Yankee Ridge Celebrates Constitution Day with a Trip to the Courthouse

Friday, September 17, was Constitution Day throughout Urbana School District. Also known as Citizenship Day, it is observed nationally to commemorate the principles and practices protected and provided for in the Constitution. The theme of Constitution Day 2010 was jury service.

 Yankee Ridge 4th and 5th graders commemorated Constitution Day by taking a field trip to the Champaign County Courthouse. The day started with a trip through the metal detectors, an experience that was new and exciting to many of the students. They then split off into two groups to take a tour of a courtroom where the sheriff and State’s Attorney talked about law enforcement and the process of a trial. It was a great way for the students to learn how the Constitution is applied in the real world and make a connection to the lessons that they learned in the classroom.

While one group of students toured the courtroom, the next group visited the Jury Assembly Room where they got a show-and-tell session featuring different US and State flag replicas. It was fascinating for the students to be able to see the history of the United States flag. In addition, they also saw replicas of different militia flags, the funeral flag that was used for Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy, and the Illinois State flag. Next, the students discussed the different branches of government and how they related to the Constitution and its Amendments; they even got to sign a replica of the Constitution!

Overall, the field trip was a wonderful way for the students to celebrate Constitution Day 2010. Yankee Ridge 4th and 5th graders set an excellent example for Urbana School District and wowed the presenters with their knowledge of history and social studies. The students were very excited to take in all the information they could and can’t wait to see what the theme will be for next year’s Constitution Day.

Information provided by the Urbana School District

Contact: Maggie Harrah