Explore the Expansion of Expression

Topeka, KS June 5-6, 2012

Do you think you know the First Amendment? What civil liberties does it protect? Which rights qualify as “freedom of speech”?

Apply for the 2012 Constitutional Kansas Conference and, and it just might change what you thought you knew about the Constitution.

All middle-school and high-school Social Studies teacher in the state of Kansas are encouraged to apply for this unique opportunity!

Program participants will explore new ways to engage their students with the First Amendment freedom of speech through Constitutional Scholar presentations, discussion sessions, and pedagogical workshops.

All participants will also receive a copy of our most popular curriculum, Supreme Court DBQs: Exploring the Cases that Changed History, which includes a unit on Brown v. Board of Education. To bring depth to this key landmark case, this enriching program also includes a site visit to the historical Brown v. Board of Education site.

Eligibility

• Social Studies teachers of grades 8-12.
• Applicants must teach in the state of Kansas.

Program Details

• Lodging for the night of June 5, and all meals will be covered by the Institute.
• Participants will be responsible for their own transportation to and from Topeka.
• Limited mileage reimbursement is available.
• Program sessions will take place at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, and will include a tour of the Brown v. Board of Education historic site.
• Sit-down dinner and opening lecture from our Constitutional Scholar on Tuesday evening

Application

• All applicants must complete the online application form.

• All submitted applications must include a sample lesson plan. Please use the lesson plan template provided here.

All applications  must be submitted by 5:00 PM EST on March 26, 2012. For questions, please contact Marianne Scott at events@BillofRightsInstitute.org.

The 2012 Kansas Constitutional Conference is made possible through the generous support of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation

“The goal of the James Madison Fellowship is to help secondary level history, government, and social studies teachers to become outstanding educators of the U.S. Constitution.” The Fellowship pays up to $24,000 to cover actual costs of tuition, required fees, books, and room and board to allow each Fellow to earn a master’s degree in American history or political science. James Madison Fellows may choose the accredited university where they will study. Constitutional study must be a prominent feature of the Fellow’s program, and he/she must agree to a continuing professional teaching obligation: “After earning a master’s degree, each James Madison Fellow must teach American history, American government, or social studies in grades 7-12 for no less than one year for each full academic year of study under the fellowship.” The James Madison Foundation’s Summer Institute on the Constitution is one of the most memorable and unique features of the Fellowship. Think “academic boot camp” for history and government teachers. In July, new Fellows meet at Georgetown University for a rigorous and intense four-week graduate course entitled, “The Foundations of American Constitutionalism.” The course includes required preparatory reading and is taught by leading scholars of the Constitution. There are several field trips to sites associated with the Founding of our country, and solid friendships are forged as Fellows test their academic skills.

The Fellowship’s goal is to boost the skill—and the passion—that history and government teachers bring to their craft. Here are a few testimonials from Fellows that illustrate just how effectively this goal is achieved:

I really appreciate the fact that the Madison Foundation allows for an open discussion of the Constitution without any kind of “spin” or “agenda.” ’95 (MI)

“This was a life-changing experience and my teaching will never be the same—it will be better.” ’04 (TX)

“I return home a better teacher than when I departed a month ago, molded through hours of reading, lecture, discussion, and tours, not to mention the conversations held with an incredible assemblage of teaching talent.” ’01 (WI)

“I thank the Madison Foundation for carrying on the Constitution’s spirit. . . as I and other Fellows pass the torch to the next generation of Americans in our classrooms.” ’97 (NH)

Fellowships are awarded in each state; an applicant competes only against others from his/her own state. Applications are due March 1, and everything you need to apply as a Madison Fellow, including Fellowship FAQs, is available on the Fellowship website at JamesMadison.com. Becoming a Madison Fellow is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your students in the New Year, and I’d love to answer any questions you may have about the Fellowship. If you are a Madison Fellow, please write to tell me how the Fellowship has benefited you.

In Session 806, Gennie will conduct an interactive session featuring Supreme Court case studies to outline the First Amendment’s protection of public school students’ rights regarding religion.

In Session 173, Gennie will use activities, discussions, and examination of primary sources to show the development and impact of the contract theory of government.

In Session 377, Philips will use primary sources in a document-based question format to explore the development of the principles of equal protection and affirmative action.

In Session 414, Gennie will trace the enduring tension between protecting individual liberties and preserving national security through an examination of primary sources from the Founding to the War on Terror.

While the locations of these sessions are subject to change, this table provides additional details.

