Education@NCC

Welcome Back Teachers!

2010-09-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy and very exciting summer season here at the Center. The buzz is all about our upcoming Liberty Medal ceremony honoring Tony Blair on September 13; our next installment of The Exchange on September 16; our free and fun Constitution Day Celebrations on September 17; and our new exhibit Art of the American Soldier opening on September 24.
Our new blog is under construction, and we really appreciate your feedback. Look for the full launch of the site later this fall. For now, check out blog.constitutioncenter.org for our alpha version!

The Education Team wishes you all the best for an engaging, stimulating, and very successful school year!

The NCC Welcomes Kathryn Venzor as Education Manager

2010-05-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

The NCC is pleased to welcome Kathryn R. Venzor as our new Education Manager. Kathryn began her museum education career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. After three years of educational programming and archaeological collections research, she moved to New Mexico to pursue her Master's degree in Anthropology, with an emphasis in Southwestern Archaeology. At New Mexico State University Kathryn served as the Public Programs Coordinator for the University Museum, where she also designed and implemented a Southwestern ceramics research database of the Museum's collections, and assisted in ceramics research for the University's archaeology field school. After completion of her Master's degree, Kathryn moved back east for a position at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. While at Penn, she worked in both American Section collections research as well as a digital initiative with the Penn Libraries Rare Book & Manuscript division. Her work was never far from museum education, however, as Kathryn began work with the Stenton House Museum in Historic Germantown and the History Hunters Youth Reporter Program soon after moving to Philadelphia.
Kathryn is thrilled to be the Education Manager of the NCC, and she looks forward to working with the NCC's 15,000 teachers!

Why is Washington there?

2010-04-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

On April 23, 1789, President-elect George Washington and his wife Martha moved into Franklin House in New York City, the first capital of the United States. A year-and-a-half later, in late 1790, the Washingtons moved to Philadelphia, which would remain the temporary capital of the nation for a decade.

Shortly before the Washingtons' move to Philadelphia, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal capital of ten square miles in size, the site of the capital to be determined by President Washington. Congress had been given the authority to establish a federal district as the "Seat of Government" under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. Washington chose a location on the banks of the Potomac River within the borders of Maryland and Virginia.

The district was termed the "Territory of Columbia," and the city that comprised the capital itself was named "Washington" after the president. The city was built on the Maryland side of the Potomac River (the French architect Charles L'Enfant's 1792 design is pictured above). Eventually, Congress would return the land south of the Potomac to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Have your students research why George Washington chose the site on the Potomac River as the location of the nation's capital. Why did the Framers of the Constitution consider it important to designate federal land as the nation's capital instead of simply housing the capital in an existing city, like New York or Philadelphia?

The 17th Amendment

2010-04-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

April 8 will be the 97th anniversary of the ratification of the 17th Amendment, which mandated the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote, rather than by state legislatures. This Amendment overrides Article I, Section 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution. U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) recently called for the repeal of the 17th Amendment, arguing that this action would do much to restore states rights.

The Framers of the Constitution called for the election of senators by state legislatures not only to maintain a balance between federal and state power but also to provide a filter for popular opinion. The Founders had apprehensions about making government too democratic, as they believed that the common man might succumb to "passion" (emotion) instead of reason and elect unqualified representatives. Over time, as the right to vote broaded to include more of the American populace, people began to call for the direct election of senators.

Voting rights have expanded throughout our country’s history. Have your students play the National Constitution Center’s Seize the Vote game and learn more about voting history as they attempt to win their character’s right to vote.

Fighting During Recess

2010-03-29T08:29:00.001-07:00

"The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session."
- U.S. Constitution: Article II, Section 2, Clause 3

“The United States Senate has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of my nominees. But if, in the interest of scoring political points, Republicans in the Senate refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act in the interest of the American people and exercise my authority to fill these positions on an interim basis.”
- President Barack Obama

“Circumventing constitutional Senate vetting is dangerous because President Obama’s track record in vetting nominees and other high-level appointees has been very poor. . . . Many of the people President Obama is granting recess appointments will hold high level positions that will greatly influence job creation in this country.”
- Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina

Though there is little evidence as to the intentions of the Constitution's Framers in creating the recess appointment clause, it seems that it was meant to allow the President to maintain the continuity of administrative government through the temporary filling of offices during periods when the Senate was not in session and thus could not consider nominees. This interpretation was bolstered by the fact that Congress had both relatively short sessions and long recesses between sessions until the beginning of the 20th century.

Presidents, however, have sometimes used recess appointments for political purposes--as opportunities to side-step a Congress controlled by the opposition party. Attorneys General and the courts have added to the president's recess appointment power by interpreting broadly the phrase “vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate." The recess appointment power is now generally accepted to include the right to make recess appointments to any position that became vacant prior to the recess and to positions that became vacant during the recess.

President Clinton made 139 recess appointments, and President George W. Bush made 171 in their two terms in the White House. President Obama has made 15 recess appointments in his year-and-a-half in office.

Current Events & the Constitution
Ask your students to deliberate the positives and negatives of recess appointments after first reading Article II, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution. Then ask them to look at the history of recess appointments at the Senate's web site and what each political party has to say about President Obama's recess appointments.

Freedom of Internet Speech

2010-03-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

China and internet search giant Google are at odds over Google’s decision no longer to censor its site. Google has redirected users going to http://www.google.cn/ to Google’s unrestricted Hong Kong site http://www.google.com.hk/ Google was demonized by some in the West and within China for its initial decision to submit to the Chinese government’s censorship policy. Google has now signaled that it wants to "meaningfully increase access to information for people in China." This would entail no longer filtering from Google’s search engine results sites critical of the Chinese government . The Chinese government says that Google has violated a written promise to filter out sites the Chinese government finds objectionable.

"Network neutrality" is the principle that data on the internet should be moved impartially, without regard to content, destination, or source. Those who favor network neutrality believe that it protects the free market by ensuring that all small and independent sites, such as blogs, are on an even playing field with large, corporate-owned sites. Critics of network neutrality want a two-tiered model, where ISPs would be able to charge owners of Web sites a premium fee for priority placement and faster speed across their networks.

Both of these internet controversies are about the concept of freedom of speech: that of the Chinese people and that of small independent web sites. In the United States, freedom of speech is a fundamental right, but in some countries, like China, such a right does not exist in law.

Ask your students these questions:
Is “freedom of speech” an inalienable universal human right? Why, or why not?

If ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can decide what kind of content moves at what speed on the internet, do they then have the ability to determine what types of content internet users have access to? Explain your answer.

Does the concept of freedom of speech translate to the internet? Why, or why not?

To Lead or to Follow?

2010-03-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, President Obama's healthcare legislation passed Congress, despite its apparent unpopularity with most American voters. This fact brings up the interesting question of whether, in a democracy, elected representatives should simply follow the wishes or their constituents or whether they should decide how to vote without regard to public opinion.

The former theory of representation is known as the "delegate" theory and was famously championed in American history by the Anti-Federalists during the debate about ratification of the Constitution. The latter theory is called the "trustee" theory of representation and was adovocated by Edmund Burke (pictured above), the 18th-century Irish-born British statesmen who sympathized with the American Revolutionaries and who is seen as the godfather of modern conservatism.

Though the delegate theory is more often associated with the American Left and the trustee theory with the Right, in the case of the health care debate, it seems that the two ends of the American political spectrum may be favoring the opposite theory this time around.

Have your students discuss which theory of representation is better for democracy.

Saint Patrick in America

2010-03-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick’s Day is most often celebrated with a plethora of shamrocks, green trappings, and corn beef and cabbage. But do your students know the history of the day and its importance for American history?

St. Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland, though he was actually born in Roman-governed England, probably in the late 4th century. Around the age of 16, he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He finally escaped after six years of servitude and returned to Britain. Back home, Patrick became a priest and then returned to Ireland where he converted tens of thousands of the Irish people to Christianity. Patrick died on March 17th, most likely in the year 461.

St. Patrick’s Day has been observed as a religious holiday by the Irish for hundreds of years, but the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States – New York City to be exact. Irish soldiers in the English military marched through the city on March 17, 1762. The day became even more important in America as millions of Irish immigrants entered the United States in the nineteenth century. Today, a St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place in cities all over America, notably Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Savannah. Chicago even has a tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green for the day (see the picture above).

Some have made great and controversial claims for the importance of the role played by the Irish in world history. Their great influence on American history, however, is undisputed. Have your students research the influence of Irish immigration on American history. Where did most Irish immigrants settle? How did this immigration shape religious, political, and cultural developments in the United States? Who are some of the most famous Irish-Americans?

Reconciliation Makes Strange Bedfellows

2010-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, approved by the House of Representatives in September, may be the key to securing passage of a health care reform bill in the Senate. These two seemingly divergent bills have become intertwined because, though there may not be enough votes in the Senate to pass the health care bill, there are probably enough votes to pass the student aid bill.

The reason for merging the two bills would be to make the health-care half of the legislation more attractive to Democrats and Republicans who support the student aid bill, but not the health care bill. The proposed move to merge the bills would allow Senate Democrats to pass the combined bill via reconciliation. The debate about reconciliation has divided the Congress and brought into question the process of creating legislation.

Reconciliation has been used by both parties for more than three decades to overcome filibusters. It has been utilized by the majority political party in the Senate that did not have a 60-vote supermajority to overcome a filibuster eight times: two times by a Democratic-controlled Congress, and six times by a Republican-controlled Congress.

Current Events and the Constitution
The national debate about health care and education has focused new light on the process of making a bill into a law. Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution is a great place to start in understanding this process. Looking at Congress' parliamentary rules and reconciliation process are the next steps in understanding the process.

"Beware the Ides of March"

2010-03-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

Thus the soothsayer warned Emperor Julius Caesar on the 15th of March, 44 B.C. On that day, Caesar, who had overturned the Roman republic and made himself a tyrant, was assassinated by a group of Senators, including his friend, Brutus. In the eponymous play by William Shakespeare, the Senators begin to stab Caesar, who tries to resist the assault until he sees Brutus also wielding a knife against him. "Et tu, Brute?" ("And you, Brutus?"), Caesar utters in disbelief before collapsing.

The figure of Brutus--the assassin of the tyrant--cast a long shadow over American history. In setting up their own republic, the American Founders looked to the Roman republic as a model and the Roman Empire embodied by Caesar as a portent of what they feared the republic could become. Americans feared that liberty was fragile and that the republic could be undone by the ambition of one man.

"Brutus" became the pseudonym of one of the most famous Antifederalist authors (probably Robert Yates of New York), who wrote essays in opposition to the proposed Constitution of 1787, which he believed dangerously consolidated power in the central government. The Framers of the Constitution were also wary of the rise of a Caesar and designed the presidency with great care in an effort to prevent any abuse of executive power.

The assassin of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, saw himself as an American Brutus, who was serving the cause of liberty by killing a president who had assumed tyrannical powers. Booth famously called out, "Sic semper tyrannis!" ("Thus always to tyrants!") after shooting Lincoln at Ford's Theater. This phrase was the state motto of Virginia and had been attributed to Brutus himself. Booth was a famous American actor at the time of the assassination and only months before had appeared as Mark Antony in a production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (see the picture to the left: from left to right are John Wilkes Booth and his brothers Junius, Jr. and Edwin).

Booth's self-association with the figure of Brutus has tarnished the use of the Roman's name by those who oppose concentrated government power. Still, the story of Brutus and Caesar retains its power today in the United States, particularly in light of the rise of a strong executive that some have dubbed "the imperial presidency."

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone . . . or did he?

2010-03-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

"Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

Those were the first words spoken on Alexander Graham Bell’s revolutionary invention, the telephone, on March 10, 1876. Most people today credit Bell as the sole inventor of the telephone. But Bell is often accused of stealing part of his concept for the telephone from fellow inventor Elisha Gray.

Both Gray and Bell applied for a patent from the U.S. Patent Office on the same day: February 14, 1876. Bell was issued his patent on March 7, 1876, and three days later transmitted the first clear words through an acoustic telegraph.

Have your students research the Bell-Gray controversy and discuss which inventor should have received the patent for the telephone. Discuss with them why patents are important. You may also want to have them discuss the impact the telephone has had on history. Your students may be interested in looking at Bell’s experimental notebook entry from March 10, 1876.

Parliamentary and Presidential Systems of Government

2010-03-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

An estimated 60 percent of Iraqis voted during the 2010 parliamentary elections on Monday. In a parliamentary democracy like Iraq’s, parliament has sovereignty over the head of the government, the prime minster. The prime minster is usually the leader of the political party that has either won the majority of seats in parliament or has the most seats without holding a majority. In the case of the latter, the political party with the most seats in parliament must form a coalition government, which includes members of other political parties. Many European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian nations follow the parliamentary system, with Britain’s being that most famous.

The political party of the current Iraqi Prime Minster, Nouri Maliki, is not expected to retain a majority of the seats in that country’s parliament but will probably still hold the most seats and thus would be forced to form a coalition government.

During the 2008 election cycle in the United States, almost 62 percent of eligible voters went to the polls to elect the 44th President of the United States. They also handed the Democratic Party a majority of the seats in both houses of Congress. Some believe the Democrats are in danger of losing their majorities in Congress during the mid-term elections this November, but no matter the result, in a presidential system, Barack Obama would still be President of the United States.

Questions to Consider

Which system, parliamentary or presidential, is more consistent with democratic ideals?

Which system provides for more accountability to the voters?

Why have more democracies adopted the parliamentary system than the presidential system?

Would a parliamentary system necessitate more political parties?

Would having fewer political parties mean a more stable system of government?

My Years in High School

2010-03-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

Teaching is certainly a challenging profession, as well as a rewarding one. Newly published, this little book by a veteran high school teacher details the trials and tribulations of teaching in a 21st-century American public school.

From the book jacket:

"Writer and educator Marcos Puga gives a close-up view of what it's like to be a teacher, with a distinct and humorous voice. From the difficult to the delightful, his narrative is a wonderful tribute to students and how each has the uneniable right to quality education and what role the teacher plays in bringing out the best in his/her students. Meant to aid and inspire other teachers, parents, and yes, even students, this amusing book is filled with advice, anecdotes, and the heartfelt pride of what it means to be a teacher."

Lincoln Takes Office This Day in History

2010-03-04T09:12:00.001-08:00

It was on March 4th, 1861 that Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office to become the 16th President of the United States of America. His inauguration was the impetus for seven southern states to secede from the Union, and his decision to call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the "rebellion" drove four more states into the arms of the new Confederate States of America.

The war and Lincoln's conduct of it brought numerous constitutional questions about states' rights, slavery, and presidential powers to a head. Many of Lincoln's decisions are still debated by scholars today--a debate your students can join by taking part in the National Constitution Center's engaging lesson plan and accompanying online game, Lincoln's Crossroads.

Does the Second Amendment Apply to the States?

2010-03-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
- Second Amendment to the Constitution

“Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
- Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause

The debate about whether the 14th Amendment makes the first ten amendments to the Constitution applicable to the states, thus extending the protections of the Bill of Rights, has a long history that will gain another chapter when the Supreme Court hears the case of McDonald v. Chicago this week.

Citing the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court in a series of cases has held that most of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights also apply to the states. The 1st, 4th, three clauses of the 5th, the 6th, and a clause in the 8th Amendment have been incorporated.

Until now, however, the 2nd Amendment, along with the 3rd, a clause in the 5th and the 7th Amendment have not been applied to, or incorporated against, the states. In D.C. v. Heller (2008) the Supreme Court held that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess firearms for self-defense within federal territories, like Washington, D.C.

McDonald v. Chicago will likely determine whether the limits placed on the federal government by the 2nd Amendment are applicable to state and local governments.

Ask your students which of the freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights should be incorporated against the states, which should not be incorporated, and to defend their answers.

The Exchange, the National Constitution Center's program of national student deliberation, will grapple with the issue of gun control, when on May 20, The Exchange asks students: Can government prohibit citizens from owing handguns? Your students can join the conversation about important constitutional issues by visiting The Exchange's website.

Oh Say Can You See . . .

2010-03-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

March 3 will be the 79^th anniversary of the congressional resolution, signed by President Herbert Hoover, which made Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner the national anthem. However, there has been a long-standing debate about whether the Star-Spangled Banner is the right choice for the country’s anthem.

