National Constitution Center’s Summer Workshops and Institutes

This summer, educators can join other teachers from across the country and constitutional scholars from across the philosophical spectrum for virtual summer educator programs with the National Constitution Center.

During these programs, educators work with content experts to deepen their knowledge of the history and modern understandings of constitutional topics. Through working with master teachers and the education teams from the Center, participants discover and develop innovative, nonpartisan ways to make the content relevant to their students. Educators gain new content knowledge, teaching tools, classroom-ready resources, and new skills for improving constitutional literacy.

These summer programs are open to educators working with grades 5–12 at public, charter, independent, parochial, and other schools. They are free to attend, but successful applications are required.

Information on the 2021 virtual summer programs can be found below.

This summer, the Center is offering the following programs:

• July 7—9, Constitutional Conversations and Civil Dialogue Virtual Workshop
• July 11—16, Building the U.S. Constitution Virtual Summer Teacher Institute
• July 18—23, Battles for Freedom and Equality Virtual Summer Teacher Institute
• July 26—28, Bill of Rights Virtual Summer Teacher Workshop

All programs are free with a successful application. Applications will be accepted through February 26, 2021.

Learn more, and apply now!

Explore the World With These 100 Country Quizzes

Since 2017, the NY Times Learning Network has been publishing a five-question “Country of the Week” quiz based on The Times’s travel coverage, news reporting and photojournalism to help build students’ geography skills.

Each Monday morning during the school year they release a new quiz, and this month they published their 100th one. To mark the milestone, all the quizzes published so far are organized by continent in one index. 

We the Young People - Teen Inauguration Special

We the Young People - Teen Inauguration Special
PBS NewsHour and Student Reporting Labs presented a special for digital and broadcast distribution on January 14 highlighting the impact of young voters and exploring the change they want to see from the new administration. I watched a lot of this tonight, but it's confusing because you have to start 15 min. in! I have bookmarked the different sections for you:

Introduction

Yamiche Alcindor talks to 3 young women about representation and role models in media & politics

Student interviews a high school history teacher who says "don't take democracy for granted" & quotes from students about how they are feeling and what they want to ask.

Teen interviews 3 young elected officials

18 year old HS student who is a new voter discusses her thoughts on becoming a voter this past year with a teacher

Discussion with students who are teen MediaWise "fact checkers" about misinformation

Amna Nawaz interviews young activists who work on gun violence prevention, environmentalism, community safety & equity issues

Hope you and maybe some of your students enjoy this!

Primary Source free civics program

Primary Source is offering a free civics program next Wednesday, January 27th, 9am-3:pm offered through Primary Source.

Our Rights and Nothing Less is a one-day workshop developed in partnership with Mass Historical Society and the Collaborative for Education Services. Focusing on African Americans, women, and people with disabilities, this virtual workshop introduces content, themes, resources, and teaching strategies to foster students’ awareness of the personal sacrifices and collective efforts made in the effort to secure the right to be heard and influence the governing of this country.

Registration is free and open to the public--- please self-register here on the Primary Source website.

See below for the scheduled sessions:

• Keynote Address - Dr. John Bracey, UMass Amherst
• Teaching the Intersection of Race and Gender in Voting History - Dan Osborn, Primary Source
• Teaching the Suffrage and Anti -Suffrage Movements with Primary Sources - Elyssa Tardif and Kate Melchior, Massachusetts Historical Society
• A Failed System for 38 Million Voters with Disabilities - Rich Cairn, Collaborative for Educational Services; Lisa Schur, Rutgers University; Doug Kruse, Rutgers University

Updated citizenship test questions

You may be interested to see the updated bank of questions used for citizenship tests. The new test takes effect tomorrow, Dec. 1. According to this USCIS press release, "The revised test includes more questions that test the applicant’s understanding of U.S. history and civics, in line with the statutory requirements, and covers a variety of topics that provide the applicant with more opportunities to learn about the United States as part of the test preparation process."

You can see the bank of 128 questions here

World Geography Week - Scout Report

This week's Scout Report highlights MS and HS lessons for World Geography Week. Follow these links for more details on each resource.

• World Geography Lesson Plans
• World Geography Games
• 10 Map Types in Visualization: Make Your Data Eye-Catching
• The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) YouTube Channel

Smithsonian Election Articles

Eight of America's Most Unusual Polling Places

How Girls Have Brought Political Change to America
The history of activism in young girls, who give voice to important issues in extraordinary ways, is the topic of a new Smithsonian exhibition.

When Pulling a Lever Tallied the Vote
An innovative 1890s gear-and-lever voting machine mechanized the counting of the ballots so they could be tallied in minutes, not hours or days.

The Debate Over Mail-In Voting Dates Back to the Civil War
In 1864, Democrats and Republicans clashed over legislation allowing soldiers to cast their ballots from the front.

The Voting Machine That Displayed Different Ballots Based on Your Sex
In an era of partial suffrage, these inventions helped women cast their votes.

Eight Lessons for the Presidential Debates
What are the key do’s and don’ts the candidates should remember when campaigning for the White House?

How to Save Your Election Day Newspaper
Here’s what you need to know to preserve your copy of history.

Podcast: History of Electoral College

The Daily podcast yesterday was about the history of the electoral college and the evolution of the winner-take-all system. I like how the host asks good questions to bring the story out. You may find it useful or interesting.

A Peculiar Way to Pick a President
Hosted by Michael Barbaro; produced by Luke Vander Ploeg, Rachel Quester, Leslye Davis and Rachelle Bonja; and edited by M.J. Davis Lin.
In two of the past five presidential elections, the Electoral College awarded the White House to the loser of the popular vote. Is the system broken?

The Daily: Electoral College

 The Daily today was about the history of the electoral college and the evolution of the winner-take-all system. I like how the host asks good questions to bring the story out. You may find it useful or interesting.

National Geographic Kahoots

Many of you may know about these already, but just in case you don't, National Geographic has 24 geography and science and social studies related Kahoots you may be able to use

TEST YOUR GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE WITH KAHOOT!