In this session, students engage in a conversation on slavery in America from the Constitution to Reconstruction. This session will explore the Constitution; the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments; and the Reconstruction founders’ vision of a “Second Founding” for our nation.

Join us this Friday, December 17, at 1 p.m. ET, when author Clint Smith joins Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a discussion on slavery in America, a topic Smith explores in his new book How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America. Smith will also discuss his career as a writer, poet, and educator, as well as answer questions from participants.

You can also watch all sessions live on YouTube here, and explore the resources for this session here.

In this session, students explore the history of the Supreme Court and landmark Supreme Court cases from Marbury v. Madison (1803) to the Roberts Court. This is a great session for students to preview and investigate the Supreme Court cases to encourage further study of government.

View resources for the session. 

Part lecture and part lively conversation, these public, 30-minute classes explore core constitutional topics with National Constitution Center experts and special guest scholars. Explore the schedule for the entire school year and register for upcoming sessions.

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 are offered Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday each week until May 2022. Learn more and register for a future session here.

Tuesday, December 14, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET

During this session, participants will reflect on the importance of civil dialogue in the classroom, collaborate and share with colleagues nationwide, and receive student ready resources. Register here.

In this session, participants will examine the form of government established by the Constitution, and its key ideas. This includes a study of natural rights, the rule of law, and popular sovereignty. We will look at the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as primary source studies to examine how the two documents set the foundation for American democracy. Register here.

The National Constitution Center honors the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to our Constitution, which protect some of our most essential freedoms.

Live Virtual Tour: Signers’ Hall and Constituting Liberty

Tuesday, December 14, 12 p.m. ET

A museum educator will guide viewers through the National Constitution Center’s iconic Signers’ Hall, exploring the debates at the Constitutional Convention and the ultimate decision by the delegates not to include a bill of rights in the governing document. Then, viewers will tour the Constituting Liberty exhibit, where they will learn more about how the first 10 amendments were finally added to the Constitution, as well as view rare copies of our founding documents.

All Rise! Participants will explore the American legal system with a panel discussion featuring legal experts and law enforcement officers. Then they will collaborate during our interactive courtroom program, and play the parts of attorneys, witnesses, and even the jury. Together we’ll explore how people throughout American history have resolved conflicts through civil dialogue and healthy debate. The program will also include special guest speaker Christopher R. Riano, president of the Center for Civic Education.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you at the program!

The National Constitution Center's Teacher Advisory Council supports the Center by sharing best practices for teaching constitutional and civic topics—looking at the intersection of U.S. history and current events—and advises the Center on programs and resources that would best support classroom instruction on constitutional fundamentals. Teachers on the advisory council are active and engaged educational professionals who advocate on behalf the National Constitution Center with outreach for programs like the live classes with our scholars and professional development opportunities.

Applications are now available until Monday, January 3, 2022. Apply here!

The National Constitution Center is pleased to announce that it will continue to offer the Constitutional Ambassadors Program to middle and high students across the country. The Constitutional Ambassadors Program is an intellectual, social, and skills-based educational experience in which students learn the basic principles of the U. S. Constitution, see rare historical documents, priceless artifacts, interactive exhibits, and live theater that bring contemporary discussions about the Constitution to life. 

The Constitutional Ambassadors Program is FREE for all students in the Philadelphia area! Transportation included. Scholarship funding may be available for students outside of the Philadelphia region. Ask the group sales team for more information.

To reserve your spot, please fill out this online request or contact Director of Group Sales Gina Romanelli at [email protected] or 215.409.6695.

Virtual tours are a great way for audiences of all ages to visit the museum and explore the Center’s unique artifacts on display and signature exhibits. The Center’s education team is well-versed in engaging learners of all ages, creating meaningful experiences for everyone from elementary school to lifelong learners

To reserve your spot, please fill out this online request or contact Group Outreach and Sales Coordinator Rachel Peters at [email protected] or 215.409.6758.

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Carson v. Makin, which centers around the free exercise clause, and public funding for religious education. The issue is whether a state—in this case, Maine—violates the First Amendment by prohibiting students from participating in an otherwise generally available student-aid program from choosing to use their aid to attend schools that provide religious, or “sectarian,” instruction. In Maine, not all school districts have their own public secondary schools. For students in those districts, the state will pay for them to attend private high schools—unless the private school has a religious affiliation. The petitioners in this case are parents who are seeking that state funding for their son to attend a religious private school.

Host Jeffrey Rosen is joined by Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and co-author of The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State, and Michael McConnell, Richard and Frances Mallery Professor of Law and director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School. They discussed the history of religious schooling and public funding in America under the Constitution, including from the founding onward; what historical precedent means for how to understand and interpret the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment; and how the Court might rule in the case.

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.