The Fifth Annual Teacher Institute of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
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Upcoming Workshops
February 14 - March 14, 2021 Asynchronous EDPD course in Teaching about Congress and the Constitution in Critical Moments of American History. Space is limited, so register early by contacting Karen Rice (email) or 304-876-5135 Cost for course is waived for the first six registrants. Registration closes on Friday, February 12, 2021. |
Institute Point of Contact:
Jody Brumage - Director of Education and Outreach, Byrd Center jbrumage@shepherd.edu or (304) 876-5648 Program Description:
The teacher institutes will train West Virginia educators to teach about Congress and the Constitution in historically significant “critical moments” of American History. Day I will center on congressional and societal debates about securing and preserving rights for Americans via workshops focusing on the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debates of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision of 1857 and the post-Civil War Reconstruction Amendments, and congressional efforts to secure Americans’ economic rights during the Great Depression through the New Deal. Day II will cover Congress’ role in shaping American foreign policy and include workshops centering on America’s emergence as a global power between the 1890s and 1920s, the Senate’s role in the international treaty-making process, and Congress’ war-making powers. |
About the Teacher Institute:The Teacher Institute was created in 2016 as a new Byrd Center initiative to provide professional development to grades 6-12 educators about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Congress' constitutional role, and the legislative process. The Institute is facilitated by the Byrd Center and presented through a partnership with Shepherd University and the Center for Legislative Archives [NARA], bringing experts in teaching about the U.S. Congress and Constitution together with educators from around West Virginia for day-long seminars exploring lesson plans and resources to implement in the classroom. Through our partnership with the Center for Legislative Archives, we are able to access a wealth of resources from our national archives and demonstrate how they can be used in the classroom to facilitate vital instruction on the core tenants of the American government. The Byrd Center's own archives help to supplement these resources and allow us to develop lesson plan guides with a West Virginia focus through the congressional collections that we preserve. Our third annual Teacher Institute went on the road, with workshops conducted in Charleston, Lewisburg, Morgantown, Shepherdstown, and Martinsburg.
The Teacher Institute is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, Shepherd University's Office of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, and the Friends of the Byrd Center. Past Institutes:2019 - Teaching about Congress and the Constitution in Four Periods of American History
2018 - Congress, U.S. Constitution, and Representative Government 2017 - Teaching about What Congress Does and How it Works 2016 - Teaching about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Representative Government |
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