Advanced American Government: Bill of Rights
Study the Constitution’s first ten amendments and the evolution of their interpretation by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In this “Bill of Rights Bootcamp,” participants will develop a deep familiarity with the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Middle and high school social studies teachers taking this course will learn to better incorporate primary texts into their existing teaching methods. Readings will consist of a mixture of documents and Supreme Court opinions to illustrate to participants how the philosophical influences of American Political Thought directly impact Constitutional interpretation.
Each class meeting is designed around the context and components of the Bill of Rights. Students will engage in discussion about the assigned primary sources. There are two related final projects in this course. The first is a final paper that draws on primary and secondary courses to answer an enduring question in American politics. Second, students will use the sources in their paper to develop a lesson plan they can use in their classroom.
This synchronous course is entirely virtual and co-taught by Dr. Kimberly Hurd Hale and Dr. Drew Kurlowski, Associate Professors of Political Science at Coastal Carolina University this July.
POLI 560: Advanced American Government
- Week 1: July 13 – July 17, 9am – 11am ET
- Week 2: July 20 – July 24, 9am – 11am ET
The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026. Please direct any questions to JMC Graduate Consortium Manager, Moyra Eaton, at meaton@gojmc.org.
This course is a part of the Jack Miller Center’s Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium, which seeks to provide K-12 teachers with high-impact graduate education centered around American civics and history. Click the link below to read more about the consortium and explore other available courses.