We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution (High School)

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is a nationally acclaimed program focusing on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights for upper elementary, middle, and high school students. The We the People curriculum not only enhances students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy, it also helps them to identify the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Critical thinking exercises, problem-solving activities, and cooperative learning techniques help develop participatory skills necessary for students to become active, responsible citizens. The program's culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing wherein students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge while they evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. The hearings, whether competitive or noncompetitive, provide the classroom teacher with an excellent means of motivating and assessing student performance. The results of a nationwide research study affirmed that students in history, social studies, civics, and government courses using the We the People curriculum display significantly greater "political tolerance" and commitment to principles and values of the Constitution and Bill of Rights than do students using traditional textbooks and approaches. The We the People curriculum is aligned with the National Standards for Civics and Government and correlates with the social studies standards of many states.