US Constitution and Government: Quick Start

The US Constitution and Government Course Set which includes the Course Book and Mystery on Constitution Island. To complete the course, you also need one copy of US Constitution Student Journal per student in grades 4–8.

Are you missing an item? Compare your packing slip to your order. You may have ordered the “Course Book” rather than the “Course Set.”

If something is missing, contact our Customer Support Team at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you.

With purchase of the course set, you also receive free access to the audio biographies and US Constitution Student Journal answer key. Find both items here. (For access to the audio of Mystery on Constitution Island, see the inside cover of your purchased physical copy of the book.)

About This Course

Click below for a printable download of this information.

Course Pacing

This semester course contains 32 lessons, each approximately 45 minutes. We designed this course to be flexible. You can teach it to a large class of students or to only one child. You can teach one lesson a week for 32 weeks or twice a week for 16 weeks, using the second semester to study your state’s history. Easily split lessons into two parts if you need shorter class periods. This flexibility allows for the course to meet the needs of every family or class.

Course Book

The US Constitution and Government Course Book contains the lessons and directs the teacher or parent when to use Mystery on Constitution Island and US Constitution Student Journal It includes the teacher’s instructions, activities, audio biographies, and mini books. Additionally, History Case Files, included in the course book, walk students through how to critically think about bias, truth, facts, and primary sources.

Blue text indicates instructions to you. Regular text is what you read to children. Questions to ask students are underlined.

Mystery on Constitution Island

Mystery on Constitution Island, written especially for this course, is a unique and fun way to learn about the Constitution. The lessons in the course book direct you when to read each chapter. Purchase of this book also comes with access to the free audiobook. Access to the audio is found on the inside cover of the physical copy of this book.

Student Journal

Each student in grades 4–8 needs a copy of the consumable US Constitution Student Journal. The course book prompts which pages to complete each lesson. The student journal incorporates the full text of the founding documents and original coloring and activity pages. Each student completes his or her own student journal, which serves as a treasured keepsake when the course is finished.

US Constitution Activity Book

This optional activity book for grades K–3 allows for younger students to join in and learn along with their older siblings. The US Constitution Activity Book is not integrated into the course, nor does it follow the scope and sequence of the course. It simply has fun activities about colonial times and Founding Fathers for younger children to enjoy.

Audio Biographies

These short audio biographies are inspirational accounts of the lives of important men and women during the framing of the Constitution and constitutional amendments. Access the recordings of the biographies online here. Once you open the audio online, you can stream the audio or download it. To download on a PC, right-click and choose “Save Audio As.” On a Mac, click the three dots and select “Download.”

Optional Erasable Pens

Completing the Student Journal is even more fun, colorful, and creative with this set of six erasable colored pens! The set comes with a red, green, light blue, dark blue, purple, and black pen that all have an eraser and The Good and the Beautiful logo. We highly suggest a set for each student.

The Good and the Beautiful commissioned and produced the powerful video above featuring Claire and Dave Crosby in celebration of this release! Be sure to view this stunning rendition of America the Beautiful with your family and share it with others. We hope it instills feelings of wonder and gratitude for this land in which we live.