We hope to see you at the Convention—both in these sessions, and at our booth, where you can register for some great prizes!

The first thing I would tell your students when they ask this question, is that as citizens of the United States of America, we don’t have one single thing that binds us all together except our Constitution. We are not a single ethnic group, we are not a single religious group, and we don’t have a very extensive history as a people.

I would also tell them that throughout history, it is the exception, rather than the rule, that individuals of different ethnic and religious groups can live together peacefully. But our Constitution enshrines the principle that government exists to protect the rights of all citizens, and has no legitimate power to deprive any citizen or class of citizen of their rights without due process of law. Our country, under the Constitution, has been more successful than most in allowing individuals of different ethnic and religious groups to live together peacefully; and when we have failed, it has been because of the failures of citizens to respect the equality of all under the Constitution, or the failures of public officials to respect just limits on power.

Finally, I would tell them that in a country as large as ours, it is literally impossible for any one individual, or agency, or government to know all there is to know in order to ensure the safety and happiness of the people. Our Constitution recognizes this, and therefore guarantees the principles of individual liberty, limited government, and federalism. Federalism simply says that we trust the people in the states to govern themselves, but our national government should have the power to do things that states could not do on their own – like defend from foreign invasion or establish and regulate a national currency and otherwise make it easy for people to do business with one another across state lines.

The principles of individual liberty and limited government mean that there are certain areas of human activity that belong to individuals to decide, and that government should leave alone – either because no just government should have power over those areas, or because government could not make those decisions effectively. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights do not allow government to control what political opinions we express – though tyrants in many nations around the world routinely imprison their political enemies. Our Constitution does not allow government to be in the business of making cars or computer software or smartphones, because it is not the place of government, and we all know they wouldn’t do it right! Innovators like Henry Ford, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs have benefited from being in a country where government has not stifled their natural creativity or entrepreneurial spirit. We all benefit from being in a country with a dynamic economy, a rising standard of living, and the ability to share our own political, religious, and other beliefs with those in our community.

These are the places I would start with students in communicating the importance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Certainly the Constitution and its framers were not perfect, but I feel very fortunate to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy under the Constitution. I also hope that your students come to understand that they have an important role in making sure these freedoms are passed on to their children and future generations.

What other things have you shared with you students to help them appreciate the Constitution?

Fifth-grade teachers have attended many of our professional development programs because U.S. History is often taught at that grade level. Because it is important for students of all ages to engage in thinking about the Constitution and its principles, we are often asked for ideas about how to adapt our existing secondary resources for younger learners. Below are some of the strategies that teachers of elementary students might use in order to effectively employ Bill of Rights Institute lesson plans in their classes. A few simple modifications can make the readings and activities age-appropriate.

• Vocabulary support: pre-teach vocabulary, add marginal notes, highlight important terms
• Use additional images: conduct an internet search of public domain resources for supporting portraits, maps, or period art work
• Chunking: break up readings into shorter segments; jigsaw strategies; graphic organizers
• Use fewer or shorter passages from primary sources
• Help students understand relevance by leading them to point out connections between the lesson content and their everyday lives
• Emphasize cross-curricular applications: many Bill of Rights Institute lessons include elements from social studies, reading, and writing–even math
• Notice “story-telling” opportunities – Students of all ages love stories

Many of our lesson plans use activity cards and small group activities to have students engage with the content. With a little vocabulary support, these cards are a vehicle to engage young students in considering applications of important constitutional principles.
These and other scaffolding ideas can provide the tools to empower young learners to grapple with complex critical thinking tasks. It is important to enable them to read and understand primary source documents, presented in age-appropriate chunks. If your students would be discouraged by a whole paragraph from a primary source, give them a sentence. If a sentence is too much, give them a phrase. But help students develop their capacity for thinking about complex issues by presenting and discussing these issues. A kid does not learn to swim if he never gets in water over his belly button. He won’t learn to think if he is not coached into working with challenging materials.
What strategies and tips have you found to be helpful in leading young learners to understand and appreciate their heritage of liberty?

Thanks to Elaine Rowe (New York), Diana Fiddler (Oklahoma), and Emma Humphries (Florida) for contributing their ideas on this topic!

Pre-Order your copy of the Founding Documents: A Three-Act Drama today!

New evidence indicates that there’s no better time to educate young people about the Constitution than before they reach college.

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute recently released its annual Civic Literacy Report, which tracks the civic knowledge and engagement of college students – to see if they grow more engaged as they progress from freshmen to seniors.

Unfortunately, in college, students grow less inclined to become engaged.

