Since 1995, over 1,300 social studies educators from across the country have come together in Washington, DC, for the Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers, a six-day teacher professional development program focused on improving teaching about the U.S. Supreme Court. The Institute is co-sponsored by Street Law and the Supreme Court Historical Society. The Institute […]

The Civics Renewal Network is now accepting applications from organizations interested in becoming a contributing member of the network. For more information or to apply, contact info@civicsrenewalnetwork.org by December 31. Organizations must meet the following criteria: A. Have a national scope B. Focus on civic- and law-related education C. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, or a government […]

TeachingAmericanHistory.org has released another volume in its Core Documents Collection available for download. This collection focuses on Reconstruction and contains:

• Key documents on the period, theme, or institution, selected by an expert and reviewed by an editorial board.
• An introduction highlighting key documents and themes.
• A thematic table of contents, showing the connections between various documents.
• Study questions for each document, as well as questions that refer to other documents in the collection.
• Notes on each document to identify people, events, movements, or ideas to improve understanding of the document’s historical context.

Download the documents here.

Campaigning will be in full swing this month ahead of Election Day on Nov. 6. Check out these highlighted resources about voting, elections and media literacy. For a complete list, go here.

The Bill of Rights Institute has announced its 2018-2019 We the Students Essay Prompt: “What are the essential qualities of a citizen in your community in 21st-century America?” This year, the Institute is asking students to dig deep and make their scholarship essay personal. A citizen comes in many shapes and sizes. Some serve their community by voting and participating in political events. Others serve through entrepreneurship or philanthropy. We want to know what you think makes a good citizen in your community. Go here to learn more.

We’ve made it easy to find resources for teaching about media literacy in middle and high school! Check back as more resources are added to the list. ABOTA Foundation Decoding the News: Building Savvy Media Consumers Objective: This lesson will promote understanding about what it means to be “news literate” and how learning to analyze […]

Do you teach grades 3-5? The Core Knowledge Foundation has announced that its units for the new Core Knowledge History and Geography (CKHG) series are now available for free download. Go here to learn more.

We’re all about teaching and celebrating the U.S. Constitution this month, but especially on September 17, when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed our founding document in Philadelphia in 1787. Partner organizations in the Civics Renewal Network offer activities and lesson plans for all ages.

The Civics Renewal Network is hosting #sschat on Monday, Sept. 10, 7-8 p.m. ET. The topic is “Are You Ready for Constitution Day?” Bring your best classroom activities and lessons to share, or if you’re new to teaching, this is the perfect place to ask questions and collect ideas. Mark your calendars!