The Star-Spangled Banner was written in 1814 and was originally titled Defence of Fort McHenry. Key wrote the work after he witnessed the bombardment of the Maryland fort by the British during the War of 1812. Though composed as a poem, the piece soon began to be sung to the tune of the popular British drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven.”

For years, many people have lobbied to have the song America the Beautiful replace the Star- Spangled Banner as the country’s national anthem. America the Beautiful was written by Katharine Lee Bates, and the music was composed by church organist Samuel A. Ward. America the Beautiful also began as a poem, entitled Pikes Peak (the plaque atop Pikes Peak commemorating the composition of the poem is pictured above).

Proponents of the switch say that America the Beautiful is easier to sing and more melodic than the Star-Spangled Banner and that the Star-Spangled Banner is too militaristic.

Have your students read the lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful and discuss the differences. Also have them listen to the songs. Have your students deliberate as to which song they think should be our country’s national anthem. Would they keep the Star-Spangled Banner or would they change it to America the Beautiful?

The Patriot Act

2010-02-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today, Congress will send a bill to extend parts of the controversial Patriot Act to Pres. Obama. Without passing the legislation, provisions of the Patriot Act will expire this Sunday.

Some say the Patriot Act provides the government with necessary tools for the fight against terrorism, both domestically and internationally. Others say the Patriot Act violates civil liberties.

This topic presents an excellent opportunity to instill the habits of active citizenship in your students. First, have your students get informed. You can have your students read more about this story here on our Constitution Newswire, and conduct additional research on the Patriot Act.

Then, have your students check out the bill for themselves. Reading the bill (in whole or in parts you pre-select) can also be used as a media literacy activity where students can see if what they are reading in the news is similar to what they find in the bill. You can search the bill and track the legislative process directly from our website at www.constitutioncenter.org/action.

Your students can then deliberate the issue in class, citing what they've learned about the legislation and the Constitution. For information on how to conduct a successful deliberation in your class, visit the newly redesigned Exchange website.

Finally, return to the Citizen's Help Desk to have your students write the president and their members of Congress to tell them what they think of the legislation and why.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

2010-02-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

February 24 marks the 142nd anniversary of the date on which the United States House of Representatives passed articles of impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. This marked the first time (out of only two in our country’s history) that this particular check on presidential power contained in the Constitution was tested. America's Founding Fathers had a deep fear of executive power, which stemmed from their experience with what they deemed the tyrannical rule of the English monarchy. They had included several checks on the president when they wrote the Constitution, and impeachment was seen as perhaps the last resort in checking presidential tyranny.

But what exactly is impeachment? Have your students read Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, which explains when a president maybe impeached, and Article 1, Section 2.

Once they understand the process, students can consider the impeachment of President Johnson, which occurred amidst an atmosphere of bitter political struggle between the Radical Republicans who controlled Congress and Democrat Johnson, who opposed the Radicals' desire to inflict a harsh program of Reconstruction on the South. (Johnson was a United States Senator from Tennesee in 1861 but remained loyal to the Union when his state seceded that year.)

Johnson was formally impeached in the House of Representatives on February 24, 1868, in an indictment of eleven articles for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The House’s main charge was that President Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act when he replaced Edwin M. Stanton as Secretary of War with Lorenzo Thomas. The Tenure of Office Act, passed in 1867, provided that the president could not remove anyone from office who had been confirmed by the Senate without the consent of the Senate. Radical Republicans had passed the law over Johnson's veto in 1867, in the hope that Johnson would violate the act by trying to remove unilaterally the Radical Stanton from his cabinet post.

The impeachment trial began on March 5, 1868 with Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presiding. President Johnson was acquitted on May 16, by a very close vote – only one shy of the number required for conviction.

Have your students review the cases of both the prosecution and the defense. How would your students have voted if they had been in the Senate? It mightbe interesting to hold a mock impeachment trial in your classroom.

Does Jury Duty Violate the Thirteenth Amendment?

2010-02-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

"The term 'involuntary servitude' was intended to cover those forms of compulsory labor akin to African slavery which, in practical operation, would tend to produce like undesirable results."
- Justice McReynolds’ majority opinion in Butler v. Perry (1916)

It has been argued that mandatory national service violates the 13th Amendment’s prohibition against “involuntary servitude.” Proponents of mandatory national service have said that it strengthens America’s civil society and directly involves citizens in their democracy.

The controversy over mandatory national service has been argued in school hallways, the halls of Congress, and the chambers of the Supreme Court since the nation's founding. Usually the debate has centered on military conscription and the draft, but it has also dealt with civilian conscription by the government.

It has been argued that the 13th Amendment bans any form of mandatory service including jury duty, but that opinion has been countered by the need for mandatory jury duty in order to secure another individual right guaranteed by the Constitution: the right to a trial by jury under the 6th and 7th Amendments.

Is mandatory jury duty necessary to ensure that juries are a representative sample of the citizenry? Or should juries be comprised of citizen-volunteers? What are the consequences of having mandatory jury duty and volunteer jury duty? Why does our Constitution mandate trials by jury? How can we balance the need for citizens to serve their nation on the one hand, and individual freedom on the other?

During The Exchange from 12:30 to 1:30 PM on March 18th, high school students from across the nation will try to answer these questions and more during a real time video conference when they deliberate the question: “Should a year of national service be required for all Americans?” All modes of national service--voluntary, mandatory, civilian and military--will be discussed at our student roundtable.

Join the conversation by visiting The Exchange website to learn how to participate in the live interactive video conference, take our nationwide Web Poll, or contact your elected representatives and tell them how you feel about this important national issue.

The Confederate Constitution vs. The United States Constitution

2010-02-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

On February 22, 1862, Jefferson Davis was formally inaugurated as the first President of the Confederate States of America (he had been made provisional president a year before). The new Confederate Constitution provided that Davis would serve a single six-year term as president. This was a change from the United States Constitution, which originally allowed its president to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms.

The Confederate Constitution was indeed modeled on the United States Constitution, but it contained several crucial changes of wording, which reflected southerners' perceived flaws in the original Constitution of 1787. These differences help explain why southern leaders had taken the drastic step of leading their states out of the Union.

Have your students compare the Confederate Constitution to the United States Constitution. Specifically, have your students look at the following sections of the two frames of government: the Preamble; Article I, section 1; Article I, section 7; Article I, section 8; Article I, section 9; Article IV, section 2; Article V. Have them discuss why the Confederate delegates made the changes in wording to the United States Constitution. What do these changes indicate about the political philosophy of the South in contrast to that of the North?

Think Summer!

2010-02-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

With much of the country still recovering from Snowmaggedon, we encourage you to think warm thoughts and considering spending a week of your summer with us!

Classroom teachers have just under two weeks left to apply for our Summer Teacher Institutes, and we don't want you to miss this remarkable opportunity. This year's topics are:

A Revolution in Government: Philadelphia, American Independence and the Constitution, 1765-1791

America's Constitution and the World
*New topic!

Changing the Constitution,
*This institute is offered simultaneously on both the East and West coasts, and will take advantage of the National Constitution Center's unique collections and exhibits, as well as the resources of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Foundation.

We hope you consider applying to one or more of our institutes. If accepted, you will receive a stipend of more than $1000 to attend.

Please visit www.constitutioncenter.org/summer to apply today!

SIDE NOTE:
Also, for our local educators, we are holding a FREE Educator Open House on February 24, 2010 from 4-7pm at the National Constitution Center. All teachers, community educators and professors are welcome to attend this fun and informative night, and will have a chance to see the world debut of the Ancient Rome & America exhibition. Click here for more information.

The Year-Long Road to Recovery

2010-02-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President Obama in an effort to address the worst economic crisis the United States has seen since the Great Depression. Since its inception, the plan--an almost 800-billion-dollar package meant to jump-start the economy by saving and creating jobs--has been highly controversial. Proponents of the act contend that by cutting income taxes for certain individuals, giving money to states and large businesses, extending unemployment benefits, and commissioning public works projects, the act will stimulate the economy. They believe that America must spend its way out of the recession.

Opponents of the act have asserted that spending at this high level is incredibly irresponsible, as it increases the government's budget deficits and burdens future generations with a huge amount of debt. They also argue that government spending will only serve to worsen economic conditions, and that what is needed is fiscal restraint and tax relief for all individuals and businesses.

Each side seems to have conflicting data supporting its position, with the White House reporting a dramatic increase in job creation and preservation, and watchdog groups reporting that the stimulus money has not done nearly enough good to justify the cost.

Ask your students to take a look and decide for themselves. They can access the details of the Recovery Act and can also look at the website of a watchdog group. Once your students understand the basic principles of the plan, stage a deliberation in your class in which students discuss the merits and drawbacks of th Recovery Act.

Students might also compare the government's response to the current crisis with previous administrations' responses to American economic crises, such as the Great Depression. Students could also assess the success of similar large-scale government spending programs like the New Deal of the 1930s and the Great Society programs of the 1960s.

How the Twelfth Amendment might have saved Alexander Hamilton's life!

2010-02-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, February 17, will be the 209th anniversary of the tie-breaking decision in the election of 1800, between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. This election, only the fourth in America’s history, had far reaching outcomes and ultimately changed the way elections in our country work.

In 1800, Thomas Jefferson ran against John Adams for the Presidency. According to the original version of Article II of the Constitution, whoever got the most number of votes in the Electoral College became president, while whoever came in second became vice president. When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they did so in the hope that America would not have political parties. But parties formed anyway, the first two being the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists.

This “first party system” caused electoral problems in 1796 when John Adams, a Federalist, became president, and Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, became his vice president. The two clashed over how they thought the country should be run. In 1800, Jefferson ran against Adams and hoped to secure Aaron Burr, also a Democratic-Republican, as his vice president. When the Electoral College casts its votes, however, there was a tie between Jefferson and Burr.

Do you students know what happens when there is a tie among candidates in the Electoral College? Have your students read Article II, section 1 of the Constitution, which stipulates that in the event of a tie, the House of Representatives decides who will be president.

But back to the election of 1800 – after much debate and struggle, and ironically with the help of his longtime nemesis Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson was elected president by the House of Representatives, with Burr becoming vice president. The first vote in the House of Representatives was held on February 17, 1801.

The 1800 election testified to the fact that political parties were to be a feature of American politics despite the Founders’ wishes. In the wake of the contentious election, there was a movement to adjust the Constitution to take account of this reality. The Twelfth Amendment, ratified on June 15, 1804, stipulated that the Electoral College would cast separate ballots for the president and vice president, thus making a tie between candidates much less likely.

Another outcome of this important election was to ignite enmity between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, which ultimately resulted in the duel between the two men on July 11, 1804, in which Burr shot and killed Hamilton, less that a month after the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment. Had the Twelfth Amendment’s language been part of the original Constitution, might this duel have been avoided?

Washington's Birthday/Presidents' Day

2010-02-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

Today, February 15, the nation recognizes the contributions of. . . well, one or more of our presidents, depending on where you live and what guidelines--federal, state, or commercial--you choose to follow.

In the late nineteenth century, the United States Congress recognized George Washington's Birthday (which is actually February 22) as an official federal holiday. In the twentieth century, there was a push--including by business--to rename the holiday "Presidents' Day," in honor either of Washington and Abraham Lincoln (whose birthday is February 12) or of all the presidents.

Today, the federal holiday is still officially deemed "Washington's Birthday," but several states recognize other presidents on this day, and many Americans commonly refer to the day as "Presidents' Day" (or "President's Day," or "Presidents Day").

No matter which president(s) you celebrate today, it is a good time to reflect on which presidents were the greatest. Rating the presidents is a favorite pastime of historians and great fun for anyone interested in American history.

Ask your students to imagine that erosion caused by weather has caused the carvings of the presidents on Mount Rushmore--Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln--to wear away. Your students are tasked with recommending which four presidents' images should be newly carved into the stone.

Break the students up into groups and ask them to develop criteria for judging the presidents. You might want to use the criteria used by recent surveys, such as the C-SPAN survey. Alternatively, as another survey has suggested, perhaps the criteria for judging presidents should simply be how well they maintained peace, prosperity, and liberty for Americans. The Wall Street Journal 's 2005 presidential ranking results can be found here. Try not to prejudice your students by revealing the results of these polls until they have completed this activity.

Same-Sex Marriage deliberation

2010-01-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

“Marriage is one of our community’s most rewarding and cherished institutions.”
- Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health (2003)

Students from California, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia came together for a video conference to deliberate the question, “Should same-sex couples have the right to marry?” during The Exchange, which is the National Constitution Center’s national student program that enables young people discuss current constitutional and political issues with their peers.

The students looked at the controversies over judicial or legislative remedies to the question of same-sex marriage, the possibility that same-sex marriage could harm American society as well as the possible effects of legalized same-sex marriage on private institutions, like the Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church.

Students on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate were exposed to differing points of view in a respectful and thoughtful way that allowed them to understand the perspectives of others even if they did not agree on whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

Constitutional Connections
The Full Faith and Credit Clause in Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution has been cited by some advocates of same-sex marriage as proof that the Defense of Marriage act of 1996 (DOMA) is unconstitutional. Critics of this argument say the Full Faith and Credit Clause gives Congress the right to control the "effect" of the agreements that fall under it, thus Congress can define the manner and effect of the judgments.

The Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment have also been cited by supporters of same-sex marriage as guaranteeing Americans a fundamental right to marry. Some opponents of same-sex marriage counter that the 14th Amendment does not grant homosexuals the right to marry because it only protects those belonging to a “suspect class,” which is a status that has not been granted to homosexuals by the courts.

In Your Classroom
In addition to a live nationwide webcast with high school students from around the country, The Exchange includes a free classroom poster, which contains a lesson designed to promote classroom deliberation. If you would like a classroom sized poster from this or a past Exchange, send an email to TheExchange@constitutioncenter.org or go to The Exchange web site. You can also go to The Exchange web site and take our nationwide Web Poll .

On Thursday, March 18, The Exchange will focus on the issue of national service as students deliberate the question, “Should a year of national service be required for all Americans?” Teachers who would like their students to participate in The Exchange video conference or learn more about the program should contact Jason Allen at jallen@constitutioncenter.org .

A brief history of the State of the Union Address

2010-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight, President Obama will give his first State of the Union Address. As mandated by the Constitution, in Article II, Section 3, the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union.” The Constitution does not, however, say how such an address should be given, and it has changed over time. George Washington gave the first State of the Union address on January 8, 1790. However, when Thomas Jefferson became President, he chose an alternative form, choosing to write a letter to Congress, which was read by a clerk. This practice continued until 1913, when Woodrow Wilson re-adopted the speech style presentation. Some presidents chose to send a written State of the Union to Congress, the last one being Jimmy Carter.

When the address was given has also changed over time. Before 1934, the address was delivered at the end of the calendar year; however things changed after the ratification of the 20th Amendment, which changed when Congress opened from early March to early January. Since then, the speech (or letter) has been delivered in January or February, and today it is typically given on the last Wednesday in January.

State of the Union Fun Facts:
- Calvin Coolidge’s 1923 speech was the first to be broadcast on radio.
- Harry Truman’s 1947 speech was the first to be broadcast on television.
- Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 address was the first to be delivered in the Evening.
- Ronald Reagan was the only president to postpone his address, after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
- Bill Clinton’s 1997 speech was the first live web broadcast.

Have your students watch tonight’s speech, and play State of the Union Bingo. You can then ask your students their opinion of President Obama's speech , as well as the importance of the address itself.

State of the Union 2010

2010-01-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

Today, the White House announced that Pres. Obama's first State of the Union Address will take place on January 27, 2010. (You can read more about the announcement and other constitutionally relevant news on the Center's Constitution Newswire.) This major speech is an excellent opportunity to draw your students' attention to current events and the Constitution.

Constitutional Connections
Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution calls for the president to inform Congress about the state of the nation. This passage is broad and has been interpreted differently by presidents throughout American history. One thing has remained, the constitutionally mandated report to Congress has been delivered by every president going back to George Washington.

