Missouri We the People Summer Institutes

The We the People summer institute is an intensive, week-long professional development program on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Participants take part in lectures and discussions on constitutional themes pertinent to the curriculum content, classroom strategies, and performance assessment. An essential component of the institute is teacher preparation and participation in a simulated congressional hearing as a culminating activity. The hearing is a model for student hearings to be held during the school year. Experienced teacher mentors assist participants in discussing the challenges of teaching civic education and preparing for the culminating hearing.

 What is the purpose of the institute?

The purpose of this institute is to prepare upper elementary, middle, and high school teachers to implement the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. The institute offers training for participants in content, teaching strategies, and performance assessment for this nationally acclaimed program.

Overview of the institute.

We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution helps students understand the history and principles of our constitutional government. The program focuses on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and fosters civic competence and responsibility among elementary, middle, and high school students in public and private schools nationwide.

The institute is a rigorous professional development program that brings teachers to Missouri University-Columbia to work with constitutional scholars from a variety of disciplines. Teachers attend lectures and sessions dedicated to teaching methods appropriate to the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. They also participate in a simulated congressional hearing modeled on the We the People culminating activity.

Lecture, teaching method, and assessment content include the following topics:

· What Are the Historical and Philosophical Foundations of the American Political System?

· How Did the Framers Create the Constitution?

· How Did the Values and Principles Embodied in the Constitution Shape American Institutions and Practices?

· How Have the Protections of the Bill of Rights Been Developed and Expanded?

· What Rights Does the Bill of Rights Protect?

· What Are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?

Participants will receive at no cost:

· lodging and meals

· a library of Constitutional literature

· a set of textbooks and other materials for classroom use

· various mementoes-key chains, mugs and interesting classroom resources

Participation in the institute--professional development worth more than $2000--obligates the recipient to conduct a simulated congressional hearing in his/her classroom. State and congressional district coordinators for We the People... will assist with this and other program implementation.

Graduate credit are available for a fee

FOR APPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC DATES, PLEASE CONTACT MILLIE AULBUR AT milliea@mobar.org.