provide kids with the answers to the questions. Teachers might also assign students to read and analyze particular articles of the Constitution.

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Standards:

Rather than simply digitizing the Constitution and such related documents as the Bill of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, and the Gettysburg Address, this app organizes them into an accessible, simple-to-navigate format. Kids see one of the most important documents in U.S. history organized into articles and tap each article to reveal additional information. In addition to being able to read the text, kids will find some articles accompanied by a brief analysis to help them understand what the text means. Kids can also search for specific words to make it easy to find the information they need.

The Constitution itself can be a tremendous tool for learning about government, democracy, and the history of the United States. And the app does provide an easy-to-navigate way to explore this impressive document. However, for middle and high school teachers, the text-heavy format is going to be a tough sell for your students. The brief analyses can offer some pathways to learning, but there are no features that allow kids to reflect on or apply what they learn. You might be better off using a history textbook, where excerpts from the Constitution are scaffolded with a glossary and discussion questions that provoke critical thinking. Still, if you want students to dive in and explore the entirety of this seminal document, this could be a useful tool.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

The interface is well-organized but text-heavy, and lacks engaging design.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

The app offers analysis of passages and additional tidbits of information, but kids have no opportunities to apply the info or make meaning in their own way.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

Kids can access links to additional resources for further study. In-app features help with navigating the text.

Common Sense reviewer
Stacy Zeiger Homeschooling parent
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Key Standards Supported

Reading History/Social Studies

  • RH.6-8.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

  • RH.6-8.3

    Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

  • RH.6-8.10

    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

  • RH.9-10.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

  • RH.9-10.10

    By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

  • RH.11-12.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

  • RH.11-12.10

    By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

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