This summer, our team updated and added new activities to our character education resource,
Heroes and Villains
. It includes both educator and student introduction activities, three brand-new historical figures, and updates to the existing 20 lessons! We hope you use this revised content to introduce civic virtues to your classroom in the coming year!
Do you want your students to take the Bill of Rights Institute with them, wherever they go? Now they can! The Bill of Rights Institute mobile app is available for free download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The app builds on the playlist functionality already available on BRI's website. It provides teachers with features to help organize their lessons and activities – including the ability to share assignments with students using a QR code or an LMS-ready link! It also includes an offline mode for students who do not have consistent or stable Wi-Fi outside the classroom.
Are you looking to engage your students with current events? Check out our bi-weekly Think The Vote questions! Students can submit their opinions (and win prizes for the best answers!) on different topics designed to help them think critically about what’s going on around them.
This is a national program and a great way for students to understand the world through the eyes of other young people!
The first question of the 2023-24 school year will hit the platform next week. Think The Vote also provides students with skills to engage in healthy civil discourse.
The new school year is upon us, so join BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams for a brief overview of various important topics in BRI’s new Primary Source Essentials videos! Williams offers a quick summary of important topics in American history, like the Federalist 10 and Federalist 51, Brutus 1, and how those subjects contribute to government and civics. New videos will be added throughout the school year, so keep checking back for more!
BRI's first class of Master Teachers are Andrea Martin; Amy Reece; Rhonda Watton; Laura McFarren; Molly Schneider; Alisha Sanders; Michael Sandstrom; Julie Schneppele; Christopher Kemp; Sean Redmond; Shannon Jones; and Kristin Hilman.
The Bill of Rights Institute is pleased to announce its first group of Master Teachers! The teachers joined BRI last month to work through online modules, including a demonstration of mastery. Each Master Teacher was awarded a digital credential and is expected to promote BRI’s work in their states. They will also work with BRI to formally present capacities as opportunities where available.
In the coming months, we will roll out a program to invite additional educators to become Master Teachers. Stay tuned for more details and congratulations to our first class!
BOE: Bottom of Email
Dear John,
The new school year is upon us! We hope you enjoyed a restful summer break and you’re ready to return to the classroom to teach a new group of young minds.
Everyone at the Bill of Rights Institute knows the challenges you encounter when teaching civics. This upcoming school year is no exception, with a presidential election on the horizon and increased discussion around the use of artificial intelligence in education. But don’t worry – BRI is here for you!
We continue to offer our array of resources and materials to you at no charge. In addition to hundreds of lessons and classroom-ready activities, we also maintain a Current Events page. Our team searches for recent news articles that explore relevant themes and connect those articles to our resources. And don’t forget about our Think The Vote platform – we hope it helps your student think critically about the world around them!
BRI wishes you and your students a happy, healthy, and safe 2023-24 school year!
Warmly,
Laura Vlk
Director, Educator Engagement
Bill of Rights Institute