In addition to the speech itself, the contents of the speech will also have their relevance to the Constitution, from immigration to health care and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Discover the constitutional connections at www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution

In Your Classroom
The Center is again offering its very popular State of the Union Bingo lesson, originally created by Eli Lesser. This year, the lesson has a new twist. In addition to the card our Education team created, we've included a blank card and instructions for your students to fill it in. This will allow some variety in the cards, and will have your students evaluating current events.

Government responsibility during times of crisis outside our borders

2010-01-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

The recent earthquake in Haiti has lead to an outpouring of support from around the world. The United States government has already done much to aid those in need in the poor Caribbean nation. The Department of Health and Human Services will deploy thousands of medical professionals and 22,000 pounds of medical equipment and supplies to Haiti in the coming days. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development have more than 250 Americans on the ground, including search and rescue teams, assisting with relief efforts. The Coast Guard has preformed reconnaissance flights to help determine the extent of the earthquake’s damage. The U.S. military has sent cargo planes filled with aid supplies, the 82nd Airborne Division has arrived, and the Navy’s hospital ship, Comfort, is on its way to Haiti.

Ask your students to discuss the responsibility of the United States government to support other countries faced with a natural disaster. Is there any Constitutional limit to the amount of aid the United States can offer? Should decisions about giving such aid be made in light of national interest? What effect, if any, does offering such aid have on our country’s foreign policy and foreign relations? It maybe helpful to have your students compare other instances in which the United States gave aid to foreign nations in times of national emergency or national disaster: the post-World War II Marshall Plan; the 2004 Tsunami on the coast of the Indian Ocean; the 2009 Earthquake in Italy.

2010 Summer Teacher Institutes

2010-01-11T18:24:00.001-08:00

It's good to think about the summer thaw in the midst of a cold winter!

The National Constitution Center is proud to present its Summer Teacher Institutes for 2010! This year we are introducing a new institute, sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation, called America's Constitution and the World. The Annenberg Summer Teacher Institute, Changing the Constitution: Politics and Law in American Constitutional Development, is making its fourth appearance at the Constitution Center and will be held in a bi-coastal format, using videoconferencing technology, in conjunction with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library in Simi Valley, California. The National Endownment for the Humanities' Landmarks in American History Workshop, A Revolution in Government: Philadelphia, American Independence and the Constitution, 1765-1791, will return for the fifth year.

These week-long workshops are a great opportunity for teachers to spend time in historic Philadelphia, learn from renowned scholars, and create classroom-ready resources with talented teachers from around the country. All workshops offer a generous stipend and travel reimbursement.

Detailed information about all three workshops as well as applications can be found at our Summer Teacher Institute Website, http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_edu_Summer_Workshops.aspx, or you can email teacher@constitutioncenter.org.

Airport Security: Walking the fine line between safety and racial profiling.

2010-01-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently issued new security directives, taking effect Monday, January 4, for all inbound flights to the United States. The “TSA is mandating that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening. The directive also increases the use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random screening for passengers on U.S. bound international flights.(Official TSA Statement) ” The directives are a response to the recent failed terrorism attempt on Northwest flight 253, flying from Amsterdam into Detroit, Michigan.

These regulations, which recommend 14 countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) for enhanced screenings, have created a significant amount of controversy, with groups speaking out, both supporting and denouncing the new directives.

CNN provides two opposing views on the issue, which offer your students an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at both sides.

Speaking for the"pro" side of the argument is Steven Emerson, executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, as well as author and co-author of six books on terrorism and national security. Emerson believes that previous procedures are inadequate and ineffective, and that the new directives are a step in the right direction. He further claims that we cannot ignore that the “overwhelming large majority of terrorist attacks undertaken over the past decade were committed by Islamic fundamentalists.” Emerson’s argument can be found here.

On behalf of the "con" side of the argument is Arsalan Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer and founder of TheMuslimGuy.com. Iftikhar states that because 13 of the 14 listed countries are Muslim, there is a clear religious profiling, which will not achieve greater security for our county, and could furthermore create easily identified, and potentially exploitable, blind spots. Iftikhar’s argument can be found here.

Have your students read both articles, and discuss opposing opinions. Ask your students which side they support, and why.

This Week in Being We, The People

2009-12-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

If you've been following our blog you know that the National Constitution Center has been developing a photo exhibition in conjunction with students in Philadelphia and students in Kabul, Afghanistan. The students were given cameras and told to take pictures that portrayed 6 themes: participation, expression, myself, commerce, work, religion.

Since this summer students on both sides of the world walked the streets of their respective cities and clicked away. The Afghan students captured compelling images of the elections on August 20th, while in America students took stunning pictures of protests, as well as their homes, families, and places of worship. Each week a selection of photographs was uploaded to the shutterfly site, where everyone involved with the project could look at the pictures and exchange comments as the exhibition began to take shape in real time. This week, the leg work is finally done. The photos are uploaded and the foundation is laid for the next phase of this captivating photo discourse.

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and ten National Constitution Center staff members are finding this to be true. Charged with helping the students write narratives about each photograph they wish to submit to the jury, NCC staff are trying to find those "thousand words." NCC staff have been working one-on-one with the student photographers to help them find their voice and recount the alternately heartbreaking, uplifting, and banal narratives that express the students' lives and explain their pictures.

Staff from different museum departments have lobbied and worked to participate in the project and come from a range of positions including HR, facility rentals, PR, education, and programming. Each shares a uniform desire - to be a part of something that reaches far beyond the walls of the museum in which they work every day, and indeed, all the way to Afghanistan, where students in Kabul are doing the same thing, and where the exhibit being produced will also be displayed.

Walking through the office at 3:15 pm, one can observe Karen Fink, Director of HR at the NCC, and an army veteran, discussing photographs with a student who aspires to join the military.

Or listen in on Sayeh Hormozi, Program Manager for PennCORD, as she hears the riveting story of the young man with whom she works. "It's incredible how a simple photograph of a man holding a baby is so much more than that when you listen to the lives these students have led. In moments, the innocuous man becomes a villain and the baby a beacon of hope," she said after one such session.

In reflecting on his time with his student partner, Hugh Allen, the Center's Vice President of Government Relations, observed that "her narratives always enthrall the reader in the photo while also opening up a window into what drives her to achieve - things like her faith, friends and family. Tying her beliefs to her photography almost seems instinctive."

The experiences of Jeff Stern, International Engagement Manager for the Center, have been no different. His student, an immigrant from Africa, is taking pictures as an American student. "For our purposes, she's categorized as one of the Philadelphia kids, but really she's experienced things--civil war, life as a refugee, and confusion about the conflicting roles religion can play in a young person's life--that resonates with the stories coming from the students in Afghanistan," he said.

As the quest to fully develop this international conversation through images continues, one thing is certain. As these photographs have brought students from different corners of the world together, they have also engaged the staff that works with them. The stories of these students share a universal appeal and poignancy with which everyone, regardless of department, seniority, or background can identify.

To Intervene or Not to Intervene. That is the Question.

2009-12-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

International relations are a tricky business for Presidents. Especially today, President Obama has his hands full on both fronts, with economic concerns and the health care debate at home, and two wars overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past, many presidents, particularly when our nation was young, preached a stance of non-interventionism, even isolationism.

In his farewell address, George Washington presented a rule for the county, “The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible.” Thomas Jefferson echoed his sentiments in his inaugural address when he said, "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." Subsequent Presidents strived to adhere to these ideas as well, however as technology and communication grew, making the world a smaller, more connected place, this became difficult, even inconceivable today.

On the world stage, countries rely on each other for myriad reasons, and this interconnectivity can be seen in the foreign relation issues between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, as President Obama highlighted in his speech on Afghanistan. The National Constitution Center’s International Engagement Manager, Jeffery Stern, wrote a great article at ForeignPolicy.com examining this very aspect of the U.S.'s involvement abroad. Share this article with your students, and discuss with them the delicate balance between foreign powers and our own country. Ask students for their view on international relations.

150th Anniversary of the Death of John Brown

2009-12-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

As the Civil War battle hymn goes, "John Brown's body is a 'moulderin in the grave!" It has been 150 years since the abolitionist was executed for trying to incite a slave rebellion. The Calvinist thought slavery was evil and committed his life to eradicating it. He took matters into his own hands when he murdered five pro-slavery men in cold blood in Kansas in 1856 and attacked the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry in 1859 in an effort to arm slaves with weapons. He was arrested, tried and hanged within six weeks.

At the time, John Brown was a criminal in the minds of some and a hero in the minds of others. Today, the debate continues about the legitimacy of the means he employed to accomplish his ends. Discuss with your students whether unjust laws (like those state and federal laws that protected slavery in the 1850s) must be obeyed and how far one may go in an effort to reform an injustice.

A Delicate Balance

2009-12-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Last night, President Obama announced the deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, as well as a 3 year plan to begin withdrawal in July 2011. Although commonly referred to as the War in Afghanistan, that is technically inaccurate. Under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war, found in Article 1, section 8, and they have done so only 5 times in American history. It may surprise your students that the only officially recognized American wars were the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.

So what, then, were all the other ‘wars,’ such as the Vietnam War or the Korean War? Under the Constitution, Article II Section 2, the President is the Commander and Chief of the Army and Navy, and therefore in charge of troop placement and movements, Congress on the other hand, can officially declare war, and also controls the purse stings.

Congress has expressly authorized formal military engagements 12 times, which include the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan. Other times, the U.S. has engaged in military actions authorized by the United Nations Security Council, such as the Korean War. However, on at least 125 occasions, the President has acted without express military authorization from Congress, including the Philippine-American War and the Indian Wars. Now, your student’s may ask “What about the Civil War?” and here things get a little bit tricky. The Union government never recognized the Confederacy as an independent nation, and saw their succession as illegal, therefore requiring military action to restore the Union. This is all part of the delicate balance the Founding Fathers created in the Constitution. It is all about Checks and Balances.

This is a teachable moment, where you can discuss with your students the idea of Checks and Balances. Discuss with your students why the creators of the Constitution put these limits in place – are they helpful or a hindrance? Would your students change them in any way?

POTUS Bingo

2009-12-01T04:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight, President Obama will address the nation regarding his plan for the war in Afghanistan. This is sure to be one of the major speeches of his presidency, and we have the lesson to get your students engaged.

POTUS Bingo will have your students discussing what the president might say in his speech so they can fill out their Bingo cards. Students can then watch the speech live, or in class the next day, paying close attention for words or phrases on their Bingo card. The activity ends with a discussion on the topic of the speech.

This is a fun way to encourage your students to pay close attention to current events.

Also, be sure to check in with the Being We the People project, where students in America and Afghanistan are sure to comment on the latest policy developments regarding the war.

Busted: Thanksgiving Myths

2009-11-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Historical myths, commonly believed to by truth by large majorities of the population, have long been the bane of historians and scholars. Today, we will do some myth busting of our own when we uncover the truth behind Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of the myths that historians constantly fight over, and as with most of history, the truth is not so black and white (just as the Pilgrims didn’t just wear black and white clothing).

So let’s examine some commonly held to ‘facts’ about the First Thanksgiving:

Myth #1: The Pilgrims came to the new world seeking religious freedom. The Separatists (A Puritan Sect) came from Holland to find religious freedom. Many students fail to realize that only about 1/3 of the travelers on the Mayflower were Separatists, while the rest were hired by a London stock company who paid for the voyage.

Myth #2: English-speaking Squanto saved the day! Squanto (his name was actually Tisquantum) was an invaluable resource to the settlers at Plymouth. However, what students may not know is that in 1614 Squanto was captured and sold into slavery in Malage, Spain. He eventually escaped to England, and returned to Massachusetts in 1619, where his entire village had been wiped out by disease. It was then that he joined the settlers.

Myth #3: The First Thanksgiving was held by the Puritans in 1621, during which the Pilgrims and Indians sat down to a great feast! This part is probably the most contentious issue between historians regarding Thanksgiving. Some argue that the first Thanksgiving was held in Virginia or Texas, while others credit much of the happenings to the Native Americans, who commonly held Harvest Feasts. We know they did celebrate the harvest with feast, and certainly gave thanks for their bounty. It is also important to note this feast wasn’t celebrated each year from 1621 to today. So how did we come to celebrate Thanksgiving each year? This is where it gets especially tricky, because while Pres. George Washington set aside a few days for a national thanksgiving for the Constitution, the modern holiday as we know it didn’t come around until the Civil War when Pres. Lincoln, attempting to renew patriotism, declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. In fact, the Plymouth Colonists weren’t commonly known as ‘The Pilgrims’ until the 1870s.

Historical myths are valuable teaching opportunities and can allow you to discuss with your students the phenomena of myths. In the end, we can only glean so much information from primary sources, and there will always be unanswered questions in history. So in the past, the solution to this lack of information has often been inference, assumptions, and occasionally make believe. This is coupled the idea of ‘positive spin.’ There has been a long standing tradition, which we are slowing moving away from, of idolizing our forebears, making their motives and actions pure (and in most cases simple), as well as leaving out any unsavory details. But they were human, just like us, with human foibles, motives, and imperfections.

So how do students find the truth? There is no formula. Even historians and scholars who disprove myths can get it wrong, compensating for historical inaccuracies by going too far in the opposite direction. The best thing a student can do is to look at the evidence, and come to their own conclusions. By taking into account the historical context and culture of the time, students can find their own truths in history.

So share the myths of Thanksgiving with students, and see if they can point out the real facts of the story. If not, have them research the real history Thanksgiving, or another historical myth, and present their findings to the class. And as always, encourage your students to question what they know, and how they know, and verify information based on the facts available, rather than just conjecture or hearsay.

If you will be in area of the National Constitution Center between November 27 and 29, stop in for Thanksgiving: America’s Homecoming, to celebrate with special activities, free with museum admission.

WPA Poster Contest!

2009-11-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

Thursday, November 5 – Friday, December 18, 2009

In conjunction with the Center’s latest exhibition, Posters for the People, the Center is asking artists of all ages to contribute to the WPA ’09 Poster Contest. Adults and children (grade levels K-12) can create a poster about an important current issue such as the environment, staying healthy and active, voting, and other civic issues.

The contest is divided into four participant categories: Elementary School (K-4), Middle School (5-8), High School (9-12), and Adult (18 and older). The entries for each category will be due by December 15th. After which, the top three entries from each category will be selected and placed on display for the duration of the exhibit. During this period, visitors will submit their votes for the best poster in each category. Winners of the Elementary, Middle, and High School categories each will receive a free class trip to the National Constitution Center. The winner of the Adult category will receive a membership to the Center. The winning posters will be on display at the National Constitution Center through January 3, 2009.

Click here for official contest rules and further details.

The Center Welcomes a New CEO

2009-11-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

The National Constitution Center's Board of Trustees is proud to announce that it has appointed David Eisner, former Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, to serve as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center. Eisner succeeds Linda E. Johnson, a member of the Center’s
Board of Trustees, who has served as Acting President and Chief Executive Officer since the Board began its national search in January 2009.

“The National Constitution Center is an extraordinary American institution,” said Eisner. “I look forward to working with the remarkable Board of Trustees, led by President Clinton, as well as the talented and energetic staff, to engage more citizens in our democracy and advance the Center as the heart of America’s most vibrant and meaningful discourse on the Constitution.”

“David’s diverse experience in the non-profit, corporate, and government sectors will be essential for the continued growth of the National Constitution Center as a leading cultural and educational institution,” said President William J. Clinton, Chairman of the National Constitution Center. “We are extremely fortunate to welcome someone of his caliber, who, throughout his career has demonstrated strong leadership, and a dedication to civic engagement and to the values at the very core of the Center’s mission.”

Eisner served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the Federal agency overseeing AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps, and other national service programs, from December 2003, when he was appointed by President George W. Bush, through November 2008. He is widely recognized for his successful tenure, during which he strengthened the agency’s accountability, improved customer service, increased public trust, and positioned the Corporation for significant growth as an engine of positive social benefit.

For seven years prior, Eisner was a senior executive at AOL Time Warner and America Online, Inc., where he established and directed the AOL Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm. At AOL, Eisner founded several of the first online initiatives to foster philanthropy and volunteering, including Network for Good and Helping.org. Prior to that, he was a Senior Vice President at Fleishman-Hilliard International Communications in Washington, D.C. He also previously managed public relations at the Legal Services Corporation. Eisner started his career on Capitol Hill, serving as press secretary for several Members of Congress.

