Creating a classroom constitution is a great way to learn about the rights and the responsibilities we all share and need to respect.
Why are Constitutions important? A Constitution tell us about how a government works and lists some important and fundamental rights to keep people safe.

To create a classroom constitution, begin by discussing what makes a positive and respectful classroom environment.
Some answers may be:
– We listen when a classmate is sharing his or her ideas and stories with us.
– We offer our help when a classmate is sad or upset.
Brainstorming and Questions (English-Spanish):
- What are some rights that are important to have in the classroom? ¿Cuáles son algunos derechos que son importantes tener dentro del salón de clases?
Some answers may be:
– The right to learn. El derecho de aprender.
– The right to share my opinions. El derecho de compartir mis opiniones.
- Can some classmates have certain rights but others not? ¿Piensas que algunos compañeros pueden tener ciertos derechos pero otros no?
- What do we need to do to protect our rights? ¿Qué necesitamos hacer para proteger nuestros derechos?
Discuss the importance of having rules or responsibilities. I prefer to call them responsibilities because it changes a negative statement into a positive one, for example, the rule is “don’t run inside” vs. the responsibility is “walk inside”.
- When do we need rules or responsibilities? ¿Cuándo necesitamos tener reglas o responsabilidades?
- Why do we need rules or responsibilities? ¿Por qué necesitamos tener reglas o responsabilidades?
- What is the difference between rights and rules? ¿Cuáles son las diferencias entre reglas y derechos?
Class Activity
Students brainstorm and decide between 3 and 5 classroom rights and between 3 and 5 classroom rules or responsibilities. You can help students combine these two into statements.
A statement may be:
“We keep our voices down (responsibility) so that I can to listen to the teacher and learn new things (my right to learn)”
“Mantenemos nuestras voces bajas (responsabilidad) para poder escuchar a la maestra y aprender cosas nuevas (derecho de aprender)”
Display for everyone to see!
