On February 2, 2023, our curators discussed Benjamin Franklin’s copy of the US Constitution and Jean-Antoine Houdon’s bust of Franklin. They were joined by Liz Covart (Founding Director, Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios) and Sara Charles (Education Program Manager, Gilder Lehrman Institute). This program was generously sponsored by The Fund for the Endowment of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms.

Originally broadcast on September 17, 2020, this session of Inside the Vault: Highlights from the Gilder Lehrman Collection celebrated Constitution Day with rare materials from the Gilder Lehrman Collection: The US Constitution! Gilder Lehrman's curators were joined by Conroe Brookes from Hamilton, and Kevin Cline, 2016 National History Teacher of the Year, to explore these rare documents, learn about their creation, take a close look at how the preamble changed between the first draft and the final copy, and what the Constitution says about voting.

On May 4, 2023, our curators were joined by Dr. Andrew Robertson (The Graduate Center and Lehman College, CUNY) to discuss materials related to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century voting rights. Dr. Robertson explained how voting rights were expanded and contracted, from the Revolutionary era through the Civil War and Reconstruction.

This nonpartisan tool has allowed learners of all ages to engage with the text of the Constitution, discover how experts agree and disagree about its history and meaning, and explore arguments on all sides of the constitutional debates at the center of American life. Also helpful for resolving arguments at the dinner table. Download the app at Apple Store or Google Play.

In this video from the Center for Civic Education, Maria Gallo explains the fundamentals of teaching the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program to high school students. Maria is the director of professional development and special programs for the Center. She is joined by Mark Gage, director of publishing and digital content, who explains the wide variety online resources that support We the People. For more information about We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, visit https://www.civiced.org/we-the-people.

The We the People curriculum is an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of the United States constitutional democratic republic. The We the People programâ"s culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students "testify" before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. Teachers may engage their students in a noncompetitive simulated congressional hearing or a competitive hearing at some levels in certain states.

In this video from the Center for Civic Education, Maria Gallo and Patience LeBlanc explain the fundamentals of teaching the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program to middle school students. Maria is the director of professional development and special programs for the Center. Patience is an instructional coach at Frisco High School near Dallas, Texas, and has been a We the People teacher for twenty years. Maria and Patience are joined by Mark Gage, director of publishing and digital content, who explains the wide variety online resources that support We the People. For more information about We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, visit https://www.civiced.org/we-the-people.

The We the People curriculum is an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of the United States constitutional democratic republic. The We the People programâ"s culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students "testify" before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. Teachers may engage their students in a noncompetitive simulated congressional hearing or a competitive hearing at some levels in certain states.

This discussion guide is for use with the video âIs the Supreme Court Different?â which features a conversation with Linda Greenhouse, the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph M. Goldstein Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School, who is interviewed by Theodore W. Ruger, dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, at the Fair and Impartial Judiciary Symposium on October 26, 2019, at the Penn Law School.

In this lesson, students will study the life of James Madison. They will learn about why he is called "The Father of the Constitution," his views on the Bill of Rights, his remedy for the problem of factions in a democratic republic, and much more.

In May, 1787 the 55 Delegates to the United States Constitutional Convention set off to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Traveling in the late 18th century wasn't easy, and what would take modern Americans just hours took the Founding Fathers weeks. The Delegates from New Hampshire were particularly unlucky, and wouldn't arrive at the Convention until the middle of July, after it had already been in session for two months!

The United States Constitution continues to be America's guiding document. Join James Madison as he explores the Constitution and his hopes for the future of the country.

James Madison - The Writing of the Constitution from The Community College of Baltimore County Historical Actor John Douglas Hall portrays President James Madison in a performance recorded at CCBC Essex as part of Constitution Week. Hall, as President James Madison - the "Father of the Constitution, discusses the writing of the constitution and the thought process behind the way it was written.

The First Congress considered four versions of the First Amendment before finally adopting the fifth version, which now appears in our Bill of Rights. Students learn about this as well as the history behind the Bill of Rights and its ratification in this lesson from Teach Democracy's BRIA curricular magazine. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia, Peter S. Onuf has written extensively on sectionalism, federalism, and political economy, with a particular emphasis on the political thought of Thomas Jefferson. In this lecture, he looks at Jefferson’s opinions about federal government.

Join Thomas Jefferson on July 2, 1776, as he discusses the impending Declaration of Independence, and the promises made by that work. Will his dreams be fulfilled? And what will the legacy be of the document?

John Jay was a man of great achievement. During his lifetime he was a Founding Father, Signer of the Treaty of Paris, Second Governor of New York, and First Chief Justice of the United States.

Should someone be prosecuted for criticizing or insulting a government official even if the offending words are the truth? Should a judge or a jury decide the case? These were the key questions argued in the colonial New York trial of John Peter Zenger. The outcome deeply influenced freedom of the press in America. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

Since 2005, the "Past and Present" podcast from Colonial Williamsburg has taken you behind the scenes to meet interpreters, chefs, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, and more. We offer two versions of our podcast: one that's audio-only and one that includes a slideshow. In this episode, the cast and crew of Colonial Williamsburg’s groundbreaking program Journey to Redemption join to talk about how the piece was developed and why it’s so important to be having conversations surrounding racism and the history of slavery in our nation.

Students will learn about the federal and state courts and what they do. They will explore the courts’ role in fairly settling disputes and administering justice, and the unique role of the U.S. Supreme Court in interpreting the U.S. Constitution.

In a constitutional system of government, the role of the judiciary is essential for maintaining the balance of power, protecting individual rights, upholding the rule of law, interpreting the Constitution, and ensuring equal justice for all.
The estimated time for this lesson plan is two class periods.