A nationally recognized leader in organizational effectiveness, Eisner has served on the boards of several national non-profit organizations, including Independent Sector, the National 4-H Council, and Network for Good. He graduated from Stanford University and he received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

This Week in Being We the People

2009-11-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Our last post centered on comments as a means of exchange, leading up to the visit the Afghan students make to America. This week has seen a specific exchange of commentary that illuminates how casual, topical interface between students on any given subject can make way for exchanging more profound insights that prompt discussion on political, historical, moral, and philosophical issues.

Earlier in the month, an American student who maintains an active interest in military history asked the Afghan students at via the Shutterfly site what their opinion was of the Taliban and the war on terrorism. The “Taliban is not just a threat for Afghanistan,” A Marefat student named Bismullah responded, “but for every nation in the world, that is why they have to be defeated, and I think this is the interest of all those who participate in the war.” He went on to argue that “war itself for tackling a group like Taliban is not wrong, but ways we selected strategies can be right or wrong and effective or not effective.” In other words, the ends justify the means—as long as the means are effective.

Bismullah’s opinion is informed by the community he belongs to. Marefat High School is made up predominantly of Hazaras, an ethnic and religious minority in Afghanistan who have suffered disproportionately under the Taliban, and would again be among the worst treated should the Taliban prevail in Afghanistan again. This is an engaging way to interpret the social, political, and cultural influences on the opinions of students in another country. That analysis can help students see how their own views are formed.

For the time being, Bismullah has posted his matter-of-fact answers to two of the most pressing contemporary political questions—one of which has been relevent for as long as mankind has been around, the other has only become an issue within the last several years. Can you justify war? And: does the Taliban constitute a threat to the international community, or is it purely a nationalistic movement, as it claims to be?

We’ll wait to see whether anyone disagrees with Bismullah’s opinions. Bismullah, for his part, hopes that someone does. “You are asking interesting questions, “he says. “Please keep asking such questions so that we can exchange ideas and views.”

Ripped from the Headlines!

2009-11-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here at the National Constitution Center, we encourage teaching with current events, particularly those with constitutional connections.

Instead of scouring newspapers for relevant articles, the Constitution NewsWire is a great resource to find up-to-the minute news stories. The Constitution NewsWire can be viewed on the Center’s website, or for added convenience, you can have it sent directly to you through e-mail or RSS.

Some of today’s headlines include:

Pennsylvania House Panel Approves Hate Crimes Bill

Pennsylvania Casino Licensing Put under Scrutiny by Grand Jury

Push for Same Sex Marriage in NJ Faces Uncertain Future

Sen. Robert Byrd becomes Longest-serving Congress Member

AP Poll: Government Health Plan Divides Public

You may want to instruct your students to read one of the articles on the NewsWire prior to each class. You can then discuss with them the constitutional connections in the article. Ask students which constitutional issues or rights are relevant to the story. Students can also use the Interactive Constitution to find specific examples in the Constitution that apply.

You can also foster democratic deliberation in your classroom by asking students where they stand on the issues presented, and discuss the differing perspectives and opinions.

So Nice to See You!

2009-11-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of the educators who stopped by our booth at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference or checked out our presentation on "The Constitution and Current Events."

We hope you found the conference as helpful and enjoyable as we did.

A few notes from the conference: This year's conference focused on inspiring students to become active citizens, something the National Constitution Center strives to do each day. On this topic, we presented a variety of projects and resources the Center offers, including the innovative and groundbreaking program The Exchange, Constitution Newswire-our daily dose of headlines connected to the Constitution, and the variety of lesson plans, professional development opportunities and even this very blog, all found at constitutioncenter.org/education!

If you enjoyed Greg Mortenson's keynote address, check out beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com to see how the National Constitution Center is also working with students in Afghanistan.

We hope to see you next year in Denver!

A Salute to All the Veterans Out There

2009-11-11T10:58:00.001-08:00

A quick history of Veterans Day:

Although the official end of World War I wasn’t until June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, November 11, 1918, is known as the end of the “war to end all wars,” when fighting ended with an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany, going into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

In 1919 President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, and the original concept was for the day to be observed with parades and public meetings, with a suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

On May 13, 1938, an act was approved making the 11th of November a legal holiday, celebrated as Armistice Day. This act was amended in 1938 to change the word from Armistice to Veterans, and was approved by legislation on June 1, 1954, making November 11 a day to honor American Veterans of all wars.

Interestingly enough, in 1968, the Uniform Holiday Bill was signed, creating 3-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays (Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day) on Mondays. Because of this, in 1971, much to peoples confusion, Veterans Day was celebrated on October 25.

Many people were unhappy with this change, because of the historic significant of November 11. Therefore in 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law returning the annual observance of Veterans Day back to November 11.

Today, Veterans Day is celebrated around the country in myriad of ways, most notably at Arlington National Cemetery. The National Constitution Center also celebrates the day with a special wreath laying ceremony at 11:00, along with other commemorative activities.

Ask your students to name any veterans they may know, and take a moment of silence in your classroom to honor these soldiers.

Victory for the GOP!

2009-11-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

Both Republican candidates won the hotly contested races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia yesterday. The results of which many pundits consider an indication of President Obama's current popularity, and the future clout of his administration and the Democrats in Congress.

Republican Chris Christie beat incumbent Jon Corzine for the first statewide won election in New Jersey in 12 years, a massive victory in a state with a daunting democratic advantage. In Virginia, a state that during the presidential election last year, voted for a Democrat in Barack Obama for the first time since 1964, went back to tradition by electing Republican Robert McDonnell over Creigh Deeds.

The political talk shows are all abuzz with talk that these elections will help the GOP fight back against the troubles their party has had since Obama assumed the presidency. Talk to your students about why this is. How does a Republican governor affect the White House? Congress? Should Obama be worried? Why?

Take me out to the ball game!

2009-10-28T07:18:00.001-07:00

Game one of the World Series begins tonight at 7:55 p.m., when the Philadelphia Phillies will face off against the New York Yankees. The staff here at the National Constitution Center, while non-partisan in all things political, will (mostly) all be rooting for the red! Now what, you ask, does baseball have to do with civic education? A lot!

As America’s favorite pastime, baseball has played an important role in American culture and American life. The struggles and triumphs of American history can been directly seen in the evolution of Baseball, from the Negro leagues to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, through today.

One of the most interesting documents in baseball history was written by President Franklin D. Roosevelt – known as the Green Light Letter, it offers a great opportunity to look at primary sources with your students. Primary sources, while of great historical value, can sometimes, let’s face it, be a bit dull for students. But, because many students will be tuning in tonight to watch the game, the Green Light Letter can be a fun and timely way to introduce students to the importance of primary sources.

The Green Light Letter was written on January 15, 1942 from Roosevelt to baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Landis. Landis had written to the President, expressing his concern over whether or not Baseball should continue, in light of the current war. Roosevelt responded with the Green Light letter, expressing the importance of Baseball to American Spirit.

Have your students read the Green Light letter, which can be found here . What are the reasons Roosevelt gives for the continuation of Baseball? What does the letter say about American life in the 1940s? Discuss with your students the importance of Primary Sources, and what they can tell us about the past.

"Being We, the People" in Your Classroom

2009-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Plans are underway to create a curriculum that would better enable your students to replicate the remarkable work achieved by students at Constitution High School in Philadelphia and at Marefat High School in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Center is working closely with educators from both schools, as well as professional curriculum developers to allow your students to add their experience to the diverse narrative of what it means to be a citizen of the world. Through a variety of activities and writing prompts, students will be encouraged to think about their own experience in regard to the six themes addressed in the project; myself, religion, work, participation, expression and commerce. After considering the themes, students will be sent out into their communities to document their experience through photography. Ultimately, students will then consider the ways their experience compares and contrasts to students from around the country and world.

This is sure to be an excellent service-learning project for students interested in compartive democratization and documenting their experience as part of "We, the People."

Until the curriculum is finished, be sure to keep up with the project on www.beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com and the Center's website, www.constitutioncenter.org/international

Race to the Finish in Afghan Elections

2009-10-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Afghanistan is moving forward in its electoral process, holding a run off election between incumbent Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdulla. President Hamid Karzai failed to receive the required majority of votes when the U.N. declared one third of votes invalid. The August 20 election was the second election held in Afghanistan under the Constitution of Afghanistan. There had been talk of a power sharing deal between the two competitors, and the creation of a coalition government. However, that has been overturned in favor of the run-off election.

This is a great time to discuss comparisons and contrasts between Afghanistan and the United States, and provide your students with a deeper understanding of the world at large.

One way to accomplish this is through the Photo narrative of Being We the People, a photography exhibit by students from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Kabul, Afghanistan. The images can be found at beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com
Ask your students to draw comparisons between the photos, as well as the countries at large.

You can then discuss with students the current events surrounding the elections in Afghanistan, and different methods of determining a winner when a tie occurs.

You can then ask your students “What happens in the United States when there is a tie for the presidency?” Many may not know. Your students can read Article II, section one of the Constitution, for the answer. This scenario played out in the election of 1800, between Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Aaron Burr. After this election, the Twelfth amendment was passed, changing the way Presidents we elected. However, the role of the House of Representatives selecting the President, with one vote per state, remains the same. A tie for the presidency occurred only one other time, under the twelfth amendment, in the election of 1825, between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Ask your students to express their feelings on this issue – do they agree? How would they determine a winner in the event of a tie?

This Week in Being We, the People

2009-10-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

This week saw more interesting parallels, as students eight and a half time zones away from each other continue to capture the same themes in their respective communities. As an example, in order to show 'expression," a Constitution High School Student went to a tattoo parlor and photographed a customer. When Marefat students uploaded their most recent photographs, several depicted a young woman painting a traditional henna tattoo onto her hand, in preparation for celebrating Eid, a Muslim holiday.

It may seem at first that tattoos in the two cultures are used for completely different reasons-here to establish individuality, and in Afghanistan, to conform to a religious tradition. The images themselves confound this notion, though, as the young Afghan women in the photographs do not appear somber or pious as they apply and display the decorations on their hands, but rather genial and expressive. And of course, when one considers how many in the West use tattoos to demonstrate their faith, the photographs seem to be depicting a similarity rather than a difference.

The most informative point of comparison, however, may in fact be between the Eid photographs and the earlier photographs taken by the Afghan students themselves. The red celebratory ink on the young women's hands in the photographs from Eid contrast sharply, not only in color but in purpose, with the dark purple ink voters have on their fingers in the photographs the students took of Afghanistan's elections.

Should the government make sure that every American has affordable health insurance?

2009-10-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

"In short, the status quo is broken, and pouring money into a broken system only perpetuates its inefficiencies. Doing nothing would only put our entire health care system at risk. Without meaningful reform, one fifth of our economy is projected to be tied up in our health care system in 10 years; millions more Americans are expected to go without insurance; and outside of what they are receiving for health care, workers are projected to see their take-home pay actually fall over time."
-President Barack Obama

"A government-run plan would set artificially-low prices that private insurers would have no way of competing with. Rates for private health plans would either skyrocket, leaving companies and individuals unable to afford it; or private health plans would just be forced out of business. Either way, the government-run plan would take over the health care system, radically changing the way Americans choose and receive their care, from routine check-ups to lifesaving surgeries."
-Senator Mitch McConnell

"America's Affordable Health Choices Act will reform the individual health insurance market. It will create a transparent insurance marketplace that protects consumers and provides them with choices among quality, affordable health care plans. Insurers will no longer be able to exclude individuals from coverage based on pre-existing conditions and will be prevented from selectively refusing to renew coverage or charging different premiums based on an individual's need for health care."
-Representative Henry Waxman

Option 1
The private health insurance industry has had years to demonstrate that it can cover all Americans, and it has failed to do so. As the number of uninsured and underinsured Americans has increased the number of health insurance providers has decreased. A public plan that allows Americans to choose any doctor they like and have the option to retain private health insurance coverage would be the best ways to lower costs, provide more choices, assures quality as well as force insurance companies to compete. Private health insurers need competition from a government-run plan.

Option 2
Health insurance purchasing cooperatives will decrease the costs of health insurance while at the same time increasing consumer choice. Cooperatives can negotiate favorable prices and persuade health plans to cater to their participants needs by allowing members to change plans if they are unhappy with their plan. Cooperatives do not require major changes to the healthcare industry or government involvement and are inexpensive for the government to start up.

Option 3
Rather than expanding the role of government in the health-care market, Congress should implement legislation that focuses on the patient-doctor relationship and empowers the patient and doctor to make effective and economical choices. Americans would purchase their own insurance policies with a low-premium, high-deductible alternative to traditional insurance that includes a tax-advantaged savings account. We need a private health insurance market that can deliver choices of high quality products to all types of people, not a one size fits all federally determined solution.

Option 4
The high quality of medical treatment and medications in the U.S. are due to market driven incentives. The elimination of incentives through the implementation of a government provided health insurance would decrease the overall quality of health care. The majority of Americans are insured and content with the care they are receiving and some of those uninsured have chosen not to carry health insurance.

What do you think health care reform should look like?

Join the conversation on health care reform on November 6 at 12P.M. EST at www.constitutioncenter.org/exchange .

You can order the Town Hall Wall lesson-plan poster for "Should the government make sure that every American has affordable health insurance?" by sending an email to jallen@constitutioncenter.org.

Civic Opportunities Fair

2009-10-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Civic Opportunities Fair for Students
October 12, 2009
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center
For high school students

Do you know a student in need community service hours or ideas for a senior project? Anyone looking for activities to strengthen a résumé or college transcript? Have you considered an internship, volunteering or a part-time job? If working at an organization dedicated to improving their community might appeal to them, send them to Philadelphia’s first ever community engagement expo! Spend Columbus Day learning what opportunities exist for teens at area organizations and businesses. The fair is free and refreshments will be provided. Parents, teachers, students, and friends welcome!

If your organization would like to become a participating vendor, please email penncord@constitutioncenter.org.

*Participating agencies include:
A Broader View
Academy of Natural Sciences
After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP)
Alex's Lemonade Stand
American Red Cross
ARAMARK
Back on My Feet
BuildOn
Champions of Caring
City Year Greater Philadelphia
Council for Spanish Speaking Organizations (Concilio)
Delaware Valley Earth Force
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources -Bureau of State Parks
EPIC Stakeholders Group
Franklin Institute
Green Jobs Philly
Independence Seaport Museum
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful
MANNA
National Constitution Center
Philadelphia Aids Fund
Philadelphia Futures
Philly Project P.R.I.D.E.
Philadelphia Youth Commission
Philadelphia Zoo
Project PEACE
School District of Philadelphia
Students Run Philly Style
Temple LEAP
Temple University Volunteer Efforts
Urban Tree Connection
WXPN

*Please note that is list is just a small sampling of organizations who have confirmed their participation. A final vendor list will be posted closer to the event.

First Day of Term

2009-10-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today, the first Monday in October, is the start of a new term for the U.S. Supreme Court. This is set to be an exciting session, with the arrival of Justice Sonia Sotomayor and a number of intriguing cases, from terror cases to juvenile justice and freedom of religion.

Have your students role play Supreme Court Justices and decide a fictional affirmative action case with our Future of Race in America lesson.

COMING SOON:

The Center will also shortly debut a new lesson that has students examine current petitions before the Court, match them with the relevant precedent, and then deliberate what they believe the outcome should be. This lesson can be repeated several times throughout the year, to engage your students in current events and court opinions.

PODCAST: SCOTUSblog writer, Lyle Denniston joined the National Constitution Center for a conversation on the new Supreme Court term. The podcast of this program will be available shortly on the Center's website and iTunes, where each of the Center's fascinating programs can be found.

This Week in Being We, the People

2009-10-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Early in the project, a Constitution High School student photographing a rally for healthcare reform took a photograph of a young man holding a sign that said: “Radical Fact: 0% of Europeans want American-style healthcare.”

Last week, one of the Afghan students submitted a comment on the shutterfly page that asked “do you have any proof for this sign?” In class we debated how to respond. The sign was clearly intended to be rhetorical, and the sign holder was not purporting to make a literal, statistically verifiable statement. The Afghan student, however, had interpreted the image as a demonstration of the photographer’s own opinion, and as such, requiring some corroboration. The American students began discussing the difference between reportorial photography and documentary photography, and about the ethical obligations associated with each. Harvey Finkle pointed out that this was an example of how much power the photographer has to inform, or, on the other hand, to mislead. Even though “every picture tells a thousand stories,” stories aren’t always true.

