Monuments, Memorials, and Meaning

Forward

We join all Americans next Monday, May 31 to remember and honor the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom and liberty. As we do so, we also take the opportunity to reflect on how we teach the complexities of war in our social studies classrooms, a subject Rachel, Kirk, and BRI teacher council member Sean Redmond addressed in this Tenth Period webinar a year and a half ago with Mike Knapp, Chief of Historical Services at the American Battle Monuments Commission.

The Bill of Rights Institute is proud to invite you to an engaging opportunity designed to deepen your subject area knowledge, help you earn additional PD hours, and create connections with our national community of educators. BRI's new digital badging allows educators to earn transferable professional development credentials while engaging with a national community of learners. Learn more and register here.

For some, summer provides a break, but for many teachers, it provides time to lesson plan, attend professional development, or work a summer job. Take a break and join Gary, Liz, and special guest BRI Teacher Council member Molly Schneider next Tuesday, June 1 at 4 p.m. ET as they explore what switching to “summer mode” can mean for teachers (and at BRI). If you're unable to join live, you can watch this and all of the past episodes of Teacher Time on our YouTube Channel. Learn more and register HERE.

How do we choose to remember past events, and what does that say about us? In this episode of BRIdge From the Past, Mary and Gary explore the "Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth Regiment" by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1884 - 1897).

This is the final week for students to apply for Constitutional Academy, our annual summer program in Washington, D.C. This program invites students from across the United States to undertake a dialogue and set of sessions that balance high-concept philosophical thought with real-world - and somewhat controversial - explorations of how these ideas are not just theory but form the basis of daily life in America. Please encourage your students to apply.

During the American Revolution, an elite and racially diverse group of men called the Marbleheaders played a critical role in contributing to the creation of American liberty and independence. In this new Scholar Talk video, Tony Williams is joined by historian, bestselling author, and professional speaker Patrick K. O'Donnell, to discuss O'Donnell's new book, The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware.

Student Spotlight

Meet Jack Phalen!
Jack Phalen, one of our recent Think the Vote winners, will be a junior next year at Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia. His favorite classes include social studies, government, history, and economics. Outside his academic involvement, Jack plays shooting guard for his school’s basketball team, where they went 10-4 last season...Read More.

Join the Debate on Think the Vote!

Encourage your students to join in the latest debate on Think the Vote for a chance to be featured in our Student Spotlight, and to win a $25 gift card and swag for them and for you. This week's question: Should states pass legislation to restrict access to abortion? Winning students are also entered for a chance to win a $1000 scholarship at the end of the school year.

BoE: Bottom of Email

Dear John,

I recently learned that Memorial Day began after the US Civil War to commemorate all the dead and losses on both sides of the conflict. That got me thinking about how culture goes about healing after conflict and asking the questions: What is the purpose of commemoration? Who and what should be commemorated? It has been one year since George Floyd was killed, 30 years since the LA Riots, 50 years since the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, 75 years since the start of the Holocaust. How and what do you commemorate with your students?

How and why we choose to remember the dead is culturally bound, and I often think it tells us a lot about how we think about life. I love the discussion we had on T enth Period with Mike Knapp, Chief of Historical Services at the American Battle Monuments Commission. I would love to hear what you think.

It has been a rough couple of years for civics and history teachers, and we know deeply that teaching citizenship is hard work. BRI is so grateful for all the work you do to commemorate, honor, and discuss the difficult things that need to be commemorated, honored, and discussed. If there is anything you are using, we would love to hear from you.

Thank you,

Rachel Davison Humphries
Director, Outreach
Bill of Rights Institute

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