This summer, join educators from across the country and constitutional scholars from across the philosophical spectrum for virtual summer programs with the National Constitution Center. Educators will work with content experts to deepen their knowledge of the history and modern understandings of constitutional topics. Through working with master teachers and the education teams from the Center, participants discover and develop innovative, nonpartisan ways to make the content relevant to their students. Educators gain new content knowledge, teaching tools, classroom-ready resources, and new skills for improving constitutional literacy. These programs are open to educators working with grades 5–12 at public, charter, independent, parochial, and other schools. They are free to attend, but successful applications are required. Go here to learn more. Read More ⟶
Bill of Rights Institute to Launch Teacher Webinar Series
The Bill of Rights Institute will start its new free teacher webinar series on Tuesday, January 12, at 4 p.m. ET with “Hindsight May Be 2020, Foresight Is So 2021!,” an exploration and discussion of what teaching (and living) will look like in the coming year. We hope you can join us! Learn more here. Read More ⟶
Free Online Programs on the Presidency
The National Archives and Presidential Libraries, National Park Service, Internet2 community, and cultural and historic organizations nationwide are proud to offer the annual Presidential Primary Sources Project, a series of free, standards-aligned, 45-minute interactive videoconferencing programs aimed at students in grades 4-12.
The series will run from January through March 2021. In addition to the interactive video component, each program will also be live-streamed and recorded for on-demand viewing for free. Through the use of primary source documents and interactive videoconferencing, the program series will take students on a journey through the historical legacies of our presidents. Students will gain a greater understanding of our nation’s presidents and how they shaped the past and present of our country. Free registration is now open. Learn more and see the schedule, or sign up today! Read More ⟶
Enter the 2021 We the Students Essay Contest
The Bill of Rights Institute hopes that you will encourage your students to enter this year’s We the Students essay contest. With the prompt “What is the relationship between equality and justice?” we challenge them to tell us what they think the relationship is between these two principles. To truly explore the question in an essay that is 500-800 words, students will need to go beyond “dictionary definitions” and express their understanding and reasoning about the connection between these two principles. This reasoning involves a combination of observation, experience, and some pretty “big ideas.” What does it take to understand them? To build toward and maintain them? To see them with regard to each other? Why is this relationship important? The 16 winners will receive a total of $20,000 in scholarship prizes. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2021. Go here to learn more. Read More ⟶
6 Big Ideas in the U.S. Constitution
The Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives and the National Archives Foundation, in partnership with The Oklahoma Humanities, have created a new civics curriculum “6 Big Ideas in the U.S. Constitution” and will provide free online curriculum training for 75 teachers this January.
Informed and active participation in civic life is rooted in understanding the design of the government and how it works. This curriculum focuses on teaching the foundational principles that shape the Constitution and the institutions that bring its design to life. Thus, students learn the significance of the guiding principles of our nation’s framing document and the importance of participatory government it creates and reinforces.
The online training, available on three dates, is open to middle and high-school level educators. Registration is first-come, first-served and limited to 25 teachers per day, per class. Each session will run approximately 90 minutes.
January 8 at 11 am EST / 10 am CST: Register
January 9 at 11 am EST / 10 am CST: Register
January 15 at 11 am EST / 10 am CST: Register Read More ⟶
Teaching History While Living History
2020 was a year of living history. Now, how will you teach it? Join 14 of the nation’s top Cultural Organizations Dedicated to Educators (C.O.D.E.), including Mount Vernon, in a four-part teacher professional development series January-March 2021. Each session dives into digital resources and engaging strategies developed by museums, historic sites, and research centers committed to teacher learning. Go here to learn more. Read More ⟶
George Washington Teacher Institute’s 2021 Summer Programs
This summer, the George Washington Teacher Institute summer programs are going digital with six, 5-day sessions. Each session focuses on a different theme and is designed to support K-12 educators who teach about the life, leadership, and legacies of George Washington and the 18th-century world in which he lived. Applications open January 11, 2021. Sessions will run from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET from June 14 – August 6, 2021. Apply for the week that best fits your classroom needs and schedule. Stipends to honor the time and commitment of participants will be provided to all teachers accepted to the George Washington Teacher Institute in Summer 2021. Read More ⟶
Primary Sources Case Packs on Supreme Court Cases
In partnership with the Library of Congress, Street Law has developed Primary Sources Case Packs to help educators teach about landmark Supreme Court cases using primary sources from the Library of Congress. Each case packet includes a summary of the case, three primary source activities, an inquiry-based task, and an answer key. The cases are: Gideon v. Wainwright, Mapp v. Ohio, Baker v. Carr, Citizens United v. FEC. Read More ⟶
Help Street Law Pilot a Legal Life Skills Program
Street Law is seeking teachers to pilot its new Legal Life Skills in the Classroom program from January through June 2021. The program is a set of 20 interactive lessons that teach students about the law and also empower them with the skills they need to apply the law and be actively engaged in their communities. The pilot project is open to 25 classroom teachers from across the country and has the potential to impact 1,000 students. Learn more and apply here.
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Winter 2021 Happy Hours at Mount Vernon
Grab your beverage of choice and join Mount Vernon’s K12 Education Team for our Winter 2021 Happy Hour series. Go behind-the-scenes with Mount Vernon experts to explore Mount Vernon’s special collections, preservation work, and more. Happy Hours take place on the third Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. ET. Registration is free but required. Go here to learn more. Read More ⟶