Christine Cooke Fairbanks
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Learning about America through primary sources: Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation that prohibited discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin, and ended segregation in public places. The new law put an end to legalized…
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Learning about America through primary sources: Emancipation Proclamation
Students today are bombarded with messages about America – our history, slavery and race relations. Certainly, no student would be prepared for these widespread discussions without being aware of and studying the Emancipation Proclamation – what it did, what it…
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Learning about America through primary sources: Marbury v. Madison
Aside from the fact that Marbury v. Madison is broadly studied for its impact in establishing judicial review – making it a fundamental element in American governance – students should understand the principle it illustrates so they can identify it…
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Learning about America through primary sources: The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a civics education in and of themselves. Written with the intent to explain particulars in the Constitution, the collection of essays helps readers today understand the mechanisms found within the Constitution and the political and philosophical…
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Learning about America through primary sources: Bill of Rights
The famous Bill of Rights is simply the first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States. It is considered to be the codification of some of the most fundamental individual rights, so fundamental, in fact, that there was…
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Learning about America through primary sources: Constitution of the United States
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. This founding document – created on Sept. 17, 1787 – lays out the rules, organization and operations of our government. This is part 2…
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Civics education data: Where parents and teachers agree
New education survey data released by Sutherland Institute show that while parents may not always have a high opinion about curriculum, Utah parents have a high opinion of their kids’ teachers. Even better, parents and teacher share many opinions when…
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Civics Education in America: A brief history
Before we can know which direction a civics education renewal should take, we must understand how civics education got to its current state. That means understanding how civics education has evolved through the history of the United States.
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Civics ed must return to top of the list for school priorities
It is time to restore civics education – both the current coursework and the broader mission of our schools. The successful navigation of the next controversial or perplexing moment depends upon it.
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Learning about America through primary sources: The Declaration of Independence
This is part 1 in Sutherland’s new series highlighting primary sources from American history in the hopes of enriching civics education.