We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is a civic education program for upper elementary, middle and high school students. Developed by the Center for Civic Education, We the People is the premier constitutional education program in the country. The primary goal of We the Peopleis to promote civic competence and responsibility among our students. The program helps students understand the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The foundation of the We the People program is the classroom curriculum. It complements the regular school curriculum by providing students with an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of U.S. constitutional, representative democracy. We the People meets, and exceeds, the standards established by the state of Alabama for civics education. Over that past 10 years, more than 200,000 Alabama students have used the We the People materials and over 7,400 students have participated in the We the People’s culminating activity – the mock congressional hearing.
Upon completion of the curriculum, teachers are encouraged to involve all of their students in a simulated congressional hearing, which is the hallmark culminating activity of We the People.The entire class is divided into groups and assigned a unit of study. Student groups prepare testimony responding to given questions on constitutional issues, and students showcase their knowledge by delivering an oral presentation to a panel of community volunteers serving as judges. Students and judges then follow up with a free form discussion further exploring the topic, allowing the students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles while providing teachers with authentic means of assessing their performance. Research shows that students who participate in the hearings learn more and have greater changes in knowledge, skills, and behavior. The cooperative learning and competitive components of this program also motivate students to study harder, thus learning more.
Students at all levels may choose to participate in noncompetitive hearings in their classrooms or at an Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education event. For high school students, competition begins with teams vying for the district championship. The top two teams from each congressional district advance to the Alabama state competition. State champions travel to Washington, D.C. to take part in the National Finals. Alabama has placed in the top 10 for the last five years, with two 2nd place finishes.
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COMPETITION INFORMATION
Currently district competitions are scheduled for District 5 in the Huntsville area and Districts 6 & 7 in the Birmingham area for December (exact date TBA).
Middle school showcase hearings and District 2 High School Competition is scheduled for November 29, 2011 at Troy University for District 2.
State competition will be held in February, 2012. The top two teams from each district competition will be invited to attend.
If you are interested in participating in one of the above events, or would like to see an event held in your area, please contact Kerri Williamson or call 205-726-2433.
WE THE PEOPLE RESOURCES
Simulated Congressional Hearing Resources
Correlations to Alabama Course of Study
© ACLCE 2012
