We support the
teachers who
prepare students
for
College, Career & Civic Life
Institutes • Workshops • Seminars • Conferences • Consulting
Professional
Development Catalog
What is Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago?
Teachers promote civic engagement in schools and classrooms every day.
Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) provides high quality
professional development programs for elementary, middle, and high
school teachers that are designed to meet the evolving needs of educators
in a rapidly changing civic landscape.
CRFC is nonprofit and nonpartisan and has been a national leader in
providing quality professional development to elementary, middle, and
high school teachers across the United States for 40 years. CRFC activities
and resources emphasize authentic, relevant issues involving rights, law,
and policy.
CRFC conducts workshops, day long seminars, and multi-day institutes
and sequences for schools, school districts, and networks of teachers who
are interested in developing their subject knowledge and classroom skills
in a collegial, hands-on format.
Characteristics of CRFC’s Approach
Inquiry-based
Focuses on questioning techniques and problem-solving skills Experiential
Gives students opportunities to practice the arts and habits of civic life
Content-intensive
Provides in-depth knowledge of the institutions, processes, and nuances of government and democracy
Collaborative
Encourages the use of community resource experts to enhance instruction
Nonpartisan
Presents a balanced picture and allows students to make up their own minds
Common Core State Standards
CRFC’s programs and curricula directly support the ELA/Literacy College and Career Readiness (CCR)
Anchor Standards, helping teachers establish a foundation for inquiry in social studies.
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
CRFC helped develop the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (2013) and our programs and
curricula are closely aligned to the Framework’s four Dimensions.
Dimension 1:
Dimension 2:
Dimension 3:
Dimension 4:
Developing questions and planning inquiries
Applying disciplinary concepts and tools
Evaluating sources and using evidence
Communicating conclusions and taking informed action
Workshops and One-Day Seminars
CRFC’s one-day seminars combine substantive discussion and interactive classroom lessons that
focus on key issues in American democracy.
American Government & U.S. History
“The Great Amendment”: The Fourteenth Amendment and the Transformation of
American Identity
Examines the origins, meanings, and legacies of the Fourteenth Amendment, which fundamentally
redefined the central institutions of American civic and political life after the Civil War and remains the
bulwark of American Constitutional rights today.
The Meaning of American Citizenship
Explores the de facto and de jure nature of U.S. Citizenship from the creation of the Republic through the
modern era.
Presidential Power in Wartime
Explores presidential decisions as Commander in Chief and the scope and limits of executive power
during wartime.
Creating the Constitution
Explores how past experiences shaped the scope and content of the U.S. Constitution and determined the
questions the framers were trying to answer. Explores how the treatment of slavery shaped the structure of
the U.S. Constitution and how the absence of a Bill of Rights became a formative issue in the ratification of
the U.S. Constitution and its subsequent understanding.
The Construction of American Identity, 1776-1808
Addresses examples and patterns of how colonial and later federal law affected the relations and status
of Europeans, Africans, and North American Natives through the formation of the ratification of the
Constitution of the United States and the first twenty years of the Republic.
The Constitution, Slavery, and the Law: Why Dred Scott Matters
Examines the intimate relationship between the U.S. Constitution, federal law, and the “peculiar institution”
and addresses why the decision in Scott v. Sandford (1857) remains essential for understanding American
history and the Constitution today.
The Indian Tribes and the United States Government in the 19th Century
Focuses on the evolution of the rights and status of individual Native Americans and of the various Indian
nations before and after the Civil War.
Slavery as a Legal Institution (pre-Dred Scott)
Focuses on the integral role of the law, and specifically the statutes and court decisions of the federal
government, in maintaining the institution of slavery.
The World War I Free Speech Cases
Explores the origins and development of modern free speech through the Court’s decisions in 1919:
Schenck v. United States, Frohwerk v. United States, Debs v. United States, and Abrams v. United States.
Activist Government before World War II: Child Labor and Anti-Lynching Laws
Explores two unsuccessful attempts to address pressing domestic issues as a context for defining the scope
and powers of the federal government.
Unions, Congress, and the Supreme Court during the Great Depression
Explores the legal options for organized labor before and after the National Labor Relations Act of 1935
(the Wagner Act) and the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in shaping the scope of worker actions.
