Civics/Government

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This short video traces the evolution of James Madison’s thinking about the necessity of a Bill of Rights. While originally opposed to both a bill of rights and conditional ratification, Madison came to appreciate the political and the practical efficacy of both. Professor Jack Rakove notes that, unlike many bills of rights that use the phrase “the government ought not,” the American Bill of Rights says “the government shall not,” thus creating a set of legal commands to limit government. This is one in a series of American History Videos sponsored by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHKuCA_69fE

This National Archives workbook includes primary sources to help students explore some of the core concepts, or protections, found in the Bill of Rights, and how they’ve been tested throughout American history. Each chapter leads you to consider the implications of one core concept and includes background Information; a key question or questions to frame your thinking; questions to help you analyze the document; a primary source document or documents; discussion questions to help you consider the impact or importance of the concept. Click on the image above to download.

Announcing a New, Free Self-Directed Course on the Fundamental Values and Principles of American Constitutional Democracy
The Center for Civic Education is pleased to announce Learn.civiced.org, a new website for anyone interested in learning more about American constitutional government! The site offers a free online course, discussion forums, and highly recommended links to teaching and learning resources.

Here are some of Learn.civiced.org's features:
●      We the People Open Course: A free course that follows the content of the Center’s We the People: the Citizen & the Constitution text. The course is entirely self-paced, so you can complete it on your own schedule. It is divided into six units, each of which features a noted scholar explaining topics related to the Constitution. The course takes participants from the philosophical foundations of the U.S. Constitution through the modern interpretation and application of its ideals. You can take the entire course, or just select the sections that interest you. It is indexed with key concepts important for all citizens to know in understanding the American political system.
●      Civics Forum: Discuss civics and government and share resources with other interested people throughout the country.
●      Resources: Access ebooks, lesson plans, free materials, and other great websites for teaching and learning about civics and government.
We will continue to add courses, resources, and more to the site in the months ahead. Learn.civiced.org was made possible by the U.S. Department of Education through a Supporting Effective Educator Development grant.
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From The Choices Program...

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Encounter the original founding documents of the United States in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, the permanent home of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights. These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, are instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. museum.archives.gov/founding-documents
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For students interested in a career in law:

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Resources to fight hate and racism:

The Southern Poverty Law Center has published "Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide."
Teaching Tolerance offers a vast wealth of resources and a Learning Plan Builder to help teachers build lessons around social justice standards aimed at prejudice reduction.
A Twitter campaign, #charlottesvillecurriculum, is generating a trove of ideas for teaching tolerance, including contributions from the National Council of Teachers of English and Education Week. Brightly, an online reference for parents, also has relevant material, including “Books to help kids understand the fight for racial equality.”
Unite Against Hate! offers resources for students, educators, and families as they engage in current national dialogue about racism, hate, and bias, compiled by the National Education Association.
The Alliance for Excellent Education has produced: "Condemning Racism and Bigotry While Using Charlottesville as a Teachable Moment: Resources for Teachers, Parents, and Others" available here: tinyurl.com/CharlottesvilleResources.
The Anti-Defamation League explains the teachable moments resulting from the recent Charlottesville events in “Lessons to Teach and Learn from ‘Unite the Right'."
Common Sense Media provides a list of resources for educators seeking to develop an inclusive culture in their classroom and teach social and emotional skills to students.
In “Talking to Children When Hate Makes Headlines,” CNN offers resources to teachers and parents now having conversations about hate and bigotry with children.
Teach Plus compiled a list of Tools and Resources for Teaching About Race, History, and Other Issues Related to Charlottesville.
Edutopia’s site features “How to Teach Beyond Ferguson,” by José Vilson, a middle school math teacher and coach, who provides tools and strategies for having difficult but necessary conversations.

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The News Literacy Project (NLP) is a nonpartisan national education nonprofit that works with educators and journalists to teach middle school and high school students how to sort fact from fiction in the digital age. NLP provides these students with the essential skills they need to become smart, active consumers of news and information and engaged, informed citizens.
www.thenewsliteracyproject.org/
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Many resources are available from the very popular We the People program! http://www.civiced.org/wtp-the-programwww.civiced.org/wtp-the-program
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Here is a great site to teach your students about civil discourse:
https://www.edutopia.org/article/hot-button-topics-civil-discussions-anne-vilen-katie-dulaney
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