First Amendment in 21st Century America

FAIN: ES-272446-20

Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement (Philadelphia, PA 19102-3814)
Bruce Allen Murphy (Project Director: March 2020 to present)

A one-week institute for 35 K-12 teachers on the First Amendment to be held at the National Constitution Center.

One week intensive institute for k-12 teachers on the United States Constitution and the First Amendment, focusing on the delicate balance between the rights of individuals and the need to govern society and keep it safe. The institute will begin with an historical review and a conceptual discussion of the founding of the United States with an emphasis on important founding documents. The Institute will then move to a study of the issues raised by the incorporation of the First Amendment into the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause. And finally, it will examine specific issues that emerge out of the First Amendment as seen in major Supreme Court Decisions. The institute will not only explore substantive matters, but also promote the development of critical thinking and the disposition to question. Participants will then discuss how to apply the strong content in their own classrooms.