More than 120 high school and middle school teachers from across Ohio and around the country will be at The Ohio State University in June, learning how they can bring the Declaration of Independence to life in their classrooms.
The Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at The Ohio State University is offering civics, government, and history teachers free weeklong professional development workshops starting June 8.
“It is fortunate timing that our three weeklong workshops coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,” said Professor Lee Strang, Chase Center Executive Director. “By pairing high-quality content instruction with unique experiences, the Chase Center’s workshops will expand teachers’ knowledge of and appreciation for this key text and the associated events that shaped our nation’s history.”
Visiting K-12 teachers from 26 states will participate in sessions that will include lectures from experts on the founding of America, engagement with strategies for teaching the Declaration to students, and simulation exercises on the Second Continental Congress, the gathering where representatives from the original 13 colonies debated and ultimately decided to declare independence from Great Britain.
“Each teacher will play the part of a historical figure, re-creating a modified Boston Tea Party in character, arguing that figure’s viewpoints in the Continental Congress, and ultimately signing or not signing the Declaration of Independence,” said Maureen Langlois, Senior Grants Development Specialist with the Chase Center.
Participants also will have an opportunity to learn about civics outside the classroom.
“The teachers also will have opportunities to experience our civic tradition first-hand through visits to the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Columbus Museum of Art,” Strang said.
While this year’s workshops will focus on the Declaration, the Chase Center will offer similar workshops in 2027 and 2028 focusing on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, respectively. The three years of workshops are possible thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
“One of the Salmon P. Chase Center’s major initiatives is to reinvigorate the study of civics that has been de-emphasized at the university and K-12 levels in recent decades,” said Stéphane Lavertu, Chase Center Associate Director. “The tremendous interest in these workshops by teachers from Ohio and the rest of the country indicates that educators still recognize the value of examining the foundational documents and ideas that remain vibrant to this day.”
The Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society was established to research and teach the historical ideas, traditions, and texts that have shaped the American constitutional order and society.