Law-Related Education

About We The People

We the People...The Cit­i­zen and the Con­sti­tu­tion is an in­struc­tional pro­gram for High School and Middle School students which teaches the his­tory and prin­ci­ples of the Amer­i­can con­sti­tu­tional democ­racy while enhancing students' understanding of government. Students discover the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights at the same time. The program is based on materials developed by the Center for Civic Education and is nationally acclaimed by educators. We the People is aligned to the Ohio Learning Standards for So­cial Stud­ies and Eng­lish Lan­guage Arts.

We the People has a built-in authentic performance assessment: simulated congressional hearings. The simulated hearings allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.

Format of Simulated Congressional Hearings

• Students act as expert witnesses and "testify" their constitutional knowledge in the format of simulated congressional hearings. A volunteer judging panel- comprised of constitutional scholars, attorneys, and policymakers- evaluate students' responses. 

Preparation

• A class is divided into six groups, based on the six units of the curriculum.  Each group has 3-6 students, depending on the size of the class
• Each group works collaboratively to prepare answers to all the questions for the unit.
• Students review materials in the We the People textbook and research other materials, preparing a four-minute response to the question for each unit and to get ready to answer follow up questions related to the initial question.

Hearing (10 minutes per question)

• Groups of students orally respond to questions for four minutes (notes can be used)
• The judging panel asks students follow-up questions and students respond (no notes allowed) for six minutes.
• The judging panel members assess the prepared oral presentation and the responses to the follow-up questions using a scoring rubric.

For more information and details about the We the People Program please contact Tim Kalgreen; 614-485-3515 or tkalgreen@oclre,org

Textbooks

We the Peo­ple text­books are avail­able for the el­e­men­tary, mid­dle, and high school lev­els to aid in the teach­ing of the cur­ricu­lum.  Visit store.civiced.org for the full se­lec­tion of books avail­able, in­clud­ing or­der­ing en­tire class sets of text­books.

The We the Peo­ple text­book is also avail­able in mul­ti­ple dig­i­tal for­mats, in­clud­ing an en­hanced e-book.  Visit www.civiced.org/resources/publications/ebooks to learn more.  For ad­di­tional in­for­ma­tion re­gard­ing print or e-books, con­tact the Cen­ter for Civic Ed­u­ca­tion at 818-591-9321

We the People High School 
State Competition and Invitational
2019 

Important Dates:

Registration/Roster Deadline:   Friday, December 21, 2018
Withdrawal Deadline:   Friday, January 4, 2019 (no refunds after this date)
2019 State Competition/Invitational:   Friday, February 1, 2019
Location:   Ohio Statehouse (1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215)

Cost:      

Members    $25 per class        Non-members  $70 per class 

(OCLRE membership is $30 per academic year) 

State Competition:

• Only classes rostered in the competition are eligible to be the state champion
• The state champion has the opportunity to represent Ohio at the National Finals
• In order to be eligible for the competition, schools/teams must meet rules set forth by the Center for Civic Education, including registering an entire rostered class that has studied all six units of the curriculum

State Invitational:

• Open to any group of students, including groups that have not studied all six units, are not a complete rostered class, or otherwise need accommodation
• While scores are earned, the Invitational is non-competitive and allows students the opportunity to participate without being ranked against other groups/classes
• The Invitational follows the same format and will run concurrently with the state competition

Invitational participants are not eligible to advance to the National Finals

Registration Information     

2019 Competition/invitational Registration                            
Class Roster                                                                                                  
2019 State Hearing Questions 
Agenda 
Behavior Standards Form 
Photo Release Form 

We the People State Competition/Invitational Hearing Questions

In an on-going effort to better connect We the People to Ohio students, OCLRE writes question based on the Ohio Constitution.  This effort is to bridge the Ohio state standards to learn the Ohio Constitution to the We the People program.

In conjunction with the release of the Ohio Constitution question, OCLRE is pleased to provide a lesson plan to help you teach the new question and concepts.  Regardless if you participate in the We the People program, this lesson will help you as you teach the Ohio Constitution. 

The lesson is set up as an inquiry-based lesson, using an IDM, or Inquiry Design Model, template.  Your students will be looking at an overarching, compelling question with supporting questions to help them garner information to help them answer the compelling question.  A variety of primary and secondary sources are provided as a starting point to give them information to answer the questions.  Formative tasks are built in to check their understanding along the way.  The 2019 Ohio question will be released in fall 2018 when the state questions are released.

 Testimonials

“We the People immerses the student in the content and develops critical thinking skills.” ~ Allison Papish, Strongsville High School

“This is a great experience and easy to incorporate into the curriculum.  It allows the students to show off their brains!  Parents who see the program are consistently impressed with the event and the support within the community grows.” ~ Andrea Oyer, Archbold High School

“This program allows students to get out of their comfort zone and really put forth the effort to make themselves look and sound presentable and knowledgeable about the U.S. Constitution.” Courtney Reiner, Ayersville High School

“It’s a great authentic assessment and your students will really grow through the process.” ~ Matthew Wunderle, Ravenna High School

Seeing is believing! Teachers are invited to learn more about We the People by observing the state showcase. Contact Tim Kalgreen (tkalgreen@oclre.org; 614-485-3515) for more information

We the People Middle School Showcase
2019

Important Dates: 

Registration Deadline: Friday, April 19, 2019
Withdrawal Deadline:  Friday, April 26, 2019– no refunds after this date
2017 State Showcase:  Friday, May 17, 2019
Location:  Ohio Statehouse (1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215)

