BRI Educators: Understanding Natural Rights

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Rights claims have always been central to American political discourse. In the Founders' view, no human being is so decisively superior to other adult human beings that he or she is entitled to direct their actions without their express consent.

These fundamental rights are explored throughout our resources, and in this week's newsletter, we are highlighting a few of those narratives, readings, and classroom activities.

We will also examine the Founders' understanding of our rights and responsibilities toward one another this week. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET, Kirk and Rachel will host an all-new free Tenth Period webinar exploring social contract theory from colonial times to the present day.

BRI Lessons & Resources

What Are the Origins of the Bill of Rights?
In this lesson, students will explore the events and philosophies from British and colonial history that shaped the Founders’ ideas about natural rights as well as the rights of Englishmen. They will also see how these rights affect all of our daily lives in a free society.

Founders and the Constitution: James Otis
Among his many other achievements, Bostonian James Otis was one of the first well-known Americans to defend the natural rights of Africans and to condemn slavery. In this lesson, students will also learn about the concept of inalienable or natural rights, his contributions to the Revolutionary period, and much more.

BRI News

Join the Debate on Gun Control on Think the Vote
Encourage your students to join in the latest debate on Think the Vote: Should there be more restrictions on purchasing guns and ammunition? The students who make the strongest arguments on both sides and their referring teachers will win prizes.

It's Not too Late to Enter the "What Unites Us" Contest
Our Constitution Day contest deadline is October 15 so you still have time to share a short video and tell us "What unites you and your students in 2019?" Visit the website for details and prizes.

Educator Spotlight

Meet Lara Beard!
Lara Beard has been teaching for twelve years. She says she has many “favorite BRI resources, but the one I'm obsessed with right now is the United States v Nixon DBQ. It helps my students understand how executive privilege is limited.”

Lara teaches Civics, Economics, AP Seminar, AP Research in Little Rock, Arkansas at Episcopal Collegiate School. She loves teaching about the Revolutionary Era and the Early Republic “because the 18th century is distant enough to limit emotional responses, but its relevant enough to inform the present...Read More.

BoE: Bottom of Email

"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of nature for his rule. The liberty of man in a society is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent of the commonwealth". John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government

I could read that Locke quote again and again. In our world of soundbites and Twitter posts, we have been conditioned to snack on ideas and move quickly from one thought to the next. Even as adults, we rarely take the time to sit down for a full meal with something hearty like John Locke. How can we introduce our students to words of this kind?

I hope you'll attend our 10th Period webinar tomorrow (or watch the recording) and spend some time with us digging into Locke's state of nature, state of liberty, and state of equality. Even though the sentences may take us longer to unpack, they offer richness both for us and our students if we just give them the time to teach us.

Laura Vlk
Senior Manager, Teacher Services

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