After class, the American students went on Shutterfly to explain their approach to the Afghan student. One student wrote:
The photograph shows that here in America u have a right to protest and exchange your ideas and opinions with others. lol so to answer your question, he doesn`t really need proof because he`s kind of joking to prove a point.

Another added:
This picture is not to prove that the information on the sign is correct. It is to show peoples freedom of expression and how people have the freedom to give their opinions

Regardless of whether the American students are able to successfully convey the context of the photograph in question, the exchange has been illustrative of the power images have to represent, protect, and sometimes to distort the democratic process.

Find us on Facebook!

2009-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

The National Constitution Center and PennCORD now have fan pages on Facebook!

Both are great ways to keep up with the latest news, post comments and join in a dialogue on civic education and the Center's programming.
To become a fan of the National Constitution Center, click here or visit www.constitutioncenter.org for more information.

For PennCORD, become a fan by clicking here or visit www.penncord.org for more information.

Teachable Moment: G20 in Pittsburgh

2009-09-24T06:13:00.001-07:00

This weekend's G20 summit in Pittsburgh is an excellent opportunity to engage students in current events and the Constitution. The summit will receive plenty of news coverage in local, national and international news outlets. It will also certainly be featured on the Center's Constitution Newswire, where our Education team features news stories that relate to the U.S. Constitution.

So how exactly does the G20 summit relate to the Constitution?
President Obama will act as the nations representative at the conference, a responsibility that is articulated in Article II, Section 3, where it states that the president is the nation's top diplomat.

There will be plenty of protests voicing their opinions of the summit and those attending. This is an excellent opportunity to have your students dig into the First Amendment. Students can deliberate what forms of protest are permitted under the Constitution, what, if any, steps the government should take to balance security and the protesters right to free speech, assembly and to petition their government.

This Week in Being We, the People

2009-09-24T04:57:00.001-07:00

Students in both Kabul and Philadelphia have been hard at work. The students are now focusing on one theme per week to document through video and photography. This week, students examined "Commerce" and the results were remarkable.

After the class explored the various meanings of the theme, and where "commerce" is found in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the U.S. Constitution, students went into their communities to document their personal interpretation of commerce.

The students in Philadelphia and Kabul have begun to share their insights on the project and each others work on Shutterfly at www.beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com

Over the next week, students are considering the various interpretations of "Expression." In class, students were asked to consider the following questions:
What various forms of expression are protected in the Constitution?
How do you express yourself?
How do people express themselves without using words?

Based on the discussion that took place, this week's pictures promise to be the best yet.

White House Looks to Reform NCLB

2009-09-24T04:52:00.000-07:00

The White House and Sec. of Education Ann Duncan recently announced plans to make changes to the much discussed No Child Left Behind federal law. While the Dept. of Education and the White House praised many aspects of the law, they say more can be done.

Read the full story on the Center's Constitution Newswire.

As professionals in the education field, what do you think about the proposed changes?
Model the behavior you seek to cultivate in your students. Get informed about the current legislation and proposed changes. Then, whatever your opinion of NCLB, make your voice heard. Use the Citizens' Help Desk at www.constitutioncenter.org/action and contact your representatives, from your congressmen and senators, to Pres. Obama, directly from the site.

Constitution Day

2009-09-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

September 17, 1787 marked the culmination of an entire summer in which 41 men endured a sweltering summer behind closed doors debating and deliberating upon the future of the United States. 39 of those men went on to sign their names to the Constitution, endorsing not only the parchment but its principles, born from a war to gain independence and years of turmoil following obtaining it.

222 years later, two blocks from Independence Hall, the site where the signers convened that summer, the National Constitution Center celebrates their accomplishment with a day of activities. One can watch a demonstration on printing and calligraphy for the preamble, sign a giant Constitution, watch a moving naturalization ceremony on site, or see the induction ceremony for the newest member of the American National Tree, Harvey Milk, just to name a few.

The center, a museum of not only artifacts, but ideas is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the Constitution and the importance of civic engagement has dedicated a website to Constitution Day as well for those unable to come to the museum for the day of festivities and to assist the educator in observing this mandatory celebration. Have your students take the quiz to find out which founder they are. If they had to take the naturalization test required by all aspiring citizens, would they pass? Constitution Day kits are also available to order on the website which contains a lesson applicable any time of year. The site also contains resources for elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Want to find out more about the men who attended the Constitutional Convention? Click here.

National Constitution Center and AP release Annual Constitution Day Poll Results

2009-09-16T10:56:00.001-07:00

The annual AP-National Constitution Center Constitution Day Poll was released yesterday, providing several great opportunities to engage your students. The poll, which surveyed 1,001 people from around the country, asked people to answer 18 questions about the government, in relation to the Constitution.

Some of the questions include:

* Do you think the government is doing a good job, a poor job, or neither a good nor bad job at making sure our nation is safe from foreign and domestic threats?
* Which statement comes closest to your view? The United States Constitution is an enduring document that remains relevant today OR the United States Constitution is an outdated document that needs to be modernized.
* If you thought it would help improve the economy would you favor or oppose giving the President more power at the expense of the power of Congress and the Courts?
* Should state governments give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex?

The findings present an interesting view into the minds of Americans. For example, only 38% favor government intervention, with 60% opposed, to keep a company in business to prevent harm to the economy, along with similar views opposing giving the President more power at the expense of the power of Congress and the courts, if it would help the economy.

Americans seem closely split on several other contentious issues, such as health care, where 47% believe the government should assure that everyone has health care verses 50% who believe it is up to each individual to secure health insurance if he or she wants it. These close splits are also found in the issues of pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants, with 47% in favor and 50% opposed, and in the issue of same sex marriages, where 46% of people believe the government should give legal recognition to same sex marriages, while 52% of people oppose. However, 54% believe that same sex couples should be entitled to the same government benefits as married couples of the opposite sex, while 42% believe the government should distinguish between them.

This is a great opportunity to discuss opinion polls and current events with your students. You can start by having your students read the Preamble to Constitution, on which many of the questions in the poll were based.

Then, have your students respond to the questions, found here. You can have your students compare their response to the national results and draw conclusions. Why might their results differ or adhere to what the national poll shows? Does age, gender, education, race, religion, or economic status have an impact on how people answer these questions? What might account for the different responses between the 2008 and 2009 polls?

Whether you integrate the poll into your current events discussion, or read it for your own knowledge, we think you will be interested in the results of the latest AP-National Constitution Center poll!

Healthcare & the General Welfare

2009-09-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Even before the current economic crisis began, Americans were already straining under the burden of shrinking health care coverage and rising health care costs. Over the last decade, millions of Americans have joined the ranks of the uninsured, and millions more have become underinsured. At the same time, health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs have risen steadily, and the number of families who are facing unmanageable health care costs has grown.

The effort to reform the nation’s healthcare system and to establish for the first time a federal government obligation to make some kind of health insurance available to every citizen has ignited a furious debate across the country. Whatever legislation is signed into law will be only the first step in reforming a healthcare system that accounts for 16 percent of the gross national product and affects the lives of some 300 million Americans. Few disagree about the need for change, but the country is sharply divided about expanding the federal role in healthcare. Right now, the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country and yet ranks behind many other industrialized nations on important measures public health.

The federal government is already the largest provider of medical coverage in the U.S. with programs like Medicaid, Medicare and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. But, a government option, which is not deficit neutral, would cost taxpayers $1 trillion over the next ten years. And if nothing is done about the spiraling cost of health care, total spending on healthcare could reach in excess of $4 trillion a year in ten years.

On Friday November 6 The Exchange, the Center’s national student program, will enter the healthcare debate by focusing on competing plans to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system, the growing number of uninsured and underinsured, and ask the question: Should the government make sure that every American has affordable health insurance?

Anyone wishing to watch the webcast should log on to www.constitutioncenter.org/exchange between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. EST on November 6, and click on the provided link. For additional information about participating in the program or to order a free classroom poster, please contact the national student programs manager, Jason Allen, at jallen@constitutioncenter.org.

This week in "Being We, the People"

2009-09-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Afghanistan held its second national exercise in democracy since the fall of the Taliban. On the day of an anxiously-anticipated election, while reports of fraud, violence, and ballot box stuffing emerged from other parts of the country, one polling place saw a peaceful casting of ballots.
That polling place was Marefat High School, where thousands of voters came to choose their candidate, emerging from the school proudly displaying fingers stained with the ink that ensures one person one vote. When night fell the voters shuffled out, and as election monitors converged on the classrooms to count ballots by flashlight, yelling out results—Hamid Karzai! Hamid Karzai! Ramazan Bachardhost! Hamid Karzai!, Ramazan Bachardhost!”—a new noise became audible: The click-click of camera shutters.
Marefat students, newly equipped with their Canon digital cameras and Flip camcorders, documented everything that transpired as their school was transformed for a day from an institution espousing democratic practices to one that housed them. For many students, this was the first election they’d ever seen or participated in, because they were either still in exile or too young during the elections five years ago, and it was an opportunity that almost slipped through their hands. Before the election, the government announced a ban on media at polling places, reasoning that negative coverage would limit turnout.
The government lifted the ban at the 11th hour under pressure from the international community and members of the press, so at Marefat, the students learned they would indeed be allowed into their school with their cameras.
While the votes were tallied, the new documentarians crept along the corridors of their school and into the classrooms commandeered by election workers. Though many students couldn’t yet figure out how best to shoot in low light, the photographs from the day communicate the students’ fascination with the democratic process, and yes, it might also be said, with the cameras in their hands.

View the student photographs at beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com

Discussion Questions:

Is your school used as a polling place during local or national elections?

How are your students involved in elections?

How can your students capture what it means to be one of We, the People?

POTUS Bingo

2009-09-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Now you don't have to wait for the State of the Union to have your students engage with presidential speeches. We've had such an overwhelmingly positive response to our State of the Union Bingo lesson that we've adapted it so you and your students can play during any speech made by the president when you use POTUS Bingo.

Print or download the audio/video of any presidential address to play POTUS Bingo in class, or assign the viewing of the speech and completion of the card for speech-night homework. Either way, this activity is a great way to have your students connect with current events.

Being We the People

2009-09-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

As you begin what will hopefully be another successful school year, the Education and International Engagement teams at the National Constitution Center hope that you and your students will follow the progression of our fascinating new project, Being We the People: Afghanistan, America and the Minority Imprint.

We introduced you to the participants and now we invite you and your students to view their work, read their insights on the project and post your own comments, either here or at beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com

This project will provide numerous opportunities to engage your students in current events and with a remarkable students, here and abroad. For instance, as votes are being counted from the recent election in Afghanistan show your students what the inside of a polling place in Afghanistan looks like to start your discussion. As decisions are being made regarding U.S. troop levels in the country, read what Afghan students have to say about their lives in Kabul, as you engage the students in your own classroom.

Harvey Finkle

2009-08-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

The Being We the People: Afghanistan, America and the Minority Imprint project has taken the cooperation of numerous people across an ocean. Students and teachers from Marefat High School in Kabul and Constitution High School in Philadelphia, along with staff from the National Museum of Afghanistan and the National Constitution Center, blogger and photographer Nasim Fekrat in Afghanistan, and acclaimed photographer Harvey Finkle in Philadelphia have been working together diligently.

Finkle is a documentary still photographer who has produced a substantial body of work concerned with social, political and cultural issues. His work has been extensively exhibited and published, including three books entitled, Urban Nomads, Still Home: Jews of South Philadelphia, and Reading.

His recent work includes a documentation of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU), a poor people's movement emanating from the most impoverished neighborhood in Pennsylvania; and The Jews of South Philadelphia, interviews and photographs of the remnants of what once was among the largest Jewish communities in the nation. Finkle also took a contingent of Philadelphia students to a Cambodian temple in South Philadelphia where they were able to conduct interviews and take photographs.

Finkle continues his work with various communities in Philadelphia by being Fekrat's counterpart stateside, taking on the role of teaching Constitution High students how to use their cameras, the techniques of photography and how to interpret the themes of the exhibition into powerful images. The results will be fascinating with the students on both sides of the ocean in such capable hands.

Discover Harvey Finkle's work at www.harveyfinkle.com

Nasim Fekrat

2009-08-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Freedom of speech. Apart from yelling "fire!" in a crowded movie theater, the Constitution has endowed Americans with the right to say whatever we want. Daily, we read op-eds and blogs criticizing the government and scouring various members of it across the coals. No reporter fears for his life if he chooses to call the President's policies short-sighted or unwise. Papers even go so far as to endorse some political candidates over others. Not so in Afghanistan. In fact, the concept of independent media in a country so enmeshed in religion is difficult to imagine. A fact which is not surprising since anyone who speaks out against Islam, or the governmnent which supports it, can be in danger of losing his or her life. And even if there were papers available not influenced by political parties or special interest groups, in a country where over 70% of the population can't read, who would buy them?

Nasim Fekrat, a 25 year-old self taught journalist and photographer has come up with an answer. He has gone to the internet and taken advantage of the independence its media provides. With just his computer, he is able to send his thoughts on the state of his nation to a much wider readership. People beyond the borders of Afghanistan can read his words and know his plight and the plight of his people. He truly believes that blogging will change things, and it is in that spirit that he founded the Association of Afghan Bloggers whose mission it is to recruit more bloggers, to send more Afghan voices to travel the world wide web.

The National Constitution Center's own International Engagement Manager, Jeffrey Stern met Fekrat while working a two-year stint as a freelance journalist in Afghanistan. Stern saw the power of citizen journalism first hand, and upon returning to Philadelphia joined with the Center to further projects like Fekrat's to burgeoning democracies around the world. It was in keeping with this pursuit that the Being We the People at the Center and Beyond project came into being.

Fekrat is extending his talents as a teacher and motivator and photographer to the students of Marefat School. No stranger to the power of images, he is teaching them to use their cameras to be journalists covering their own lives to, like him, send pictures of their plight across the planet to museum visitors in Philadelphia who will hopefully carry those images with them beyond the walls of the Center.

Constitution High School

2009-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

If there is something one can find in abundance in Philadelphia, in addition to great food and raucous sports fans, it's history. A fact many native Philadelphians perhaps take for granted, but never ceases to amaze its visitors, is that it's difficult to walk the streets of the city without seeing a blue sign indicating a noteworthy event that happened there. While returning a library book at 7th and Market Streets, one can happen upon the site where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. The city is bustling with remnants of the past, and a few steps down the street from the Jefferson landmark, unbeknownst to many who walk past it daily, is a place that is making history today--Constitution High School.

A unique partnership between the private and public sectors, CHS is the first school of its kind in Pennsylvania. The Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History, the National Constitution Center, Ballard Spahr Law Firm, and the School District of Philadelphia have come together to create a school whose entire curriculum is centered around American History and is hinged on the principles of democracy and U.S. government. As a result, instead of school rules or a student handbook, CHS has drafted its own constitution. In lieu of policies being handed down from on high by administrators, the school has pioneered a ground-breaking school government model, that divides the school into the three branches of government--the House of Students, the Faculty Senate, and the Executive Branch comprised of the principal and student body president. Through the process of democratic deliberation, all components of the school act together to generate policy that works for everyone.

Students from Constitution High School, who attend classes in the heart of a city that was pivotal in the birth of this nation, are the ideal candidates to provide a stark contrast to those attending Marefat. CHS students pass the mural celebrating Abraham Lincoln's 2nd inaugural daily, casually lunching under the words, "With malice toward none, with charity toward all," while their female counterparts in Kabul have only recently regained the right to even attend school.

It is with these Afghan students that the Philadelphia students will participate in the Being We the People project. One can expect their photographs and interpretations of freedom to vastly differ from one another. However, perhaps what the resulting exhibition will actually show us is how similar these young people really are despite the thousands of miles and years of life experiences that separate them.

