What is Celebrate Freedom Week?
Celebrate Freedom Week is part of Louisiana’s commitment to strong civics education in K-12 schools. Held each September in conjunction with Constitution Day and Constitution Week, the observance gives students opportunities to learn about government, citizenship, and our nation’s founding principles.
Throughout the week, students explore the people, events, ideas, and primary documents that shaped the United States. Instruction may include the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other primary sources. These lessons help students better understand both the rights they enjoy as Americans and the responsibilities they carry as engaged citizens.
School and System Resources
To support instruction during Celebrate Freedom Week, the Louisiana Department of Education provides the following guidance and instructional resources.
About Act 370
Passed during the 2022 Regular Legislative Session, Act 370 (R.S. 17:2119) mandates that all public schools in Louisiana observe Celebrate Freedom Week each September. During this observance, schools must provide age- and grade-appropriate instruction on the founding principles of the United States. Topics may include the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Classroom Resources
Resources below support K–12 instruction across a range of civics topics. Materials are curated from trusted institutions such as the National Constitution Center and the Library of Congress.
Founding Documents and Civic Dialogue
- Civic Dialogue – Classroom resources for civil discourse
- The Constitutional Convention – Teaching the debates and compromises
- Constitution Day Resources (Library of Congress)
- The Constitution Annotated – Primary sources, commentary, lesson plans
- Constitution 101 Curriculum – High school lesson plans
- The Declaration of Independence: Created Equal? (HS)
- Continuity and Change in U.S. Governance (HS)
- Counter Revolution or National Salvation? (HS)
- George Washington: First in War, First in Peace… (HS)
Branches of Government
Federalism and Separation of Powers
Bill of Rights and Constitutional Amendments
- Article V: Amendment Process – Classroom resources
- Bill of Rights – Elementary lesson plan
- Debating the Amendments – High school lesson plans
- First Amendment Overview – Middle and high school
- Freedom of Assembly and Petition – MS/HS
- Freedom of the Press – MS/HS
- Fourth Amendment – MS/HS
- Eighth Amendment – MS/HS
- 14th Amendment – All grade levels
- Constitution Hall Pass: Bill of Rights – Educational video
Rule of Law and Civil Rights
- Rule of Law – Grades 9–12 lesson plan
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Legacy of Service – Constitution Hall Pass video
- Rosa Parks – Primary sources and teacher’s guide
- Women’s Suffrage: Their Rights and Nothing Less – Lesson plans and sources
- Jim Crow and Segregation – Historical documents and instruction
Symbols of the United States