“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

---Preamble, The Constitution of the United States of America

Written above is the preamble of the Constitution. These words, written over 225 years ago, are memorized, rewritten, and pondered by many. But what do these words mean? If you could only SHOW someone what the words mean, what images would you use?

This was the assignment: Using only the words of the Preamble, students must show what the statements mean in images. Students used accordion books, and divided the Preamble among the panels in the book.

Students could draw images, use photos, collage, paint, pastels, or any other material they felt could work. Students also worked to make the images abstract, not concrete.

In addition to the books, students wrote a one paragraph artist statement for each panel discussing why they chose the images they did. In addition, they wrote a final paragraph explaining the importance and meaning of the Preamble to them.

Enjoy their visuals and their writing! What does the Preamble mean to you? How might you choose to represent the words visually?