Marefat School

2009-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Farsi word marefat is a difficult one to translate to English. There is not a single word that conveys all of its subtle nuances. It is a noun, a quality that one can possess. If an individual is described as having much marefat, he or she can be best characterized as being extremely knowledgeable, considerate, aware, even ethical. A person with marefat is wise and has a capacity for understanding that is beyond that of the average person. Knowing this, it is appropriate then that Marefat is the name of a school in Afghanistan that teaches classes such as Humanism in the Renaissance.

It is in the rural outskirts of Kabul, in an area populated mostly by Hazaras, a Shiite ethnic minority, where Aziz Royesh decided to build his school. Spending most of his youth fighting during the Soviet occupation of his country, this 39 year-old Afghan man made it his mission to show the youth of Afghanistan, some of whom remember nothing but civil unrest, a different way.

The Hazaras are a people which have a long history of persecution in Afghanistan, even during times of peace. But it is in a small, previously bombed-out building, donated and renovated by the goodwill of many, where they are now learning notions that many of them have not actually witnessed in their lifetimes. Concepts like democracy, civil disobedience, and basic human rights, of which many of them, and their parents, and their parents before them have been deprived.

It is arguable that these children have been training in the art of marefat for their entire lives, striving to understand the unstable and often unkind world around them. Through their participation in Being We the People, it will be captivating to see how, armed with a camera, they will portray the world around them--one that is vastly different from, and in some ways, surprisingly similar to that of their counterparts in urban Philadelphia.

For more information, visit http://beingwethepeople.shutterfly.com and read more about Aziz Royesh and Marefat School in Trudy Rubin's column here.

Being We, the People at the Center and Beyond

2009-08-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another exciting year of civic learning with the National Constitution Center!

To begin the 2009-2010 school year, the National Constitution Center proudly announces a new education program and exhibition focusing on civic photography entitled, Being “We the People:” Afghanistan, America and the Minority Imprint.

Students from Constitution High School in Philadelphia, PA and Marefat High School in Kabul, Afghanistan will collaborate on the exhibition that will be hosted at the National Constitution Center and the National Museum of Afghanistan, as part of the Center’s International Engagement Project. The Project is dedicated to establishing international exchange and promoting constitutional principles to emerging democracies through educational and civic learning initiatives.

To launch Being “We the People:” Afghanistan, America and the Minority Imprint, the Center has provided students from CHS and Marefat High School with the education and equipment they need to conduct documentary photography. The students will use photography to explore how minorities in different types of democracies perceive themselves as citizens, and how they define the concept of citizenship. Students are guided by six themes, which they can interpret how they choose. The themes are: work, religion, participation, expression, commerce, myself. The themes were drawn from the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and sections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Each day this week we will introduce you to different contributors to the project. Beginning September 4, you can follow the project's progress each Friday here on the Civic Learning Blog and on Shutterfly, where many of the students’ pictures will be posted.

This is an exciting educational endeavor and we hope that you will be as interested as we are to discovering what these remarkable students will produce. Tomorrow, we will meet Marefat High School in Afghanistan.

To learn more, visit the Center's press room by clicking here.

Constitution Today and Tomorrow

2009-06-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

The National Constitution Center welcomes our 70 teachers from the country to our week-long Summer Teacher Institute, Constitution Today and Tomorrow!

We have an exciting week planned for you, including content-rich lectures by Akhil Amar, Renee Hobbs and Michael Hogan. One of the major components of this workshop is to learn different methods to incorporate deliberation in the classroom, and we are excited to model three different methods over the course of the week.

This meeting of great minds is truly inspirational! The expertise of the scholars and the experience and depth of knowledge of the participants will surely be a great combination.

If you are interested in taking part in this Institute or other Summer Teacher Institutes next year, sign up for our Educator's Newsletter to be the first to know about next summer's programs!

Welcome Riverside, CA!

2009-06-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Our summer institute begins with teachers from Riverside, California and Bowling Green, Kentucky! We are happy to welcome you here to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

We have an exciting week planned for Riverside with our esteemed professors, Dr. Andrew Shankman and Dr. Michael Zuckerman. We are looking forward to an amazing week of walking tours, lectures, discussions, and amazing lessons from you!

The Battle Continues: Big Governement vs. Small Government

2009-06-18T10:16:00.001-07:00

President Obama recently released his health care plan, a detailed outline of his plan to overhaul the country’s health care system, as well as provide affordable medical insurance. But where in the Constitution does it say that they government must provide health care to citizens? The debate over big government vs. small government has been around since our country was founded. How involved should the government be, in regards to taxes, legislation, and social services? Political parties have been based around these issues, as seen from the very beginning with the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The health care reform legislation has been held up in Congress, as the parties dispute the details. Legislators are going over the 600 page bill, but continue to dispute the two biggest concerns, a whether to create a new public plan to compete with the private market, and whether to require employers to cover their workers. Many Republicans have suggested that the bill is too costly, and limits personal choices in health care, while Democrats are stress the importance of providing affordable health care for as many people as possible.

This is a great time to discuss with your students the evolution of political parties, which can get pretty confusing. Even though it’s not an election year, political parties play a major role in our government, and the more students understand them the better. A great way to do this is in the context of big government vs. small government. Have your students create a chart, showing the evolution of political parties from their inception through today.

The Center’s Headed to White House Website may be helpful to you and your students, as well as The Great New Party lesson plan.

Guantanamo and the Constitution

2009-06-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that although the United States doesn’t hold total sovereignty over Guantanamo Bay, “enemy combatant” detainees are still entitled to some constitutional protections. In 2006, the Military Commissions Act allowed detainees to file only against their status as enemy combatants to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, prohibiting them from submitting habeas petitions for release. In 2008 the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees should have the right to challenge their imprisonment through habeas corpus petitions.

This past May, President Obama was lauded by many human rights activists for signing an executive order for the closing of Guantanamo Bay Prison by January 22, 2010. However, others expressed concerns regarding complications surrounding the relocation of prisoners and thorough reviews of each detainee. For very different reasons some members of Congress and civil liberties groups both object to proposals that would relocate the detainees to American prisons.

Italy’s recent willingness to accept three prisoners is another step forward to closing down the Guantanamo Bay prison. Last week, an agreement secured with the European Union included propositions for European countries to accept former prisoners on a case-by-case basis.

TEACHING WITH THE CONSTITUTION
Remind your students to highlight and click on the text of the Constitution to read Linda Monk's commentary.

Have your students read Article I section 9 clause 2 and the Fourteenth Amendment. Discuss habeas corpus. Ask your students if habeas protections should apply to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay Prison.

Have your students read the Eighth Amendment. Discuss cruel and unusual punishment. Ask your students if the detainees at Guantanamo should have this constitutional protection.

Have your students read Article III section 2 clause 2 and Article II section 2 clause 1. Ask your students if the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the prison and detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Iranian Citizens Demand a Recount

2009-06-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Following the stunning results of this weekend's presidential election in Iran, many pundits are finding it difficult not to raise an eyebrow at their validity. Hard line incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was announced winner over his popular, reformist opponent Hossein Moussavi in a landslide victory.

Iranian citizens all over the world are crying foul and taking to the streets in protest of the alleged 30% margin by which Ahmadinejad is purported to have beat Moussavi--crying chants for freedom and fair elections. Many of them are asking for their votes back since they feel they were never really counted.

The Obama administration, recently extending a diplomatic hand to Iran, despite its stubborn nuclear ambitions and near 3 decade stand off with the U.S., now has an even more complicated situation on its hands. How does an administration continue talks with a country many feel has made a mockery of democracy with its sham elections?

One possible solution? A recount. Many countries including Germany and France are asking for some level of transparency concerning the Iranian election process. They would like Iranian officials to clear up this controversy by explaining exactly how they arrived at the results and perhaps to count the votes again.

The clerics that make up Iranian government, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei say that accusations that the Iranian elections have been rigged and that the Ahmadinejad was not fairly elected are unfounded and completely untrue. President Ahmadinejad himself stated over the weekend that all of the disappointment regarding the elections was completely fabricated by western media, stating that no one was disputing his rightful election--despite the images of thousands of protesters in the streets of Tehran being on televisions around the world.

President Moussavi has yet to address his supporters as he is being detained for "running a red light" which some people worry is a euphemism for something far worse--in an effort to keep him from stirring the pot and engendering more opposition fervor agains the election results.

Teaching with the Constitution:

Have students read Article II section I of the constitution. Discuss the manner in which presidents are elected in the United States. Discuss the difference between the United States' representative democracy and Iran's direct democracy. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Extension:

Discuss the controversial election of 2000, an American example of voter uncertainty Examine the ensuing supreme court case. Ask students to compare and contrast the present siuation in Iran with the Bush/Gore controversy. Based on their findings, have students come up with a course of action for Iranian officials concerning their current election crisis.

Senate Says No to Tobacco

2009-06-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Legislation passed by the Senate yesterday
will bring the tobacco industry under the
Food an Drug Administration’s oversight, allowing
the FDA to regulate the production, packaging and marketing of tobacco products.
The tobacco industry will be forced to disclose the ingredients in its products for the first time, and some of the chemicals used in cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco could be banned. Nicotine levels may be controlled, making tobacco products less addictive. Warning labels will increase in size and include graphic images of the health risks related to smoking. In order to curb the industry’s ability to attract younger smokers, flavors in cigarettes will be restricted and the use of cartoon characters that appeal to children will be banned.

The Senate’s bill, when passed into law, will overturn a 2000 case in which the Supreme Court decided that it was beyond the FDA’s authority to regulate tobacco. The bill goes to the House for a vote early next week, and then to the president. Both have indicated their support for the bill, so it will almost certainly become a law.

Teaching Current Events with the Constitution

Ask students: Can the legislature pass a law that the Court has decided is unconstitutional? In the 1803 Marbury v. Madison decision, the Supreme Court asserted its power of judicial review, a practice by which the court exercises a check on the other two branches of federal government by determining the constitutionality of laws that come into question. In Cooper v. Aaron (1958) the Supreme Court declared itself the final authority on interpreting the constitution and has reaffirmed that authority in cases since. Students should research other instances in which Supreme Court rulings have been overturned by the passage of new laws and explain how the system of checks and balances works between our three branches of government.

Face The Thing That Should Not Be

2009-06-11T06:23:00.001-07:00

"This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms.”
-President Barack Obama

The Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC opened in April 1993 to protests from extremists and Holocaust deniers. In 2002 two white supremacists plotted to blow up the museum with a bomb like the one used to destroy the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995. The assault on Wednesday and the 2002 plot were not only attacks on Jewish Americans and the Holocaust, but upon the countless school children of every nationality, race, ethnicity and religion who visit the museum at the end of their school year.

All too often in hate crimes perpetrated en masse, like Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur or hate crimes committed by members of extremist groups throughout the world have proven the adage “never again” incorrect. The promulgation of fear, stereotypes and hatred have given some the impetus to resort to violent acts against imagined enemies.

A month before the attack on the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report that warned that domestic right-wing extremism was the most pressing domestic terrorist threat that the country faced.

Hate is extraordinarily difficult and dangerous to overcome, but peace cannot be maintained without first addressing alienation, discontent and intolerance.

Teaching with the Constitution
Remind your students to highlight and click on the text of the Constitution to read Linda Monk's commentary.

Ask your students how the Constitution allows us to address grievances without resorting to violence.

Controverial Conversations

2009-06-10T11:17:00.001-07:00

With the recent slaying Dr. George Tiller, who ran one of the few late-term abortion clinics in the country, the abortion debate is back in the headlines. Considered one of the most divisive issues in America, abortion can be a difficult topic to address in the classroom, and one that can lead to heated debate.

This can be a scary topic to cover in the classroom, because it is so personal to many people. However, discussing controversial issues fosters real democratic deliberation, something that is extremely beneficial to your students and will help prepare them to be active citizens. Your students know these issues exist, and addressing them will encourage your students to find their studies to be relevant.

Perhaps you could have your students discuss the issue from a constitutional standpoint, and leave moral and religious views out of the discussion. By deliberating the issue you can help prepare your students to be active, informed participants in the real life controversial discussions they will have for the rest of their lives. There are a plethora of great sources out there to help you foster such discussions, such as Controversy in the Classroom, by Diana Hess.

Most students will know about Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision which said that most abortion laws in the country violated a person’s constitutional right to privacy, under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. You can have your students read the 14th Amendment and discuss whether or not they believe it applies in this case, although it can be difficult to keep students away from the moral and religious aspects of the issue.

Before you start your summer...

2009-06-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

Before you settle into a relaxing summer, the National Constitution Center wants to give you the inside scoop on the great resources and programming we are creating for Constitution Day 2009. Whether you celebrate at the Center or in your classroom, we are offering a variety of ways to engage your students in this important civic holiday.

To Sign or Not to Sign Lesson Plan

Reenact the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, by asking your students to decide whether or not to add their names to a giant copy of the Constitution. With activities designed for elementary, middle and high school students, the “To Sign or Not to Sign” lesson teaches students the importance of taking a stand by putting your name on the line. Soon to be available through the National Constitution Center website, your Constitution Day Kit will include a 31” x 55” laminated copy of the original Articles and 27 Amendments, the “To Sign or Not to Sign” lesson plan, 35 pocket constitutions, the “Creating the Constitution” DVD and a dry erase marker for signing.

Constitution Day Website

This year, the Center is redesigning its Constitution Day website to include new educational resources and content, as well as increased interactivity to reflect the wide adoption of social networking in educational institutions, public work places, and the home. New features include video from recent Constitution Day celebrations at the Center, an online version of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ naturalization test, the “Which Founder Are You? Quiz,” a game that allows users to compare his or her personality traits with 12 of the Signers of the Constitution. In addition, the Center will create an online exhibition about the naturalization process, including video of moving moments from ceremonies in Federal Courts across the country, as well as a quote wall from famous naturalized citizens.

Naturalization Ceremony

Each year, the Center hosts a naturalization ceremony for new American citizens on Constitution Day. This special event, presented in coordination with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is a meaningful welcome to our newest citizens and an educational outreach opportunity for promoting the talents, skills, and cultural heritage these citizens bring to our nation. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 AM on Thursday, September 17 with the Honorable John R. Padova, United States District Judge, Third Circuit, presiding.

America Reads the Constitution

This year, our America Reads the Constitution event will focus on Americans in Service. Individuals who serve the nation in a variety of capacities will be asked to read the Preamble to the Constitution.

Keep checking here for continual updates on our Constitution Day programming and resources!

North Korea

2009-06-08T08:25:00.001-07:00

In response to a series of recent events concerning North Korea, the United States is considering taking decisive measures to further isolate the country with whom the U.S. has had no relationship for decades.

On May 25th, the communist state conducted its second nuclear missile test in three years provoking Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to publicly announce that the Obama Administration is considering reinstating North Korea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in hopes that other nations will cease sending shipments of nuclear material to the country. North Korea was removed from this list during the Bush Administration in exchange for the country's promise to dismantle its nuclear program--something it did not do.

The already dismal situation has only been aggravated further as news from Seoul reached the US today regarding two US journalists that have been detained there under the accusation that they entered the country illegally. Despite pressure from the Office of the President of the United States and advocacy organizations such as the ACLU, North Korean government officials handed out an unexpectedly harsh sentence of 12 years of hard labor to the young women.

Take this opportunity to discuss the concept of diplomacy with your students. Access the interactive constitution and examine Article II Section 2-- where the powers of the president to appoint ambassadors and advisers is specifically delineated. What is the role of the Secretary of State for example? How may she aid in diplomacy? Have your students brainstorm ideas for Hillary Clinton as she continues to negotiate the situation in North Korea. What would they do if they were her?

A Presidential Address

2009-06-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

From Kennedy and Reagan in Berlin to Nixon in Latin America, President have long used rousing speeches to foreign citizens as a way to reach out other countries and create enthusiasm for America abroad. President Obama’s recent speech in Egypt was a milestone, his first key speeches in a Muslim country. Critics had said that the speech was too apologetic, shedding an unfavorable light on America or that it was too balanced, and that Obama should have taken a more decisive position. Others looked favorably on it as a much needed step in repositioning American foreign policy, and praised Obama’s for his affirmation of “unbreakable bonds” between America and Israel.

This is a great time to discuss with your student’s how a President uses political speeches abroad, and to also ask how should Presidents present America to foreign citizens? It would helpful for your students to take a look at past presidential speeches abroad, and compare and contrast these with President Obama’s speech last night.