Cost

Members     $25 per team            Non-members     $70 per team 
(OCLRE membership $30 per academic year)

 Registration Information  

     2019 Showcase Registration 
     Class Roster 
     2019 State Hearing Questions 
     Agenda 
     Behavior Standards Form 
     Photo Release Form 

Testimonials

“You will see your students grow both academically and personally.  My students gained a sense of school pride and comradery completing this program.”
~ Jessica Parker, Trotwood-Madison Middle School

“It’s very worthwhile and meaningful.  The program has substance and relevance.  It teaches concepts that are vital for a thriving republic.”
~ Chris Gutermuth, Sycamore Junior High School

“The conversations you will have and the topics that come up as a result are the fundamentals for teaching and what this country is all about: Knowing about our history, country, and laws are key to a civic citizenry.”
~ Phil Hammer, Sycamore Junior High School

Seeing is believing! Teachers are invited to learn more about We the People by observing the state showcase. Contact Tim Kalgreen (tkalgreen@oclre.org; 614-485-3515) for more information

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution
Cohort 3: 2017-2018 Academic Year 

The pro­gram fo­cuses on the De­c­la­ra­tion of In­de­pen­dence, U.S. Con­sti­tu­tion, and Bill of Rights, its his­to­ries, un­der­pin­nings, changes, and ap­pli­ca­tion.  

Grant funding is available to help teachers learn in-depth content and time-tested pedagogy to engage students in learning about our founding documents and their importance, historically and contemporarily. 

Participating teachers will receive:

• $500 stipend
• Classroom set of We the People textbooks (up to $680 value)
• 50+ hours of content and pedagogy professional development
• Sub reimbursement
• Travel reimbursement 

Teachers will be required to:

• Attend a minimum of 50+ hours of professional development, to include:
  • At­tend a We the Peo­ple Sum­mer In­sti­tute July 9-13, 2017 
    at In­di­ana Uni­ver­sity (mileage, lodg­ing and food pro­vided)
  • At­tend ad­di­tional pro­fes­sional de­vel­op­ment workshops in Columbus dur­ing the school year;
    October 20-21, 2017 and June 1, 2018
• Teach a minimum of 40 hours of We the People curricular instruction
• Conduct We the People culminating activity with your students at your school 
• Participate in Georgetown University research evaluation of the project by administering pre- and post-project assessments to students  

Content topics include:

• What are the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system?
• How did the Framers create the Constitution?
• How has the Constitution been changed to further the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence?
• How have the values and principles embodied in the Constitution shaped American institutions and practices?
• What rights does the Bill of Rights protect?
• What challenges might face the American constitutional democracy in the 21st century?

  The James Madison Legacy Project is a national initiative that takes part in 46 states.

Additional questions, comments, or concerns about the We The People James Madison Legacy Project can be directed to Tim Kalgreen tkalgreen@oclre.org or 614-485-3515

So what is We the People?
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is a critically acclaimed academic program, administered nationally by the Center for Civic Education and in Ohio by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE). It consists of a curriculum to teach the history, philosophies, evolution, and application of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other founding documents. The program also embeds an authentic assessment, simulated Congressional hearings, to help the students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the content.

Do you offer training so I can learn more about Moot Court, what it is, and how I have my students participate?
Yes!  You should attend our Constitution Camp in the fall.  This training will give teachers information about content, teaching strategies, and classroom applications for both our Moot Court and We the People programs.  If you’re unable to attend Constitution Camp, contact us and we can try to work out something on an individual basis.  Additionally, you can use the lessons/resources already available on our website. 

How do I get started?
We offer a professional development in the fall. If you’re unable to attend the professional development, contact us. We are happy to schedule individual assistance for you. Additionally, you can get copies of the textbooks to start learning the program. Contact the Center for Civic Education to learn more about ordering e-books or printed books.

What is a simulated Congressional hearing?
The simulated Congressional hearing is the authentic assessment that is built into the program. Students are divided into groups which correspond with the units of the textbooks. Each group prepares answers to questions based on the themes of their unit. The groups will answer the question in a four-minute oral presentation. Judges will then Q&A the students for six minutes to further gauge their understanding and comprehension of the topic. Watch as P.J. Babb, a teacher at West Carrollton High School, explains the simulated Congressional hearing and how to prepare for it. 

Do I need the textbooks to participate?
No, the textbook is not required because all research can be done using outside resources. However, all the questions students are asked in the simulated Congressional hearing are rooted in the We the People textbook. Using the textbook will make it easier to guide the students in their research.  

I don’t want to compete, but I want to give my students the opportunity to participate.  What are my options?
You have two options:
1)If you decide not to compete, you can still participate in the non-competitive invitational. This runs concurrent to the state competition and allows schools to participate without being compared to other classes. At the middle school level, the state showcase does not rank students first, second, third, etc., but instead all participants are awarded participatory awards.
2)If you can’t come to the state competition/showcase, you can still do the program in your classroom.  Need help setting that up? Contact Tim Kalgreen; tkalgreen@oclre.org for assistance.

What if I can’t teach all the units?  Can I still participate?
Absolutely. Participating in the state showcase or invitational gives teachers the flexibility to teach the units they can get to without overwhelming the students. If you are using the hearing in your classroom, you have the flexibility to adjust to fit your students’ needs.

Are there restrictions on my students or the classes that participate?
If you are participating in the High School State Competition, an entire rostered class needs to participate. If you are participating in the state invitational or showcase, there isn’t a restriction on the make-up of your participating students. It can be an after-school group, pull out group, partial class, etc.