Part lecture and part lively conversation, these weekly classes are accessible to the public so that students, teachers, and parents can join in a constitutional discussion with National Constitution Center scholars—including President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, Chief Learning Officer Kerry Sautner, and Senior Fellow for Constitutional Studies Thomas Donnelly—on core topics such as the branches of government, landmark court cases, civil rights, First Amendment’s freedoms of speech and press, and the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure.

Public, 30-minute-long classes, take place on Zoom, are streamed live on YouTube, recorded, captioned, and posted on our website.

This Week: Principles of the American Revolution

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.

Oct. 6 at 12 p.m. ET

Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. ET

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Fun Friday Session: Principles of the American Revolution Featuring Akhil Reed Amar

In this Fun Friday Session, Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, joins National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a discussion on the principles of the American Revolution. He will also answer questions about his work as a writer, professor, and scholar, as well as answer questions from participants.

Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. ET

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Next Week: Principles of the American Constitution, 1776-1787

Week of October 11

In this session, students will examine the Articles of Confederation, early state constitutions, and epic moments of turmoil—including Shays’ Rebellion—as factors that led to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.

Oct. 13 at 12 p.m. ET

Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. ET

Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. ET

View resources for this topic.

Last Week: Constitutional Conversations and Civil Dialogue

Did you miss last week's sessions?

You can watch the recordings and explore the resources at any point during the school year.

Explore the schedule for the entire school year and register for upcoming sessions here.

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Scholar Exchanges: Peer-to-Peer

Interested in scheduling a session for your class and other classes nationwide? The peer-to-peer Scholar Exchanges promote deeper understandings and enhance opportunities for civil discourse and discussion. Sessions will be offered Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays each week from September 2021 – May 2022. Learn more about those sessions, and register for a future session, here.

Supreme Court 2021-22 Term Preview

Yesterday was the first day of oral arguments in the new 2021-22 Supreme Court term. On this week’s episode, Supreme Court journalists Kimberly Atkins Stohr of Boston Globe Opinion and Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal join host Jeffrey Rosen to preview the forthcoming term’s blockbuster cases on issues including abortion, religion, guns, free speech, state secrets, and more. Cases discussed include:

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
Houston Community College System v. Wilson
Carson v. Makin
City of Austin, Texas v. Reagan Nat’l Advertising of Texas
United States v. Vaello-Madero
United States v. Tsarnaev
United States v. Zubaydah
Federal Bureau of Investigation v. Fazaga
Ramirez v. Collier
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard

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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.

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