Secrecy, Surveillance, and the National Security State
Introduces the emergence of the 20th century National Security and Surveillance State and the
development of federal programs to secretly monitor and, if necessary, prosecute people and organizations
deemed threats or potentially harmful to American security. Includes the origins of the modern American
security apparatus during World War I, the free speech cases of the First World War, the tension between
governmental transparency and secrecy by examining the “state secrets” privilege.
Free Speech in the McCarthy Era
Focuses on two of the leading First Amendment decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court from the era - Dennis
v. U.S. (1951) and Yates v U.S. (1957)—to illustrate how the facts and decisions of these Communist cases
marked the transition to modern First Amendment jurisprudence, how that doctrinal shift looked, and its
implications for subsequent events.
Civil Rights as a Cold War Imperative
Explores the reciprocal relationship between American racial segregation practices and U.S. foreign policy
under Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson.
“I thought it was great
that the teachers actually
did the simulations and
activities.... I had to think
critically, which means
that students will too!”
- Middle School Teacher
Civil Rights
Brown v. Board of Education and the Battle for Equal Education
What was Brown all about? What did the Court decide and not decide about schools and segregation?
How revolutionary was Brown, and how are its legacies understood today?
Free Expression in 20th Century America
Drawing on decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States involving four conflicts—World War
I, World War II, the Cold War, and Vietnam—this seminar will explore the evolution of free expression
doctrine in the United States during the 20th Century.
The Fight for Equal Voting Rights
Focusing on specific historical examples, this seminar will provide a historical overview of voting rights
in the United States—what they are, how they have been restricted, and why they matter for American
democracy.
Freedom Not to Speak: The Pledge of Allegiance cases
Explores the origins and development of First Amendment doctrine in the public schools featuring the
U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Minersville v. Gobitis (1940), West Virginia v. Barnett (1943), Elk Grove
Unified School District v. Newdow, (2004).
Immigration: Policies and Options
Addresses the facts and arguments surrounding policies and proposals for addressing undocumented
persons in the United States, including: the availability of public schools and services for undocumented
children; the creation of a guest worker program; and the status of undocumented persons currently in
the United States. Seminar focuses on the economic and law enforcement issues relating to immigration
to the United States and of the due process and equal protection rights of all persons in the United States.
Religion and the Public Schools
Focuses on fundamental Establishment and Free Exercise decisions of the Supreme Court of the United
States with respect to public schools. Seminar focuses on the roles of state actors in public schools and
student-led prayers at school-sponsored events, the teaching of alternatives to the theory of evolution,
and teaching publicly valued religious mores in the public schools.
Teaching with U.S. Supreme Court decisions: Equality in Brown and Lopez
Uses the decisions Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and San Antonio v. Rodriguez (1973) to demonstrate
different methods for approaching Supreme Court cases and different reasons for using them in the
classroom.
Using Torture on Suspected Terrorists
What is torture? Is it ever justified, and if so, under what circumstances? Between the events of September
11 and those at Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo Naval Base, Americans have been discussing
these urgent questions. This session will focus on definitions of torture, the domestic and international
obligations of the United States prior to September 11, and about options in response to acts defined as
terrorism that are committed by non-state actors.
Multi-day seminars
Teaching with Controversial Issues and Discussion
These seminars focus on the value and importance of teaching with controversial issues. Participants learn how
to select controversial issues and use them as tools for substantive classroom instruction. The seminar features
instruction and practice using different methodologies including Structured Academic Controversy, Philosophical Chairs, and Civil Conversations to help promote critical thinking and democratic citizenship among their
students.
This sustained professional development initiative is designed to
educate students in reasoned argument and respectful discourse on
controversial public issues in U.S. high schools. Building on nearly a
decade of research and design in the United States and twelve other
countries, Deliberating in a Democracy offers a proven model for
student discussion that addresses core civic outcomes and Common
Core competencies. It blends face-to-face professional development
and cohort work to support in-class student attention to current issues.
Teachers participate in a multi-day conference devoted to the
methodology of Structured Academic Controversy; repeated practice
with the model and prepared deliberations; cohort planning time as well
as interaction with other teachers; curricular fit; and troubleshooting.
