This two-page chart explains the civic virtues (and opposing vices) discussed in BRI’s
curricula, most directly in Heroes & Villains and American Portraits; and the founding principles we explore in all our resources.
Teaches core civics: principles, virtues, founding documents, branches of government,
social contract, and basic rights. It teaches the essential connections between the
Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Being an American includes supports for English language learners, tools for teaching primary source
analysis, and vocabulary building for all ages.
Teaches character through the lives of significant historical figures. Written at
a middle school level, it is easy to adapt for elementary, middle, or high school.
Offers 139 mini-biographies of significant Americans, with each story focusing on
one of the civic virtues. Written for elementary & middle school ages.
Strengthen students' critical-thinking skills as they analyze contrasting arguments
on historical themes from noted scholars. These questions are part of BRI’s comprehensive
US history resource, Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness, and are best for high-school students.
Helps teachers and parents learn more on specific topics in civics and history as
explored with scholars from around the country. Topic areas include American history,
the presidency, Black intellectuals, the American Founders, and others.
Emphasizes the rules the delegates in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 established
to debate their differences and create the Union. It demonstrates that the rules of
engagement they established built trust among the delegates and made compromise possible.
This founding story can be viewed as a model of dialogue across our differences for
American society today.
Explores the debates for an amendment concerning religion in the First Federal Congress
of 1789, which adopted the federal bill of rights. This includes the First Amendment
religion clauses, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" It concludes with an exploration of the
provisions about religion in the Utah State Constitutional Convention of 1895, which
established the strongest separation between church and state in the Union at the
time.
*Lesson plans developed in collaboration with the Quill Project at Pembroke College,
Oxford University
Fosters an understanding of religious liberty, religious literacy, and civil dialogue
through the First Amendment principles: rights, responsibility, and respect.
A library of free conversation guides on more than 160 different topics. These plug-and-play
guides are proven to foster connection while bettering listening and understanding
across differences.
Law-related education programs and curricula promote understanding and appreciation
of the law, the legal system, and inviduals' rights and responsibilities as engaged
citizens. They employ legal processes and principles to help people find practical
solutions to every day problems.
An innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of the United States
constitutional democratic republic that promotes civic competence and responsibility
among the nation’s upper elementary and secondary students.
Hundreds of document-based lessons on U.S. and world-history topics with simplified
documents prepared by researchers at the Stanford History Education Group.
Resources for inquiries following the Inquiry Design Model divided into K–4, 5–8,
and 9–12 curriculum of New York State prepared by New York teachers and researchers.
Resources produced at the University of Michigan for investigations in world geography,
ancient-world history, and U.S. history with study guides and tools to support students’
reading, thinking, and writing.
A “Teachers” tab links to resources for teaching with primary sources including study
guides, blog posts, lesson plans, media presentations, and primary source sets.
Created by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University
with introductory material on historical thinking and links to teaching materials
for teaching with documents, artifacts, photographs, etc.
Produced by University of California at Berkeley, “teacher resource” tab links to
CHSSP lessons organized by elementary, middle school, and high school grade level,
with many primary source lessons.
Produced by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University,
includes materials for 4 inquiries: Spanish– American War, Scopes Trial, Social Security,
Rosa Parks.
Produced by the National Humanities Center this site includes collections with scores
of texts related to US history themes, with framing questions, resources, and reading
guides.
Produced by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University,
primary source activities on Rosa Parks, the End of the Cold War, Sarah Green Probate
Record (a plantation owner), and Westward Expansion, with one or two carefully selected
primary sources and guides for teaching them.
Created by Canadian researchers, this site includes primary source sets associated
with Canadian History (including the French and Indian War, the War of 1812), study
guides, and other resources for promoting historical thinking.
Produced by the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, it includes collections of
primary sources and important American documents related to general themes (Revolutionary
War) in US History with introductions
Produced by the National Gallery of Art, this resource includes collections of images
with lesson ideas on 15 general topics in US history.
World History Commons
Produced by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University
this site is an open educational resource with 1,700 annotated primary sources related
to world history organized into short or long teaching models
Produced by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University
this site provides links to a number of other sites with resources on teaching about
children, women, and other topics in world history.
