New Professional Development Programs Available to Help Strengthen Reading and Writing Skills
Seminar Calendar | Professional Development On Demand | Apply for a seminar Online
Instructional Materials | Free Resources | eLessons | For Your Students
The Bill of Rights Institute is your partner in teaching about the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. We offer a variety of educational programs and instructional materials for teachers. These include Constitutional Seminars around the country, as well as printed and online teachers’ guides for use in history, government, civics, and social studies middle and high school classes.
Founders Fellowship Program for Early-Career Teachers
Brand new in 2010 - The year-long education program, Founders Fellowship, will convene in Washington, D.C. on July 6, 2010 for an all- expenses paid multi-day educational program. During the program, Founders Fellows will participate in lectures, discussions, and scholar-led visits to historic sites including Mount Vernon, the National Archives, Gunston Hall, Monticello, and Montpelier. The Founders Fellowship Program will select promising social studies teachers, grades 7-12, who have been teaching for five years or fewer. Twenty top teachers, representing 20 states will be selected to participate. For more information on the program and application requirements please click here.
Constitutional Seminars for Teachers
Our professional development programs are designed to include both content and pedagogy. At one of our day-long programs, you will engage with leading academics on important constitutional principles, historical events, and Supreme Court rulings. Led by a master teacher, you will spend time with your fellow educators exploring ways to bring your knowledge to the classroom using Bill of Rights Institute materials and teaching strategies. To see if we're coming to your area with a program, please visit our Online calendar, or to apply for a Constitutional Seminar near you, visit our application page. For more information to bring a Bill of Rights Institute constitutional seminar to your district, please click here.
A teacher with two students working together at a Bill of Rights Institute Seminar
A teacher using our free classroom materials provided at a Seminar
Don't have the time to attend a day long or week long seminar? Try our On Demand Constitutional Seminars for a BRI seminar experience from the comfort of your home or anywhere you have a computer and an internet connection. Featuring our Being an American: Exploring the Ideals that Unite Us curriculum, this Online course features flash interactives, scholar podcasts, quizzes, games, and other activities. The course can be completed at your own pace: login whenever you have time and the course remembers where you left off, jumping exactly to the spot you last logged out at. When you've completed the 4-6 hours of instruction, simply print up a certificate verifying completion of the course and use it for professional development credits. You'll also receive an electronic version of the curriculum. If you have more questions, take our video tour by clicking the link below. If you'd like to get started, the course is only $15 and you can sign up at ondemand.billofrightsinstitute.org now!
Instructional Materials
The Bill of Rights Institute has developed ten sets of instructional materials, both print and on-line, to supplement your history, government, civics, or social studies curriculum. Our teachers’ guides are designed for middle and high school, and offer a variety of reading levels and teaching strategies to challenge students of varying skill levels.
Our weekly free eLessons are delivered right to your inbox. These twenty-minute activities contain brief, lively historical narratives, discussion questions, extension options and links for additional resources. eLesson topics include our brand new "Current Events and the Constitution," (monthly) “Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution,” (monthly) “The Bill of Rights in Times of Crisis,” (monthly) and “Bill of Rights in the News” (monthly). Sign up for any or all of these eLessons by clicking on the link below.
Resources for Students
Materials designed for students include an interactive Study Guide on the Constitution, a student Web site with monthly themes on the Constitution, as well as programs including an Essay Contest and week-long Constitutional Academy for rising juniors and seniors.
Students at our Constitutional Academy in 2007
Learn more about what others are saying about our teacher programs and instructional materials.