Catalog

Teacher Programs

Bill of Rights Institute Professional Development Programs

For descriptions of upcoming scheduled seminars, click here.

EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMS FOR EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS!

As you are well aware, demands on your time are greater than ever before. Researching the latest teaching practices, updating lesson plans and curriculum, and creating and implementing professional development programs is a challenge for many educators.

The Bill of Rights has developed a range of customized professional development programs for individual and partnering school districts. Our programs offer:

  • Substantive academic content provided by university professors
  • Ready-to-use classroom applications tied to standards
  • Instructional materials to take back to the classroom
  • Primary source activities such as the Bill of Rights, Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Magna Carta and more!
  • Networking with other Social Studies teachers from across the nation
  • On-going professional development through e-mail newsletters and Web-based resources

All program formats feature a master teacher with pedagogical expertise and a scholar with broad knowledge of constitutional issues and key court rulings. Formats include:

  • Single presentations
  • Half day presentations
  • One or two-day seminars
  • Seminar series offered over a multi-year period
  • Weeklong institutes

Choose from these topics or PARTNER WITH US to customize a seminar to meet your teachers’ specific needs:

Don't Take Our Word For It! Click here to see what others had to say about our programs.

Origins and Arguments: Shaping the Bill of Rights

Teachers will explore the historical and philosophical roots of American liberty, the words of the Founders, the Founding documents, and current issues dealing with our constitutionally- guaranteed rights.

Being An American: Exploring the Ideals That Unite Us

Teachers will learn to apply the meaning and challenges of citizenship in the classroom by exploring the freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights, analyzing core civic values, and studying Americans who embody these values.

Media and American Democracy: Looking for Answers in an Online World

Teachers will learn the tools to help students understand freedom of the press and the essential role and responsibility of the media I a free society.

Freedom of Expression: From James Madison to the Internet

Teachers will analyze Supreme Court cases dealing with the freedoms outlined in the first Amendment, as well as the words of the Founders regarding the need to establish a government protecting free speech and free press.

The Bill of Rights in Times of Crisis

In this seminar, teachers will focus on how the government has restricted our freedoms on a number of occasions during our history and how Americans have been successful in correcting violations of civil liberties.

Landmark Supreme Court Cases in United States History

Teachers will examine cases from a selection of themes, including Guns, Personal Liberty, and Criminal Procedure, among others, that have had an impact on our rights and freedoms as wll as our country.

Founders and the Constitution: In Their Own Words

This seminar will provide teachers with the tools for teachers to help students understand the unique role the Founders played in securing our liberties and shaping American government.

Citizenship and Character: Lessons in American History

Teachers will discover the civic values embodied in our Founding documents, study the historic words and civic value examples of notable Americans, and receive tools to help students embrace these civic values as they prepare to take on the responsiblities of adult citizenship.

Faces of Freedom in American History

This seminar will provide teachers with content and techniques to help students understand the five freedoms of the First Amendment, and apply those freedoms to their daily lives and the future.

Conflict and Continuity: The Story of American Freedom

Teachers will learn about the ideas that have established foundations of freedom and explore controversial issues that are facing our nation today, helping students to understand and appreciate the significance of the First Amendment in their daily lives.