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Category: Constitution

Image of the Bill of Rights

Teaching Civic Ideals Using Primary Sources: The Origin and Evolution of the Bill of Rights

Posted by: Danna Bell

Many Americans take for granted the guarantees of the Bill of Rights. However, the story and order of the initially proposed twelve amendments submitted to states for ratification offer an interesting case study for students to analyze and discuss why certain rights were included as a protection against federal encroachment upon citizens' freedom and how they apply to us today.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Encouraging Student Understanding of Negotiation and the Value of Notetaking during the 1787 Constitutional Convention

Posted by: Danna Bell

In the September 2019 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our “Sources and Strategies” article featured two pages from James Madison’s Original Notes on Debates at the Federal Constitutional Convention which described the events of Monday, June 18, 1787.

Image of James McHenry

“A Republic, If You Can Keep It”

Posted by: Danna Bell

In anticipation of Constitution Day, our "Sources and Strategies" article in the September 2016 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, suggested provoking student interest in civic responsibility with an 18th century diary entry. The featured entry was that of James McHenry, written on September 18, 1787.