The Report discovers that:

•  ”A college degree fails to promote active civic engagement beyond voting.”

•  ”Greater civic knowledge trumps a college degree as the leading factor in encouraging active civic engagement.”

•  Having a solid civics education taught by a well-trained K-12 teacher positively influences active civic engagement.

The last finding is especially important to our work at the Bill of Rights Institute.  A principles-based civics curriculum taught by a skilled and knowledgeable teacher exerts a huge influence over students at a critical period in their lives – middle and high school.

That is why the Institute helps teachers around the country provide students the tools they need to deepen their civic knowledge – because it is in these formative years that a young person develops the habits that lead to a lifetime of civic engagement.

As ISI’s research shows, it is imperative that we reach students before they enter college, with outstanding, historically accurate materials that educate and inspire them about our nation’s Founding principles. That is the best way to prepare them to take an active role in the civic life of our nation.

The time to introduce young people to the Constitution is now!

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“I hope that kids understand that in this country, everything that we do in everyday life is touched upon by the Constitution of the United States,”

There is a Real National Treasure!

When I tell student there really is a national treasure their curiosity is aroused. They immediately think of the movie; National Treasure. When actor Nicholas Cage discovers a treasure of immeasurable value hidden by America’s Founders as security for the new nation it’s easy to forget the movie is fictitious; it’s hard not to feel jubilant when his kerosene laden torch reveals the treasures of civilization in their underground hiding place!

Just like in the movie, the real national treasure it is the work of America’s Founders. Just like in the movie, it was put in place for the security of the new nation. And just like in the movie, its value is immeasurable, so much so that tens of thousands of American have died defending it.

Of course I am talking about the United States Constitution.

The Constitution ushered in a theretofore untried and noble experiment; the creation and organization of a free society. It created a republic with strong but limited government organized to provide Americans the greatest possible freedom, the greatest possible individual liberty, and the greatest possible opportunity to pursue happiness. As the late author and professor Allan Bloom put it, “America tells one story: the unbroken, ineluctable progress of freedom and equality.”

But in his book, The Closing of the American Mind, professor  Bloom also points out the heroism of the American Founding and the impact of the Constitution have been viewed with cynicism in recent decades with both international and American educators focusing on the nation’s short comings and failings. As a college professor his observation was that high school students “… arrive at the university ignorant and cynical about our political heritage, lacking the wherewithal to be either inspired by it or seriously critical of it.” One result is citizens with perspectives like that of the Washington Post’s Ezra Kline, whose recent national television interview drew attention when he described the Constitution as old, confusing and arbitrary.

Contrast him to the late Senator Robert Byrd who believed that an understating of the Constitution by all citizens was so vitally important that he helped establish that every student, in every public school, from first grade through college have a lesson on the Constitution each year on Constitution Day!  He stood on the Senate floor and said “I love the Constitution!” He believed the passing on of a Constitutional culture to the next generation was vital to the health of the American Republic! He believed the Constitution was a national treasure.

What do your students think? Do they see the Constitution as an old confusing, arbitrary document or as a national treasure?

Notwithstanding their words, American critics of the Constitution continue to enjoy the liberty it gives them to freely speak against it and many international critics can be comforted that their own government’s constitutions have incorporated at least some of the principles of the United States Constitution. When it comes to the bottom line, people everywhere want to be free!

The national survey, conducted by Harris Interactive* on behalf of the Bill of Rights Institute, also reveals that 60 percent of Americans can’t identify the principle that our government’s powers are derived from the people as an attribute that makes America unique.

The First Amendment fares particularly poorly; 55 percent of Americans don’t recognize that education is not a First Amendment right, while nearly 1 in 5 mistakenly excludes from the First Amendment one of the five rights it actually does guarantee.

The lonely Tenth Amendment, meanwhile, is recognized by only 20 percent of Americans as the amendment that reserves powers to the states and the people.

Should we be worried that Americans do so poorly when quizzed about the Bill of Rights? In a letter to a friend expressing his belief in a strong educational system, James Madison wrote: “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

And what might be the consequence of a citizenry disarmed of the knowledge of their own rights? We can look again to Madison for an answer, this time to his address at the 1788 Virginia Convention: “Since the general civilisation of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people, by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

When a people forget their rights, in other words, they run the risk of having those rights gradually eroded.

Today is Bill of Rights Day. What are you doing to make sure your fellow citizens understand this important document?

* This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Bill of Rights Institute from December 1-3, 2010 among 2,159 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Rachel Gillespie at 703-894-1776, ext. 25.