Join teachers from across the country and engage with constitutional scholars during a weeklong institute on “Reconstruction and the Second Founding” at the National Constitution Center in July 2024.
During the institute, educators will work with content experts to deepen their knowledge of the history and modern understandings of the Reconstruction time period, the changes to the Constitution that occurred during that era, and the impacts on modern day. With teacher facilitators and the education team from the National Constitution Center, participants will discover and develop innovative, nonpartisan ways to make the content relevant to their students.
Our approach has three main components: (1) building a historical foundation through storytelling; (2) learning how to interpret the Constitution like a constitutional lawyer; and (3) developing the skills of civil dialogue and reflection.
First, we build a strong foundation by telling the Constitution’s founding stories—by exploring the big idea behind why the Reconstruction time period is known as the Second Founding—and evaluating how the roles of each branch of the government have changed over time.
Second, we explore how to help your students separate their political views from their constitutional views—asking not what the government should do, but what it constitutionally may do—by working with the Center’s teacher facilitators in collaborative classroom application sessions and engaging directly with the text of the Constitution.
Finally, we review civil dialogue protocols and resources developed by the Center—by presenting the best arguments on all sides of each constitutional issue, providing helpful educational resources, and offering platforms to support civil discourse within the classroom and across the country.
This in-person institute is open to educators working with grades 5–12 at public, charter, independent, parochial, and other schools. The institute is free to attend, but a successful application is required. Funding is available to cover a significant portion of travel and lodging expenses. Applications are now closed. Notification regarding application status will be sent by Friday, April 5, 2024.
Questions can be sent to the education team at [email protected].