Below are some quotes from President Obama’s speech in Cairo. Have your student examine these, and discuss the Presidents rhetoric. Do you think the speech affected public perception of America and/or Americans?

To help guide your students:

1. Obama’s acknowledgement of the 1953 overthrow of the elected Iranian Prime Minister, which was engineered by the CIA. Was this an important contribution to the speech or was Obama bringing up old grievances that are better left in the past?
In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically-elected Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians. This history is well known.

2. Obama’s stance on the Iraq War and troops in Afghanistan. Are these statements decisive or do they skirt the issue, in order to maintain a balance?
Make no mistake, we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We see no military -- we seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict. We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can.

Now, let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible.

3. Obama pointing out some issues of religious freedom in America. Is this statement too apologetic, or does it support the point that America, like the world, still needs work.
Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That is why I am committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat.

It can also be helpful to have student research public opinion on the speech. What are critics saying? What about the speech was seen as favorable? Then discuss how this speech positions American foreign policy and foreign opinion.

Obama Delivers Speech in Muslim World

2009-06-04T13:26:00.001-07:00

President Obama spoke at Cairo University today, in a long-awaited speech that he had hoped to deliver in his first 100 days in office. Teachers may view this video of the speech with their students and ask them to consider the role of a United States president in international affairs. How has the role of a U.S. president evolved since 1787 when our constitution was written? In what ways does the constitution limit the president's power on the international stage and in what ways does it empower him to lead?

Guess who’s coming to July 4th

2009-06-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

President Obama authorized U.S. embassies around the world to invite Iranian officials to Independence Day parties they host on or around July 4th. Currently the U.S. and Iran have no diplomatic ties, but there is a belief that this may change.

US-Iranian relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, but since the 1990s Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been the locus of tension and a growing concern.

President Obama has signaled that he wants a thaw in relations with Iran as well as Cuba. Questions still remain about how rapprochement with Iran and Cuba will play out and can be achieved.

Teaching with the Constitution
Remind your students to highlight and click on the text of the Constitution to read Linda Monk's commentary.

Ask your students to read Article II section 2 and determine what President Obama must do if he wants to sign a treaty with Iran or Cuba. Ask your students to click on Article II section 2 and read Linda Monk’s commentary on this section of the Constitution. Then ask your students how can the president avoid a conflict with Congress in order to establish relations or reach an agreement with other nations.

Then have your students look at Article VI section 2, the Supremacy Clause. Ask them how would a presidential agreement with another country differ from a treaty ratified by Congress.

Supreme Court Watch

2009-05-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

The wait is finally over. At 10:17 a.m. on Tuesday, President Obama announced his nomination to the Supreme Court: 54-year-old Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor was one of four female candidates that the President interviewed at the White House and the most controversial of the potential nominees, due to her candid remarks about the influence that life experience plays on a judge’s interpretation of the law.

Immediately following the announcement, the White House began to familiarize America with Sotomayor’s story. Obama highlighted the Judge’s diversity of professional experience: as a prosecutor, hired by Manhattan district attorney Robert Morgenthau; as a partner in the law firm of Pavia & Harcourt; as a federal judge, appointed to the U.S. District Court by President George H.W. Bush; and as a 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, appointed by President Clinton. He also pointed to her background as a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent from modest circumstances who rose to the highest levels of government through academic success and a distinguished career path.

If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic justice on the nation’s highest court and the third woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court. Her appointment will likely preserve the balance between liberal and conservatives that reigned when Justice Souter sat on the court.

Teaching Current Events with the Constitution

Teachers can assign students to research the Judge’s rulings as a Appeals Court Judge and make predictions about the issues that will surface during her confirmation hearings. Ask students to consider on what grounds Republicans might object to Judge Sotomayor’s record. What are the risks of challenging the nomination for the Republican party? What process can Senate Republicans follow in order to stall her nomination?

What do Facebook, video games, and cheerleaders have in common?

2009-05-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

What do Facebook, video games, and cheerleaders have in common? Yes, you guessed it: Constitutional debate.

When the framers of the Constitution met in Philadelphia in 1787, they had little concern over how the youth of the new country would handle their tumultuous years of being a teenager. So how does the Constitution drafted over 200 years ago adapt itself to the issues of what teens care about today?

The beauty of teaching the Constitution is that so much of our students' lives are entangled with Constitutional issues that they don't realize. Bringing out these issues for our students is a great way to perk interest in the document that so many students have dismissed as not having any impact on their lives.

The Constitution Newswire is a great resource for you to find articles that relate to the Constitution. The following three articles from the Constitution Newswire deal directly with issues that teens may find especially interesting. You can start your class with the words "Who wants to talk about Facebook today?"

Cheerleader and High School Sports

Facebook and Freedom of Speech

Violent Video Games and Kids

A Dollar by Any Other Name...

2009-05-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

This week, the National Constitution Center welcomes guest blogger, Eli Lesser, Director of Summer Programs at the University of Pennsylvania to post on the it's Civic Learning Blog.

Think back a couple of months ago, President Obama and his team were just getting started they were making plans and trying wrap their minds around how best to address the difficult economic situation the nation now faces. If you listened carefully, and beyond the media sound bite, you heard a sense of opportunity for that word we heard again and again on the campaign trail, change.

Now over four months later change has started to come: expansion of TARP, stimulus money, new regulation of credit card markets, fuel standards, and many more. But, what about other aspects of the economy like money itself. Design strategist Richard Smith has posted a challenge on his blog "We need to rebuild our country, revive our economy, redesign the Dollar bill. Email us your ideas. Win a prize. In God We Trust, In Change We Believe."

Posted above is just one example of a number of submissions. This is a great activity (especially for the end of the year) for students. Pose the question:

Does the design of our money represent us?
How can changing the design of paper money help the economy?
What do you think US currency should look like?

Then as class have them present designs and argument in support of their design, choose a class winner and submit the design to Richard Smith at http://richardsmith.posterous.com/

Immigration in the 21st Century

2009-05-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

“When unemployment is up, anything that looks like you’re taking jobs away from …people who are lawfully here—citizens of the United States—is going to meet a lot of resistance.”
- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

The current economic crisis has put a spotlight on immigration, both of undocumented low skill workers and H-1B visa technology workers. Some feel that these foreign born workers depress wages and also lead employers to replace native born American workers because they can pay foreign workers less. Others see a direct connection between economic expansion in the U.S. and the increase in the number of undocumented and H-1B visa workers.

The immigration debate has implications beyond economics. Border security has become the main immigration issue in the Southwest. A constant flow of people and drugs move north into the U.S. with money and guns in return moving south into Mexico fueling an increasing burden on law enforcement in the Border States of both the U.S. and Mexico.

Immigration has also raised concerns about the nation’s education and health systems. School funding has become an issue as the number of children born in the U.S. to undocumented workers rises. Hospitals where there are large immigrant populations have seen an increase in medical related costs that are not reimbursed.

Immigration has become a more complex issue as Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern and African immigrant communities continue to establish enclaves in the U.S. from Arizona to Minnesota to Georgia.

On September 25th high school students from across the country will look at immigration’s impact on the job market, border security and education during The Exchange live webcast. All schools are invited to participate in the conversation about this current constitutional issue. For more information on the National Constitution Center’s national student program contact us at jallen@constitutioncenter.org

Two Cents More...

2009-05-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

The United States Postal Service is clearly in trouble. Every year for the past four years, the USPS has increased their postage rate to try to compensate for the loss in revenue. This is no surprise for any of us who opt to use the internet, cell phones, and other shipping methods before taking a trip to the Post Office to pay the increase postage rates. What is a surprise is the neat interdisciplinary lesson that the United States Postal Service provides for our students!

The Constitution
The USPS is a wonderful example of the fluidity of the Constitution. Obviously, the founding fathers never dreamed of communicating through cyberspace or Blackberries, but they were wise enough to create a document that can be adjusted in many ways.
Activity suggestions:

Have your students locate where in the Constitution it calls for the creation of Post Offices and Post Roads using our interactive Constitution.
Discuss with your students how the internet has impacted our Constitution as well as the Post Office. Great jumping points for discussion would be its impact on interstate trade, freedom of speech and press, and search and seizure.

A History Lesson
The United States Postal Services was created under Benjamin Franklin in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress. Ask your students why they think it was so important to create a Postal Service at that time in our history. The history of the USPS is fascinating because it incorporates so much of what we teach in our curriculum already. Its latest difficulties in keeping up with the decreased demands may force a complete change (or perhaps a government bailout)!
Activity suggestions:

Create a brief time line of the history of the USPS.
Investigate with your students when the Post Office became a private enterprise, not an agency of the government.
Ask your students to brainstorm what they see in the future for the Post Office.

An Economic Lesson
What a great opportunity to incorporate an economic standard in your social studies class!
Activity suggestions:

Ask your students if our government protects or breaks up monopolies. Discuss why the government would protect some monopolies (such as the First Class postage which is still protected by the government).
Ask your students how competition affects businesses in a market economy by using the USPS as an example.
Discuss with your students how the postage increase will affect the use of the Postal Service.
Ask your students to propose a solution to the business troubles facing the Post Office.

States' Rights and the Tenth Amendment

2009-05-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

The debate over federalism that began at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 continues even today.

The State Legislatures of Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota have recently approved resolutions claiming their sovereignty under the Constitution's 10th Amendment. These resolutions claim the federal government has acted unconstitutionally by interfering in state matters ranging from education to drunken driving.

Similar measures are being considered in over 20 other states. Though the measures are being passed during the Obama administration, many of these resolutions were first introduced during George W. Bush's tenure. Proponents of these resolutions claim that they are attempting to un-d0 decades of over-stepping by federal authorities.

The National Constitution Center has an entire section of its permanent exhibition dedicated to explaining the concept of federalism, but if you can't make it to the Center, your students can further investigate the controversies surrounding federalism in American history by visiting the Center's Citizenship Timeline and Interactive Constitution.

The Power of Images, Presidents & the Press

2009-05-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

“The publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals. In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger.”

- President Obama on reversing his decision to release detainee abuse images

“The Obama administration’s adoption of the stonewalling tactics and opaque policies of the Bush administration flies in the face of the president’s stated desire to restore the rule of law, to revive our moral standing in the world and to lead a transparent government.”
- Anthony Romero, executive director of the A.C.L.U., on the president’s decision to bar the release of detainee abuse images

Images from wars have long played into domestic and international politics, most notably during the Vietnam War, which was dubbed the "living room war" for its extensive television coverage. Images from wars have been used to solidify anti-war movements and fan the flames of patriotism.

President George H.W. Bush's administration imposed a ban on media coverage of returning flag-draped coffins during the Gulf War in 1991. In 2000 President Clinton allowed photographs of coffins arriving at Dover Air Force Base bearing the remains of military personnel killed in the bombing of the USS Cole to be distributed to the media. Under President George W. Bush an image of the transfer at Dover of the remains of a victim of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11 was published.

But images of flag draped coffins from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were prohibited during George W. Bush’s administration. Images depicting detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison were made public in 2004, but they were not officially released by the U.S. government at that time. President Obama, who reversed the ban on media coverage of returning flag-draped coffins, initially said that he would release images depicting U.S. military personnel abusing captives. He has reversed his previous decision and has decided to attempt to block their release.

Teaching with the Constitution

Remind your students to highlight and click on the text of the Constitution to read Linda Monk's commentary.

Ask your students to read Article II section 2 and then read the 1st Amendment. Ask them, does the press have a right to publish these images if they are not top secret. Ask them if they believe the president has the authority, as Commander in Chief, to block the release of these images.

Ask them what types of images from war should or should not be relapsed to the public and the reasons for their answers. Then ask them why did the framers of the Constitution think it necessary to have a free and independent press in a democracy.

Supreme Court Watch

2009-05-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

What are the most important qualifications for a judge serving on the nation’s highest court? Most presidents have agreed that the basic credentials include judicial acumen and respect for constitutional precedent and the rule of law.

President Obama, however, has a taller order for his pick. Though he is not publicizing his potential nominees, one can judge from recent remarks and his voting record in the senate during two Supreme Court nominations that he prizes the heart as well as the head.

Obama has said that “empathy” is a quality he seeks, and one that did not meet his level of satisfaction in Samuel Alito or John Roberts when they were undergoing confirmation by the senate. Obama views those whose rulings consistently side with the powerful against the powerless as out of touch with the impact the court can have on the lives of the American people. In fact, Obama may not choose a federal judge for his nominee. He has made it clear that he will look beyond the bench.

The Constitution says little about the qualifications one must possess to be a Supreme Court Justice, and through history Justices have come from a variety of professions, backgrounds, and political credos. Obama's Republican opposition in the senate accuses the president of using empathy as a guise for selecting a nominee who will be sympathetic to interests of certain groups or individuals. Eventually this question will be settled when the nominee is sent to the senate for confirmation hearings.

Teaching the Constitution with Current Events

Obama is the first Democratic president to appoint a Justice since 1994. Ask students to research the nominations made by former Democratic presidents. Are there commonalities between them? Do students believe that political persuasion can be a factor in a president's decision to nominate or the senate's decision to confirm?

Freedom or Speech?

2009-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

The freedom to say what we want when we want provided to us by the First Amendment is one that can be easily taken for granted by Americans. Not so anymore, one can imagine, for Iranian-American reporter Roxana Saberi who was released from jail yesterday after being detained in Evin, an Iranian prison since January 31st of this year.

Saberi who was in Iran doing some freelance reporting for the BBC was arrested for allegedly trying to purchase alcohol, something which is against the law in the country. It was until after her initial arrest for purportedly trying to procure the illegal substance did they then levy the much more serious charge of espionage against her--later sentencing her to an eight year prison term in a closed one day trial. This sentence, the heftiest ever brought down upon a dual national, prompted President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to dismiss the charges of espionage as groundless and to call for her immediate release.

It wasn't until after 3 months, international pressure, and a 15 day hunger strike by Saberi herself, did Iranian officials lower the charges from espionage to possession of classified information--reducing her sentence to a two year suspended term and a five year revocation of her reporter's license in the country.

This high profile case provides an excellent forum for conversation about freedom of expression with your students. The five freedoms listed in the First Amendment—religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition form the foundations of American democratic government. Talk about countries like North Korea and Iran that do no have these freedoms and how they differ from the U.S. Why would the governments of those countries prefer not to endow those rights to their citizens? How does this affect the information that their citizens receive? Discuss our own government's motivations for adding the amendment to the constitution.

Presidents, Prescriptions and Physicians

2009-05-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

"We cannot continue down the same dangerous road we've been traveling for so many years, with costs that are out of control, because reform is not a luxury that can be postponed, but a necessity that cannot wait."
-President Obama on healthcare reform (2009)

A coalition of business, healthcare and consumer groups has called for the immediate reform of the nation’s healthcare system. The coalition went on to declare that the system of employer-sponsored health benefits should continue, but that health insurance coverage should be available to everyone, and tax credits should be made available to help people buy health insurance. They also recommended that the government spend money to put these reforms into place. The coalition’s recommendations align with President Obama’s objectives for reforming the nation’s healthcare system.

The President’s plan to overhaul the healthcare system also includes proposals to reduce government spending on prescription drugs and calls for the re-importation of medications from other countries in an effort to lower drug costs. Pharmaceutical and health insurance companies are wary of reforms that would put a cap on the prices they charge consumers which may in turn lower their profits. Pharmaceutical companies say that lowering their profits will take away their incentive to create innovative new medications. Health insurance companies fear congressional legislation on healthcare reform may ultimately drive them out of business.

Some major issues still remain to be addressed like whether health reform should include the creation of a new government-run health benefit, whether people should be required to obtain their own insurance or should employers be required to provider it, and how to pay for reforms, which could cost upward of $1 trillion.

Teaching with the Constitution
Remember to click on the highlighted text to read Linda Monk's commentary!

1) Ask your students to read Article I section 8 and determine what gives Congress the power to make laws regarding healthcare.

2) Then have your students to read Article I section 10 to determine if the States can pass their own healthcare legislation.

3) Finally, ask them if the debate over healthcare could be a federalism issue.

What Should the President Do?

