Online Learning Opportunities

Live Class: Civil Rights Movement

Wednesday, January 4 | 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET

In this session, students explore the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movement; the Warren Court; and landmark civil rights laws enacted by Congress—including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965—and how they have been interpreted by the Supreme Court. 

The Civil Rights Movement Featuring Hasan Kwame Jeffries

Friday, January 6 | 1 p.m. ET

In this Friday Session, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University, joins Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to explore the civil rights movement, including key figures and significant documents from that time period. Jeffries will also discuss his career as a writer and historian as well as answer questions from participants. 

MORE CIVIC LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Peer-to-Peer Scholar Exchanges

Peer-to-peer Scholar Exchanges give students the opportunity to discuss constitutional topics with a legal professional or constitutional scholar and their peers from around the country to promote deeper constitutional understanding and enhance civil discourse and discussion. Sessions are free and open to classes ranging from elementary school to college. Multiple classes can register for sessions during the 2022–2023 school year during times that work best for teachers and their students.

Sessions are scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, at times that work for teachers and their students. When at all possible, classes will be scheduled with other grade-level appropriate groups from around the country.

January topics include:

• Constitutional Conversations 
• Federalism and Separation of Powers 
• Bill of Rights 
• First Amendment: Speech 
• Fourth Amendment 
• 14th Amendment 
• The Civil Rights Movement
• First Amendment: Assembly and Petition 

Email [email protected] to learn more or register your class for a session today!

For Educators

Professional Learning Session

First Amendment: Speech and Press

Wednesday, January 18 | 6:30–8 p.m. ET

Participants will examine the historical context and the drafting of the First Amendment—focusing especially on the factors motivating America’s Founding generation. We will also examine various types of speech, including symbolic speech, hate speech, and political speech, and look at how those definitions have been applied throughout history. We will explore modern court cases that impact students’ lives directly and discuss meaningful ways to include students in the broader conversation about free speech in schools and with technology. 

More from the National Constitution Center

The Supreme Court Considers the Independent State Legislature Theory

On December 7, 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Moore v. Harper, a case out of North Carolina about the power of state courts to review election regulations set by state legislatures. At the heart of the case is the “independent state legislature” theory, an interpretation of the Constitution that would give state legislatures essentially the sole power to regulate federal elections and would restrict the involvement from state courts in reviewing those decisions. Joining us to recap the oral arguments in Moore v. Harper is Vikram Amar, dean of Illinois College of Law; and Jason Torchinsky, partner at Holtzman Vogel. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Check out What is the “Independent State Legislature Doctrine”? – Part 1 and Part 2 from March 2022 and July 2022, respectively.

Thank you for being part of our community of educators. If you have any questions, need assistance, or have feedback to share about the new website or any of these new educational offerings, we’d love to hear from you. Please email the education team at [email protected].

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