Connecticut Students Gather to Address Constitutional Questions in Constitution State
/Amidst a tumultuous time in American democracy, high school students from four local school districts are headed to Connecticut’s Old State House this Saturday, January 24, to participate in Connecticut's We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution State Finals.
The simulated Congressional Hearings will begin at 9:00 am at Connecticut’s Old State House at 800 Main Street in Hartford.
Teams representing Greenwich High School, Trumbull High School, Wilbur Cross High School (New Haven), and Staples High School (Westport) will come together in Connecticut - known as the Constitution State - to present testimony in front of a panel of judges acting as a congressional committee.
The Connecticut affiliate of We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution is run by the Connecticut Democracy Center with assistance from State Coordinator and South Windsor educator, Erin Simcik.
The program helps students learn about the United States government through classwork and independent research. The curriculum, developed by the Center for Civic Education, is an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of the United States constitutional democratic republic. Participating students have spent the fall and winter studying and researching the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
An awards ceremony, featuring author and Professor Dr. Matthew Warshauer of Central Connecticut State University, will be held at 2:30 pm at the Hartford Public Library at 500 Main Street and is open to the public.
“The breadth of knowledge showcased by participating students is truly impressive,” says Rebecca Taber, Director of Secondary Education Programs for The Connecticut Democracy Center. “We are excited to provide a platform for students to share passion for civics and competitive spirit to advance their constitutional knowledge.”
The We The People curriculum is divided into six units. Among the timely questions, in Unit 3:
In Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952), the Supreme Court declared the following test for when the president can issue an executive order: “The President’s power, if any, to issue the order must stem either from an act of Congress or from the Constitution itself.”* Do you agree or disagree with this test?
Throughout the program curriculum in their respective schools, each participating class divides into groups of six in order to explore each unit and prepare for questioning. The units of study are:
Unit 1: What Are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the American Political System?
Unit 2: How Did the Framers Create the Constitution?
Unit 3: How Has the Constitution Been Changed to Further the Ideals Contained in the Declaration of Independence?
Unit 4: How Have the Values and Principles Embodied in the Constitution Shaped American Institutions and Practices?
Unit 5: What Rights Does the Bill of Rights Protect?
Unit 6: What Challenges Might Face American Constitutional Democracy in the Twenty-first Century?
Volunteer judges for the competition include professors of political science, law students, attorneys, educators, and members of the General Assembly who are described as passionate about the U.S. Constitution and intellectual inquiry.
During the simulated hearings, volunteer judges evaluate the performance of students based on a set of criteria, including their understanding of the material, constitutional application, reasoning, ability to provide supporting evidence, responsiveness, and participation.
Another of the questions posed to the students: “It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is.” Do you agree or disagree? Who decides what the Constitution means?
Winners of the Connecticut competition will receive an invitation to the national We The People competition hosted by the Center for Civic Education in Washington, D.C., in the spring.
For more information, visit: https://ctdemocracycenter.org/our-programs/we-the-people/ or https://civiced.org/we-the-people
