Our current “crisis of democracy” has been attributed, at least in part, to an underemphasis on civics education in the nation’s classrooms. This roundtable discussion will focus on the central importance of making constitutional history an integral part of the American history curriculum. The panel will explore why Constitution-themed materials and discussions should be infused into the teaching and study of the American past – and how that can be done. The roundtable is intended to be of interest to teachers of US History, American Government, and Civics at all educational levels.

Controversies over the Constitution – debates over its intentions and interpretations; disagreements about its soaring ideals and tragic flaws – have fundamentally shaped the country’s past. Indeed, US history can be told, in large measure, as the story of the collective reading, use, and misuse of the Constitution over time, from early disputes about liberty and property to more recent quarrels over equality and dignity. Studying constitutional history sheds light on shifting answers to two defining questions of the American experience: Who was included (or not) among the Constitution’s “We the People”? And what rights were included (or not) among the Constitution’s promised “Blessings of Liberty”? The roundtable conversation will demonstrate that the Constitution, and its role in shaping key historical disputes, can be profitably explored in classrooms through focused perspectives on the nation’s constitutional legacy, targeted primary source documents, and thought-provoking discussion topics.

Roundtable members have participated in advancing the study of the Constitution in a variety of settings over many years. Several panelists have taught constitutional history at institutions ranging from law schools to grade schools. Two panelists currently coordinate constitutional education efforts for the National Constitution Center and iCivics, among the nation’s premier civics education organizations. Several roundtable members contributed to a newly published volume designed to assist teachers in examining and explaining critical “constitutional moments” that have occurred throughout American history. And the roundtable also features participants in the Educating for American Democracy: Excellence in History and Civics for All Learners (EAD) project, which in 2021 issued a widely acclaimed report and accompanying “roadmap” intended to energize and revamp civics and history curricula nationwide.

“America’s constitutional democracy requires better civic and history education,” posited the EAD report. Why that is so, and how to advance toward that goal conceptually and practically, are themes to be explored during the panel’s discussion. At a time when the US history curriculum is often front-page news and even the subject of acrimony in state legislatures, it is critically important to foster dialogue among students and teachers about the Constitution and its evolution over time.