Welcome to ESD 112s

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Welcome to ESD 112s 2nd Teaching American
History Institute with Constitutional Rights
Foundation
Constitutional Connections
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Your team
Carol Wright Tanya Manabat John
Lloyd Karen Hirsch Keri Doggett
The plan

• Mornings
• Large Group Activity
• Seminar with our Scholar
• Afternoons
• Breakout Sessions geared for grade spans

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Think History AND Civics
How can we make connections between
the
stuff of history and the stuff of civics?
Lets consider using public policy as a means.
Looking at law provides a means to analyze past
and present Constitution Bill of Rights
original intent/modern interpretations
Law, as public policy, is often created with the
intent to address conflicts/problems/needs
Volstead Act (1919)
And in doing so, sometimes opens up new
conflicts/problems.
Looking at historic public policy, its intent and
consequences, provides a mechanism for analyzing
and deciding public policy today.
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Lets play with these ideas for a few minutes.
Form a group of 4-5 people and
Take a look at your document. Based on your
knowledge of history What
conflict/problem/need is this law trying to
address? What were the consequences/effects
of this law? Does this type of
conflict/problem/need exist today?
Examples? How is it being addressed?
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"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in
laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions
must go hand in hand with the progress of the
human mind. As that becomes more developed, more
enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new
truths discovered and manners and opinions
change, with the change of circumstances,
institutions must advance also to keep pace with
the times. We might as well require a man to
wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy
as civilized society to remain ever under the
regimen of their barbarous ancestors."
Thomas Jefferson
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Over the next few days we hope youll ...
Explore Content
Civil War Industrial Revolution Reconstruction
Law and public policy
Pick up ideas and methods to reinforce...
Critical thinking Product-based
assessment Decision-making Multiple
perspectives Cooperative learning
Share ideas and create useful teaching tools for
...
Using source documents Linking history and
civics Linking past/present Using interactive
methods Fulfilling Constitution Day mandate
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Institute Goals and Outcomes
Enhance our own content knowledge. Explore and
identify connections between History and Civics.
Discuss and walk away with methods of
strengthening students K, S, D through
history-social science instruction. Have an
opportunity to think about and begin creating a
resource, lesson, or activity for The
Best-Ever Constitution Day.
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Educating for Democracy The Civic Mission of
Schools
WHY SCHOOLS ARE IMPORTANT
In 2002 the Carnegie Corporation gathered
scholars, researchers, educators, civic/govt.
leaders together to discuss and examine the
current state of civic education in our
country. This report, The Civic Mission of
Schools, is guiding local, state, and national
policy on civics in our schools.

• crucial for the future health of our
  democracyyoung people be knowledgeable, engaged
  in their communities and in politics, and
  committed to the public good.
• civic skills and attitudeshas been an important
  goal of education and was the primary impetus for
  originally establishing public schools.

• Schools are best to address the cognitive aspects
  of good citizenshipcivic and political knowledge
  and related skills such as critical thinking and
  deliberation.

• Forty state constitutions mention the importance
  of civic literacy among citizens, and 13 of them
  state that a central purpose of their educational
  system is to promote good citizenship, democracy
  and free government.

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We, the scholars and practitioners who have
jointly produced this report, believe that the
overall goal of civic education should be to help
young people acquire and learn to use the skills,
knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them
to be competent and responsible citizens
throughout their lives.
Competent and responsible citizens
are informed and thoughtful. They have a grasp
and an appreciation of history and the
fundamental processes of American democracy an
understanding and awareness of public and
community issues an ability to obtain
information when needed a capacity to think
critically and a willingness to enter into
dialogue with others about different points of
view and to understand diverse perspectives. They
are tolerant of ambiguity and resist simplistic
answers to complex questions.
participate in their communities. They belong to
and contribute to groups in civil society that
offer venues for Americans to participate in
public service, work together to overcome
problems, and pursue an array of cultural,
social, political, and religious interests and
beliefs
act politically. They have the skills, knowledge,
and commitment needed to accomplish public
purposesfor instance, by organizing people to
address social issues, solving problems in
groups, speaking in public, petitioning and
protesting to influence public policy, and voting.
have moral and civic virtues. They are concerned
for the rights and welfare of others, are
socially responsible, willing to listen to
alternative perspectives, confident in their
capacity to make a difference, and ready to
contribute personally to civic and political
action. They strike a reasonable balance between
their own interests and the common good. They
recognize the importance of and practice civic
duties such as voting and respecting the rule of
law.
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What the hecklets put this research to good use.
Seeing as we have to do something for
Constitution Citizenship Day (September 17)
anyway, why not do the Best Ever Constitution
Day Lesson
In your group, take a few minutes to discuss WHAT
you might be able to teach your students through
an activity related to Constitution Citizenship
Day.
not HOW you will teach it
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On your chart paper, list specific Content
(Knowledge)
What
content could I cover that would support my
standards/benchmarks while also supporting
best-practices in history and civic education?

Skills

What skills could be
introduced, reinforced, or applied that support
my standards and best practices?
Attitudes/Dispositions
What
dispositions could be fostered through a
Constitution Day lesson/activity?
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So now that weve thought about WHAT we might
teach through the Best-Ever Constitution Day
lesson, lets think about HOW we might teach it.
The CMS report provides some guidance on practice
(the HOW), too
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Civic Mission of Schools Six Promising
Approaches in Civic Education 1. Provide
formal instruction in government, history, law,
and democracy. 2. Incorporate discussion of
current local, national, and international issues
and events into the classroom, particularly
those that young people view as important to
their lives. 3. Give students the
opportunity to apply what they learn through
community service linked to the formal curriculum
and classroom instruction. 4. Offer
extracurricular activities that involve students
in their schools and communities. 5.
Encourage student participation in school
governance. 6. Encourage student
participation in simulations of democratic
processes and procedures.
7. Effective use of outside resource people in
the classroom.
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In your grade-level group, take a few minutes to
brainstorm HOW you might teach the knowledge,
skills, and dispositions you identified through a
Constitution Day activity. Is there an
opportunity to work in any of the Promising
Approaches to Civic Education?
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The Best-Ever Constitution Day
Over the next couple of days youll have some
time to plan and work on a lesson, activity, or
resource you can implement with your students to
get a jump on meeting the Constitution and
Citizenship Day federal mandate.
Perhaps you already have something you love, and
youll build on that. Or maybe youve been
inspired by something that youve participated in
through your TAH program.
Think about working in teams grade levels?
your professional learning teams? your best
friend?
No one expects a final product this week. The
idea is to give you planning time now, instead of
you having to cram this in during what vacation
you have left!