Community reviews for Constitute

This is a great tool for students to use within the context of a larger project. I enjoy the quick ability to search the constitutions based on preset topics. It helps give instant perspective and comparison with other nations. The ability to compare to the US constitution (and others) is invaluable. It is helpful for students to begin immediate analysis of various nations and their ideals. Although constitutions for nations can be found anywhere online this site has a level of interaction beyond the simple pdf files. This is a modification of what is already publicly available. They are slowly adding historical constitutions which can help increase the usefulness of the site. If those improvements continue then the site can be useful for classes that focus on events centered in history such as the French Revolution or the dissolution of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. As it stands the focus sits on events primarily in the 20th century due to the modern nature of many constitutions. The site is best used in conjunction with other material such as news articles or general histories. For example, when reading the DPRK's constitution the question arises of what is "juche"? Really all of the material needs to be placed within larger contexts. The site is a tool for not only beginning to understand other nations but the start of analysis on how and why they tick.

Typical of a Google product, Constitute has a simple and clean appearance and is easy to navigate. It probably won't work well in a junior high classroom but well suited to high school. I think it is important for high school students in the U.S. to have experience looking at governments other than our own.

Overall this site is not bad but very bland. It offers each countries constitution in two different forms. Each constitution is shown as is so the language can be complex and over many students' heads especially special education students, ELL students and/or those who struggle with reading. It is very bland, no fancy graphics or interactive aspects. It's plain and simple which can be helpful with navigation however it's not very appealing for students. It also does not offer a whole lot for teachers where other sites offer lessons or ideas. Overall I would use this but not as your only source. I would look for help elsewhere.

Overall, I find it to be a great teaching and information resource. It definitely helps to strengthen lessons and give specific examples, but is primarily content based with no further analysis. The website is a great starting point for many social studies lessons, but the lessons would have to be tailored to what one specifically wants students to take away for the site.