“This program has made a
huge impact on my ability
to promote constructive
discussions on controversial
topics in the classroom. More
importantly, my students are
enthusiastically
engaged
during the deliberations and
eager to investigate topics
further. It has provided my
students with the opportunity
to develop skills needed to
be competitive in our global
community.”
~ High School Teacher
Annual Conference
For the last 24 years, CRFC has hosted the Annual Conference for Teachers in Civics, Law, and Government.
Held in the fall semester, this one of a kind working conference brings together teachers, professors, lawyers,
judges, civic leaders, cultural institution scholars, civic education specialists, and others to highlight best practices
for teaching young people awareness of their rights and responsibilities as engaged citizens.
Geared toward middle and high school teachers, the conference features dynamic workshops with nationally
recognized presenters on legal and political issues, interactive teaching methods, and innovative materials for
the classroom. It is an excellent opportunity for Midwestern educators to share experiences, best practices,
strategies, and curricula; and join in a broader conversation about how they can help fulfill the democratic
vision. The 25th Annual Conference will be on October 31, 2014 in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Summer Institutes
Each summer, CRFC hosts a battery of summer institutes in Chicago, Illinois for middle and high school
teachers.
Mock Trial Institute
Provides 7th and 8th grade teachers with materials and strategies to effectively carry out a mock trial in
the classroom. Weber v. Chase, CRFC’s Multimedia Jury Experience and Mock Trial Program created to help
students learn about our civil court system in a dynamic and engaging way, will be featured. Teachers who
attend the Mock Trial Institute will receive the complete Weber v. Chase Multimedia Jury Experience and Mock
Trial Program including the DVD and accompanying activities.
More Perfect Union Institute
Introduces teachers to More Perfect Union, a curriculum created for teachers who administer the U.S.
Constitution Test to their 7th or 8th grade students. The activities provided in this curriculum help prepare
students for the Test and will deepen and reinforce their knowledge of our system of government. The
dynamic lessons and strategies will show students how the Constitution applies to their lives and help them
gain the skills and attitudes necessary to become active and engaged citizens. The curriculum contains
extended response questions and a bank of alternative assessments.
Supreme Court Institutes
SUPREME COURT 101
This one-day introduction to the United States Supreme Court is designed specifically for those teachers who
have limited knowledge of the U.S. Supreme Court. Participants hear from former Supreme Court clerks
about the cert process and meet with other experts to learn about what goes on in the hallowed halls of the
U.S. Supreme Court.
SUPREME COURT UPDATE
This two-day institute is designed to promote a greater understanding of the U.S. Supreme Court and its roles
in American government. Participants meet with legal scholars, former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, and other
experts to review and discuss the implications of two decisions from the Court’s latest term.
Features & Highlights
• Learn how and why the U.S. Supreme Court hears certain cases.
• Examine decisions of the Court including the facts, constitutional questions, and precedents for
recently decided U.S. Supreme Court cases.
• Learn how judicial decisions affect state and federal public policy.
• Interact with law professors, former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, and other legal experts who will
sharetheir perspectives and demonstrate ways in which resource people can support classroom
teaching.
• Use classroom-ready lessons for teaching historical and current U.S. Supreme Court decisions from
theConstitutional Rights Foundation Chicago and otherlaw-related education leaders.
Customized In-Service Programs
CRFC provides professional development to schools and school districts throughout
the United States on a contractual basis. We will work closely with you to design a
professional development program for enhancing civic learning instruction and content
that meets your specific curricular needs.
Consulting
CRFC is a nationally trusted source for consultation on the design and implementation
of courses in law, civics, and government.
Schedule your experience
Contact CRFC to discuss professional development dates, topics, and pricing options.
Visit www.crfc.org to tell us about your
needs and receive a free quote.
“CRFC programs aren’t about
telling students WHAT to think.
They show students HOW to
think.”
~High School Teacher
Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago
Strengthening Democracy One Classroom at a Time
205 W. Randolph Street, Suite 1245 • Chicago, IL 60606-1815
312-663-9057 • fax: 312-663-4321 • [email protected] • www.crfc.org