The National Constitution Center’s professional learning series offers an introduction to the U.S. Constitution and explores methods for constitutional teaching and pedagogy from experienced practitioners. Sessions range from an overview of the Constitution’s text and the leading methods for interpretation, the creation of the Bill of Rights and the underlying principles, and landmark Supreme Court cases to areas of ongoing debate on key topics, including separation of powers, federalism, slavery in America, free speech, digital privacy, the battle for equality, and voting rights.
Each session also features a practicum component led by the National Constitution Center’s education team. Through this practicum component, participants will examine the Constitution through a mix of civil dialogue, critical thinking, and active listening—using resources from the Center’s Constitution 101 curriculum. This free, 15-week curriculum provides students with a basic understanding of the Constitution’s text, history, structure, and case law.
These 90-minute sessions will be hosted on the third Wednesday of each month through Zoom and begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. They are free of charge and can be attended as an entire series or as individual sessions.
Elections and Voting Rights
In this session, participants explore the right to vote throughout history and work to answer several key questions about voting rights in America. Join us as scholar Paula Monopoli addresses the following questions: Where does the Constitution protect the right to vote? What role did the amendment process play in shaping voting rights? What has the Supreme Court said about the right to vote over time? We will also look at important ways to engage students in civil dialogue about current events and modern questions.
