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Law Focused Education, Inc and the State Bar of Texas Law Related Education Department, have been involved in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program since 1987.
The primary goal of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary and secondary students. The foundation of the We the People program is the classroom curriculum. It complements the regular school curriculum by providing upper elementary, middle, and high school students with an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States. The We the People textbooks are designed for a wide range of student abilities and may be used as a supplemental text or for a full semester of study. Critical thinking exercises, problem-solving activities, and cooperative learning techniques help develop intellectual and participatory skills while increasing students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy.
After studying the textbook, students take a multiple-choice test and prepare for the simulated congressional hearing. The simulated congressional hearing is a culminating activity for the We the People program. The entire class, working in cooperative teams, prepares and presents statements before a panel of community representatives who act as congressional committee members. Students then answer questions posed by the committee members. The format provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles while providing teachers with an excellent means of assessing performance.
In Texas, the We the People textbooks are correlated with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for social studies in 5th grade and 8th grade. At the high school level the curriculum is used in American History and Government Courses. If you would like to look at the TEKS Correlation for the We the People, please press the appropriate grade level or course link below:
 We The People TEKS Correlation For 5th Grade Language Arts And Reading
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We The People TEKS Correlation For 5th Grade Social Studies
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8th Grade Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
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11th Grade American History Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
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Free classroom sets are available on a limited basis in each congressional district. If you are interested in receiving more information on the program, please find out what congressional district your school is located in. If you do not know the congressional number of your school's location, please go to www.house.gov/writerep and using your school's zip code you can find out the number of your Congressional District.
Once you have the number, please press the number of your district and an email form addressed to your Congressional District Coordinator should appear. Please request the ordering information for the free set of textbooks and any additional information you may need for the program.
Classroom sets include 30 student books, a teacher's guide, and an instructional packet containing information and supplies necessary to complete the program. Additional sets may be purchased from the Center for Civic Education at a nominal cost.
Teachers at the high school level may conduct a noncompetitive hearing, but are encouraged to participate in the nationwide competitive program. High school competition begins at the congressional district level with teams from each school vying for the district championship. District winners go on to compete at a statewide hearing, and state champions travel to Washington, D.C., in the spring to represent their state in the We the People national finals. This years Texas We the People Finals will take place in Austin, Texas on January 11, 2004. For more information on the competition, please email your Congressional District Coordinator using the link listed below.
We the People Congressional District Coordinators |
