New In 2023: Slavery and the Founding

In the Spring of 2023, the Bill of Rights Institute introduced an important curriculum, Slavery and the Founding . Through a combination of primary sources and discussion prompts, students are asked to wrestle with the paradox of how slavery became entrenched in a country founded upon liberty and equality.

This resource was created with input from master teachers nationwide. All materials were also reviewed by scholar experts with backgrounds in history and political science. If you haven’t explored this resource yet, visit our website now to check it out!

Expanded Heroes & Villains Now Available!

This summer, BRI updated our character education resource, Heroes & Villains . We added new educator and student introduction activities, three brand-new historical figures, and updated the existing 20 lessons! We hope you are either enjoying this revised content or will use it to teach civic virtues in your classroom in 2024!

Have Your Students Think The Vote!

BRI's latest Think The Vote question looks at asylum seekers. Hundreds of thousands of individuals from all over the world are fleeing to the United States to escape persecution, poverty, crime, and other hardships in their native countries.

However, some argue this leads to a strain on not only the United States border, but also on the resources needed to assist these individuals seeking safe harbor. Others argue the United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants who were essential to the development of our country.

So should the United States tighten restrictions on asylum seekers? Students can share their thoughts on this Think The Vote question until Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Don't Forget About Our Fully Integrated Website!

Did you notice an improved user experience when you visited the Bill of Rights Institute website this year? As part of improving its functionality, we now offer a library of more than 4,000 lessons, videos, and activities, and the ability to collect and share resources via various playlists. We also offer courses and assignments with thousands of self-check questions!

This video shows you how to register and use the BRI website and the BRI companion app, which is available for free download in the Apple App Store and Google Play .

BOE: Bottom of Email

Dear John

I hope you enjoyed our 2023 recap! We are already looking ahead to new ways to engage educators and their students in 2024. We will launch both resources for 3-5th grade educators in late spring and a brand-new, free, digital, modular Government & Politics textbook!

We also plan to launch educator courses in late January, which will include both content and pedagogy topics. Those will be modular and can be completed in any order. Completed modules will earn badges via the Accredible platform and may be available for continuing education credit per school or district requirements.

To stay informed about our new resources, sign up here.

Also, don’t forget about our MyImpact Challenge! BRI’s national civics engagement contest is still accepting applications until May 19, 2024, and be on the lookout for MyImpact Challenge fairs in your local community in the new year.

BRI wishes you, your families, and your students a safe and happy holiday season!

Warmly,

Laura Vlk
Director, Educator Engagement
Bill of Rights Institute

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