How many of you were aware that September 17 is Constitution
Day? As a government teacher I find
Constitution Day a fascinating topic for class discussion for several reasons:
1. 1. Most
Americans don’t even know it exists.
2. 2. Many
schools do not follow the federal law that requires students who attend a
school receiving federal funds to learn about the Constitution on Constitution
Day.
3. 3. Most
people have no idea how Constitution Day became a law which is that it was
added as an amendment to a bill to get a certain senator (who loved the
Constitution) to vote for the bill.
All of these topics bring up such excellent discussion
points for a government class:
Should we honor the Constitution with its own day once a year? If so, how?
- Does daily good citizenship do more to honor the Constitution than one special day? And what does good citizenship really look like?
- How is the balance of power determined with respect to our federal system and federal mandates?
- How are laws made?
- Should Senators and Representatives vote for a bill just because an amendment they like is added?
- And so much
more!
This year, I was able to participate in a unique
Constitution Day experience in Washington D.C.
The Civics Renewal Network gathered a teacher and student from nearly every
state in Washington D.C. for a Constitution celebration. The Annenburg Public Policy Center and Close
Up Foundation sponsored the trip and prepared an outstanding 48 hours full of
activities.
In conjunction with the
events, the Civics Renewal Network launched their new website which is a
collection of civic education resources from teachers and celebrated civic
action projects from students around the United States.
I traveled with a Bozeman High School student, Claire, who
was selected for her work on gender equality issues, voter registration
initiatives, and other civic action projects.
Constitution Day began with a trip to the Capitol Hill area
where all of the students and teachers participated in the
#PreambleChallenge. Classes from around
the country submitted videos of themselves reciting the Preamble to the
Constitution in a unique way. While
Claire and I were participating in D.C. which you can view here, some of my students in Bozeman participated as well,
which you can see here.
We then walked over to the Japanese Internment Memorial
which I found a fitting reminder that our country has not always protected our
Constitution’s ideals equally for all citizens.
I say this, not to be critical of our country, but rather to emphasize
the approach that as a society we should continually strive to learn from our
mistakes and work to improve as a country.
I was so impressed with this quote by Ronald Reagan:
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| Being interviewed by the paparazzi |
Students were then taken to the National Archives where they
were able to observe a naturalization ceremony in front of the actual
Constitution on Constitution Day, it doesn’t get much more patriotic than
that. Teachers were taken to the Newseum
where we participated in a press conference launching the Civics Renewal Network’s
new website, which you can check out here.
We then participated in a panel discussion on “Stewarding America: Institutions and Civic Life” hosted by
the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. It was an
inspiring event that reminded me of the importance of maintaining strong
support for civic education in our public school system.
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| Discussing policy with Congressman Daines |
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| Discussing gender issues with Senator Walsh |
Our afternoon was packed with appointments on Capitol
Hill. We were able to meet with
Representative Steve Daines on the steps of the House while he was between
votes as it was a busy day in the Capitol.
We also met with Montana Senator John Walsh who had a great discussion
with Claire about her work on gender equality issues. We were then able to observe a Senate
committee hearing, a first for both of us.
We wrapped up the afternoon by applying for library cards at the Library
of Congress before heading back to the Newseum for a dinner reception. During dinner we witnessed an entertaining
re-enactment of a Founding Fathers debate.
Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison debated whether or not the Bill of Rights needed to be added to the
Constitution. It was highly engaging and
a good reminder that we should not take our rights for granted. |
| The view from Speaker Boehner's balcony |
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| On Speaker Boehner's balcony |
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| Behind the scenes before entering the House floor |
After dinner, Claire and I were able to get special
permission to meet Representative Daines back at the Capitol building for a private
after-hours tour. He was so kind and patient as we explored the building and
asked a ton of questions. We were able
to sit on the floor of the House of Representatives, stand at the podiums, and
visit the Speaker of the House’s private balcony. I learned so much more about the inner
workings of the Capitol as well as the day-to-day life of a legislator-and I
thought I was busy! After nearly two
hours we headed back to our hotel, but not before getting a Capitol stairs
selfie with our awesome guide!
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| Library of Congress Main Reading Room |
Thursday morning our Civics Renewal Network program
officially ended, but we were lucky enough to schedule later flights to allow
us a bit more time in D.C. First thing in the morning, we used our new library cards and were able to explore the Main Reading room in the Library of Congress. If you have never been to the Library of Congress, it is really a must-see in Washington D.C. It is a beautiful building inside and out and the two story book alcoves in the main reading room were incredible to explore. I was able to find a book printed 202 years ago!
Following our library visit we spend some time with Senator Jon Tester, making our visits with the Montana Congressional Delegation complete. Senator Tester and Claire had a great discussion about civic action. We still had a little bit of time so we explored the International Spy Museum which was an exhilarating trip through air ducts and bugged hallways on the history of international spying.
Overall it was an exciting and thought provoking way to spend Constitution Day 2014 and I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on the importance of civic education as I witnessed democracy in action.