2009-05-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

We all knew that President Obama's job was not going to be easy once he won the election, and it only takes five minutes of watching the news or reading the newspaper to confirm that there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel just yet. With a war being fought on two fronts, and an economic crisis in full swing, the President has his hands full.

It stands to reason then, that he must prioritize. With foreign conflicts, such as the current refugee crisis developing in Pakistan, many pundits are calling for a complete withdrawal from the region--citing that our presence there negates the President's recent overtures to the Muslim world, as well as drains our economy of much needed resources considering its current state.

Have your students examine the specific powers and responsibilities of the president as delineated in Article II of the constitution. Have them consider the current tasks the president is undertaking, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Wall Street, the distribution of stimulus money, etc., and have them decide where these issues fall under his realm of authority. What do they feel should be his priorities. Have them set an agenda for what they feel the president should address during the remaining years of his administration and in which order.

A Switch in Time . . .

2009-05-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Arlen Specter made headlines last week when he switched political parties, leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat. This is not the first time a high profile politician has switched parties;it probably won’t be the last. Ronald Reagan went from a Democrat to a Republican, famously saying “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, it left me.” Strom Thurmond, Michael Bloomberg, and Condoleezza Rice all left the Democratic Party to join the Republicans. Your students may also be surprised to learn Hillary Clinton was once a Republican, before joining the Democratic Party in college. You can have your students discuss why someone may switch political parties – was it because their own beliefs changed or because the ideals of the party shifted? It may be helpful for them to take a closer look at the previously mentioned examples.

This can also be a great time to discuss with students the role political parties have played in our country’s history. When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution in 1787, they didn’t want political parties at all. This can be seen in Article II section I, (paragraph 3) of the constitution. In elections, who ever recieved the most electoral votes became President, and the person who got the second most votes became Vice President, regardless of political parties. The first political parties formed in 1789, with the inception of the Federalist Party. This caused a problem in the election of 1796, when John Adams (a Federalist) was elected President, and Thomas Jefferson (A democratic Republican) became Vice President. The two clashed on their differing political philosophies, and after the election of 1800, in which Thomas Jefferson became President, the 12th amendment was passed. Have students read the 12th amendment and discuss how this changed history.

The National Constitution Center also provides a lesson plan on Political Parties, found here, which maybe helpful.

Obama's Pick

2009-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

“I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives -- whether they can make a living and care for their families; whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation.” - President Obama, May 1, 2009

President Obama personally announced Justice David Souter’s imminent retirement from the Supreme Court on Friday from the White House briefing room. Though Souter will remain on the bench until Obama is ready with a nomination to replace him, the President is likely to field a nominee by July, in hopes of winning confirmation for his justice by the time the court’s next term begins in October.

Speculation abounds about who will receive the President’s nomination. Most pundits agree that it will be a woman, since there is currently only one female justice on the nation’s highest court. Because Obama was a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago before entering national politics, he has a keen sense of what qualities he seeks in his appointee. Of course, the constitution requires that the Senate confirm his nomination.

Teaching Current Events with the Constitution:

Teachers should ask students to examine the make-up of the Senate and consider how the role of political party might affect confirmation of Obama’s nominee. Specifically, two political events are likely to alter the senatorial landscape: Arlen Specter’s party switch and the outcome of the senate race in Minnesota. What effect is the balance of Republican to Democratic senators likely to have on the process?

Presidents and Pirates

2009-05-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

“It is a settled policy of America, that as peace is better than war, war is better than tribute. The United States, while they wish for war with no nation, will buy peace with none.”
-President Madison on U.S. policy towards pirates in the Mediterranean (1815)

America’s history of fighting pirates is almost as old as the nation itself. In 1785 the first American ships were captured by the Barbary pirates and by 1796 the U.S. had signed a peace treaty with the Barbary States of North Africa formalizing the “fees” that the United States would pay for access to the Mediterranean.

In 1802 Congress authorized a permanent American naval presence in the Mediterranean because of ever increasing blackmail demands by Barbary pirates. The capture of the U.S. frigate Philadelphia in 1804 led to a daring raid on Tripoli by Stephen Decatur.

The Barbary States sought to take advantage of America’s involvement in the War of 1812 by resuming their piracy for ransom business. President Madison ended the series of Barbary wars be defeating the forces of the dey of Algiers in 1815.

Now president Obama is dealing with the pirates off the coast of Somalia, using U.S. navy Special Forces to free the American captain of a ship held by Somali pirates. Though the president gave permission to use deadly force against the pirates, many do not know that the president does not have the constitutional authority to declare war.

Teaching with the Constitution
Remind your students to click on the text of the Interactive Constitution to read Linda Monk’s explanation.

Have your students read Article I section 8 clauses 10 through 14 and then ask them to read Article II section 2 clauses 1 and 2. Ask them if Congress or the president has the constitutional authority to deal diplomatically or militarily against pirate activity.

Ask your students to read Article II section 8 clause 12 , which constitutionally limits the duration that the federal government can set aside monies for the Army, but in Article II section 8 clause 13 funds for the Navy are not limited to two years. (Hint: think about pirates and cargo ships)

Ask your students to define separation of powers and why it this is an important concept, even though it is not directly stated in the Constitution.

Swine Flu: Cause to Close Down Borders?

2009-04-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the World Health Organization raised its alert level to 5, the second highest warning in the global-alert system. The alert has never been this high, and health officials say that the time for containment of the swine flu virus has passed, and that mitigation is now where the response system should focus it's efforts.

It is no surprise, in the face of such an approach, that many people are panicking at the prospect of a likely pandemic and are calling for the United States to close down its border with Mexico. Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman, for example, have expressed their frustration as to why the president has not banned travel south of the border.

President Obama, in response, has been quoted as saying that closing down the borders to Mexico now that the virus has already entered the United States is akin to "closing the barn door after the horse is out." Officials from various disease control organizations echo this sentiment, stating that closing the borders could actually cripple the country's ability to combat the disease as items crucial to administering health care to infected patients are made outside the country, including the main ingredient in Tamiflu, the primary drug used to treat the swine flu virus.

In this increasingly interdependent world economy, it can be argued that traditional concepts of borders and separate, independent economies is rapidly becoming obsolete, especially in instances such as these when the whole world could potentially be threatened. The current swine flu crisis presents the opportunity to have your students discuss in what direction they think United States foreign policy should go in the future.

Ask students to think about the following statement issued by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization at a press conference in Geneva, in reaction to the news that several countries had shut down their borders. She heartily disagreed with the tactic, stating, "After all, it really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic."

Have students examine Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and review the enumerated powers of congress, and identify which ones may apply to the concerns posed by an international crisis such as the swine flu. Have a discussion about their thoughts on shutting the borders down.

President Obama's 100 Days

2009-04-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

The economy, stem cells, Guantanamo, the environment, education, America’s role in the world, Cabinet appointments, health care...President Obama has begun to tackle a variety of issues and made some important decisions during his first 100 days in office. This week, political pundits, scholars and the media will all reflect on the president’s choices since Inauguration Day, and your students can do the same.

The National Constitution Center has a variety of resources to help your students discover the origins of the “100 day” administration marker, engage in a conversation on the president’s job performance and get them thinking about the next steps they want the president to take.

This milestone presents an excellent opportunity for your students to reflect on current events, the role and function of government and the president's performance—all of which will enable your students to build the habits of active citizenship.

The Center's Education Team has created a helpful activity during which your students complete a Progress Report for the president. Download the Presidential Progress Report here.

The Center also provides your students with the ability to contact the president directly, so they can send the president his progress report or give their opinions on the issues they feel are most important.

Your students can stay informed about the latest news from the White House and beyond when they subscribe to our Constitution Newswire. The Newswire provides daily news about our founding document, with the latest news stories from national, regional, and local sources, and keeps you informed about the Constitution's relevance to everyday life.

Plain, Honest Men

2009-04-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Dr. Richard Beeman recreates life in Philadelphia in 1787, in this new narrative of the Constitutional Convention, Plain, Honest Men. Dr. Beeman is a great friend of the National Constitution Center. He has been featured in the Center's permanent exhibit, is a frequent guest lecturer and a returning faculty member in the NEH Summer Teacher Institute. With a bright smile and a distinctive bow tie, Dr. Beeman has helped shape what the National Constitution Center is today- a museum, a classroom, and a resource for educators and students alike.

Dr. Beeman "free(s) our 'Founding Fathers' from their bronze...likeness" of the statues that he so often sees here in Signer's Hall, giving them breath and character as they toil in the summer months of 1787. He stresses that the framers were "mortals - not, as some have characterized them, 'demigods'." As human as they are, their accomplishments become extraordinary when we take into consideration the daunting task of fixing a country in just three months. Plain, Honest Men gives a deep analysis on the deliberation that took place just steps away from the museum and digs deeper into the issues of slavery, representation, and other controversies the framers struggled with each day. It highlights the personal achievements of James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin, three indispensable characters in the story of the Constitution that Dr. Beeman tells in his book.

While the book in its entirety can be used in your classroom, here are some suggested selections that may be used to highlight some specific topics in your classroom:

The Constitution and Slavery (pgs. 308-318): This selection provides a great overview of the dilemma of slavery for the delegates. Students can appreciate the moral challenges that the framers are faced with and can better judge the characters of the framers in the context of the time in which they lived.

The Great Compromise (Chapter 5, "A High-Stakes Gamble"): This longer excerpt is an excellent narrative to help students understand the "greatness" of this compromise. The Great Compromise is told in a story, racked with conflict, tension, and passion, which not only gives students the context of this great deliberation, but also helps them understand the impact of the Compromise.

Battle between states and federal government

2009-04-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case determining the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. This section of the 1965 federal law requires approval from the Justice Department before any changes can be made in how elections are conducted in 16 states with histories of discrimination against minority voters.

A utility district in Texas that evidences no history of discrimination is challenging the law and the Obama administration is defending it. In 2006, a majority of both parties in Congress voted to extend the requirement for 25 more years and President George W. Bush signed the measure into law. States that have reversed government-sponsored discrimination object to remaining under federal supervision.

This is not the first time the Supreme Court has heard a challenge to the advance-approval provision, but the addition of two new Justices, Alito and Roberts, give opponents to Section 5 hope that this time it will rule against the federal government.

Teaching Current Events with the Constitution:

Ask students to reflect critically on their own communities. Do they think that voter discrimination is ancient history? Or do they think there is still a role for the national government in supervising states’ changes to their election procedures?

Students should review the constitutional amendments that guarantee the right to vote to minorities and determine for themselves whose responsibility it is to ensure that the rights are protected.

POW Controversy

2009-04-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Despite the ostensibly smooth transition from power, it seems that the Bush Administration left a few closets unopened prior to their departure, and now the skeletons are falling out. Memos circulated during Bush's presidency have surfaced indicating that top officials approved the use of harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding on detainees at secret prisons.

In an attempt to incite public awareness for the mistreatment of human beings by the U.S. government, the ACLU has said that they will release photographs that provide evidence that the acts of abuse at Abu-Gharib prison are actually rampant in the military

Although places like Guantanamo Bay and the reasons for their existence seem to be current, hot button issues, they are not new. Controversy over the proper treatment of U.S. enemies and prisoners of war has long been a point of contention. In 1949, the Geneva Conventions addressed the issues and produced four treaties specifically outlining the new regulations and standards for the humane treatment of people during wartime and conflict.

This conversation is a great opportunity to discuss human rights and their constitutional connection with your students. Take a look at the eighth amendment and discuss what they would consider cruel and unusual punishment, and if the acts of cruelty and torture being conducted by the U.S. Government in the interest of national security and safety are actually illegal. Is it constitutional for POWs and foreign detainees to be denied the same rights afforded to U.S. citizens? Is this type of military protocol in violation of the Geneva Conventions?

The conversation should be an interesting one.

The Day After

2009-04-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

The day after Earth Day offers a chance for citizens of the world to reflect on how we treat our environment and what must be done to protect it.

During The Exchange on Earth Day, students at the National Constitution Center and high schools from Washington state to Kentucky deliberated over the question, “Should a clean and healthy environment be a constitutional right?” While some students believed there needed to be a constitutional amendment to protect the environment, some thought this unnecessary, but all agreed that having access to clean air, land and water was important.

When it came to legislation to regulate pollutants, some students felt that current legislation was all that was needed, and that the inadequate enforcement of laws, like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, were the culprit. Some thought that new legislation, like Cap and Trade may be warranted.

One thing that all of the young people agreed upon, was that all citizens needed to do their part to protect the environment by recycling, abandoning non-biodegradable products and promoting a more green lifestyle.

Teaching with the Constitution
Ask your students to read Article V and determine the different pathways to creating a constitutional amendment. Ask them how this can explain why our Constitution has only been amended 27 times in the last 220 years.

Ask your students to read Article I section 8 clause 3 and determine if the federal government has the authority to regulate pollutants originating in one state that effect another state.

Ask your students to brainstorm, what they can do short of new legislation or a constitutional amendment to protect their environment?

Congratulations!

2009-04-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

The National Constitution Center would like to congratulate the teachers who were chosen to participate in our 2009 Summer Teacher Institutes. It was a fiercely competitive year; over 600 applications from 39 states were received for the small number of spots in each of the Institutes.

With renowned professors including, Dr. Akhil Amar from Yale and Dr. Richard Beeman from the University of Pennsylvania, and many talented teachers, we are sure to have an exciting summer!

And remember, if you missed out on this great opportunity, there is always next year! To be among the first to receive information on next year's Institutes, please subscribe to our Educators' Newsletter.

Education@NCC

Welcome Back Teachers!

The NCC Welcomes Kathryn Venzor as Education Manager

Why is Washington there?

The 17th Amendment

Fighting During Recess

Freedom of Internet Speech

To Lead or to Follow?

Saint Patrick in America

Reconciliation Makes Strange Bedfellows

"Beware the Ides of March"

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone . . . or did he?

Parliamentary and Presidential Systems of Government

My Years in High School

Lincoln Takes Office This Day in History

Does the Second Amendment Apply to the States?

Oh Say Can You See . . .

The Patriot Act

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Does Jury Duty Violate the Thirteenth Amendment?

The Confederate Constitution vs. The United States Constitution

Think Summer!

The Year-Long Road to Recovery

How the Twelfth Amendment might have saved Alexander Hamilton's life!

Washington's Birthday/Presidents' Day

Same-Sex Marriage deliberation

A brief history of the State of the Union Address

State of the Union 2010

Government responsibility during times of crisis outside our borders

2010 Summer Teacher Institutes

Airport Security: Walking the fine line between safety and racial profiling.

This Week in Being We, The People

To Intervene or Not to Intervene. That is the Question.

150th Anniversary of the Death of John Brown

A Delicate Balance

POTUS Bingo

Busted: Thanksgiving Myths

WPA Poster Contest!

The Center Welcomes a New CEO

This Week in Being We the People

Ripped from the Headlines!

So Nice to See You!

A Salute to All the Veterans Out There

Victory for the GOP!

Take me out to the ball game!

"Being We, the People" in Your Classroom

Race to the Finish in Afghan Elections

This Week in Being We, the People

Should the government make sure that every American has affordable health insurance?

Civic Opportunities Fair

Civic Opportunities Fair for StudentsOctober 12, 20092:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the National Constitution CenterFor high school students

First Day of Term

This Week in Being We, the People

Find us on Facebook!

Teachable Moment: G20 in Pittsburgh

This Week in Being We, the People

White House Looks to Reform NCLB

Constitution Day

National Constitution Center and AP release Annual Constitution Day Poll Results

Healthcare & the General Welfare

This week in "Being We, the People"

POTUS Bingo

Being We the People

Harvey Finkle

Nasim Fekrat

Constitution High School

Marefat School

Being We, the People at the Center and Beyond

Constitution Today and Tomorrow

Welcome Riverside, CA!

The Battle Continues: Big Governement vs. Small Government

Guantanamo and the Constitution

Iranian Citizens Demand a Recount

Senate Says No to Tobacco

Face The Thing That Should Not Be

Controverial Conversations

Before you start your summer...

Constitution Day Website

This year, our America Reads the Constitution event will focus on Americans in Service. Individuals who serve the nation in a variety of capacities will be asked to read the Preamble to the Constitution.

North Korea

Civic Opportunities Fair for Students
October 12, 2009
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center
For high school students