In this week's Friday session, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, joins Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to explore Article I of the Constitution, which defines the powers of Congress and answer student questions.
|
|
Explore and register for future Scholar Exchange dates. Live classes are offered the entire school year with new topics WEEKLY! Review the full 2020-2021 school year schedule for upcoming topics.
Part lecture and part lively conversation, sessions are open to the public so that students, teachers, and parents can join in a constitutional discussion with the Center's scholars.
|
|
Foundations of American Democracy
In this session, students will examine the form of government established by the Constitution, and its key ideas—including natural rights, the rule of law, and popular sovereignty. By examining the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, students will learn how these two documents set the foundation for American democracy and make possible the freedom that is the birthright of all Americans.
Monday, December 7 and Wednesday, December 9
Friday, December 11
In this Fun Friday session, bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis joins Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to examine the foundations of American democracy and answer audience questions. Davis is author of Don’t Know Much About® History and other books in the Don’t Know Much About® series. He also wrote the acclaimed In the Shadow of Liberty and Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy.
Find resources for this session here.
|
|
Celebrate Bill of Rights Day With A Live Exhibit Tour |
|
Join National Constitution Center educators on Tuesday, December 15 at 12 p.m. ET, live from our Constituting Liberty exhibit for a behind-the-scenes look at our nation's founding documents, including rare printings of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We’ll also quiz you on your knowledge of the Bill of Rights and answer your questions!
|
|
The National Constitution Center is hosting online professional development webinars throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Sessions include a tour of the Center's exhibits or a scholar talk, and time to collaborate with fellow educators.
The next webinar is Tuesday, December 8 from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET. Participants will learn about America's Founding Documents through a live virtual tour and classroom application session with resources ready to share with your students.
Future sessions will focus on topics such as:
- Civil Rights and the Civil Rights Movement – Tuesday, January 12, 2021
- First Amendment: Past and Present – Tuesday, February 9, 2021
- Reconstruction and the Constitution – Tuesday, March 9, 2021
- Constitutional Rights: Origins and Travels – Tuesday, April 13, 2021
- The Second Amendment – Tuesday, May 11, 2021
|
|
NCSS Virtual Conference 2020
2021 marks 100 years of NCSS service to social studies teachers, administrators, and professionals. To celebrate this moment in the history of social studies education, NCSS is planning a year-long experience of signature events, starting with our first-ever NCSS Virtual Conference: Advancing Social Justice from December 4-6, 2020.
Join the Center’s education team at the following sessions:
December 5, 1:35 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. EST
Cultivating Citizenship by Connecting Classrooms
December 5, 1:50 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. EST
Constitution Rights: Origins and Travels
December 5, 4 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. EST
Defining "Equal Protection": Origins and Legacy of the 14th Amendment
December 6, 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST
Teaching Difficult Constitutional Issues Through Close Reading and Civil Dialogue
|
|
Private Scholar Exchanges—which include your class, a scholar, and a moderator—are also available on any of the topics previously discussed in a public Scholar Exchange. Complete this survey for more information or to register your class. A member of the education team will contact you to help with the planning process.
|
|
Classroom Exchanges connect middle and high school students across the United States for virtual discussions about the Constitution. These sessions are moderated by National Constitution Center scholars, federal judges, and master teachers, but led by student voice. Participating teachers receive lesson plans on the content of the discussion and on civil dialogue techniques, as well as educational resources from the Center's Interactive Constitution.
|
|
Reserve Your 2021 Civic Calendar
The 2021 Civic Calendar highlights the articles that make up the structural Constitution, exploring federalism, the three branches of government, the system of checks and balances, and more. As our way of giving thanks for everything educators do throughout the year, we want to send you a free 2021 Civic Calendar. Register to receive your copy in the new year!
|
|
The National Constitution Center’s Constitution Drafting Project brought together three teams of leading constitutional scholars—team libertarian, team progressive, and team conservative—to draft and present their ideal constitutions. The leaders of each team—Caroline Frederickson of team progressive, Ilya Shapiro of team libertarian, and Ilan Wurman of team conservative—joined host Jeffrey Rosen to share the process behind their approach to drafting their constitutions and agreeing on what to include and not to include; the overall structure of their constitutions as well as the specific constitutional ideas they added to and subtracted from the U.S. Constitution; and the similarities and differences between the three constitutions.
|
|
The National Constitution Center's education team is here to help with any of our online resources. Email [email protected] with questions or comments on how we can help you and your students with your remote learning needs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
