Listen to an exclusive interview with the sister and brother team of Claire and Ralph Nader! These two longtime civic leaders and advocates for social, economic, and legal justice talk with James Damico, Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at Indiana University, about Claire’s recent book, You Are Your Own Best Teacher! Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination, and Intellect of Tweens. In this video, Claire and Ralph cover a range of topics and questions, including: Learning about your body The Commons How to wage peace What does it mean to be smart? Historical…

Although many myths have surrounded the Mayflower Compact of 1620, it made a major contribution to the American constitutional tradition by rejecting the concept of a state-sanctioned church.  

Inviting students to ponder the meaning of secure elections can launch an important discussion about public trust in election results.

The recently launched Educating for American Democracy (EAD) Roadmap reflects an awareness of how institutions, including our legal system, have shaped and defined multiple narratives of the American story.  Almost every EAD theme has a legal connection to the law, providing an effective means for student engagement. The author demonstrates how each theme might be incorporated within classrooms using a legal perspective. 

The sixtieth anniversary of Clarence Gideon’s court case, in which the Supreme Court decided that defendants in criminal proceedings should have access to a lawyer regardless of ability to pay, provides an opportune moment for an engaging lesson on the right to public defense.

The examination of compacts in the classroom offers an opportunity to explore areas of law that fall outside the most-taught legislative processes while serving as a jumping off point for discussions on federalism, state sovereignty, and separation of powers.

Exploring the federal regulation process for vaccine safety can launch a stimulating classroom debate on legal and policy issues related to vaccines.

Exploring the Commerce Clause—a constitutional device used for much more than regulation of commerce—can launch engaging classroom lessons on topics ranging from labor practices, civil rights, environmental policies, and public health.

A classroom study of the gender-neutral statute known as Title IX can spark an engaging discussion on the law’s impact.

These highlighted defamation and libel cases offer provocative entry points into classroom discussions on free speech, the free press, and the First Amendment.