November 23, 2004

Constitution takes center stage at 'We The People … ' competition

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – About 500 K-12 students will show off their understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the rights it guarantees in a series of role-played congressional hearings.

The Purdue University College of Education's James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship will play host to the regional "We The People … The Citizen and the Constitution" competition at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday (Nov. 30) in Stewart Center. During the event, students will give presentations and answer questions about the history of the Constitution and its applications to life in the United States today.

"Learning about the Constitution helps the students not only understand what their rights are as Americans, but also where those rights came from," said Phillip J. VanFossen, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and director of the Ackerman Center. "This is a way we can help prepare students to be educated citizens for the rest of their lives."

The competition is modeled after a congressional hearing, in which the student groups make presentations on different aspects of the Constitution, including history, government organization, the Bill of Rights and current issues.

VanFossen said the 15 competing teams are made up of mostly middle school classes, but there also is an elementary school and high school competition. The winners from each category will compete at the state finals in Indianapolis in December. Regional competitions are taking place in each Indiana Congressional District. The competition in the 4th District, which cuts a swath from White County in the north to Lawrence County in the south, is co-coordinated by Judge Gregg Donat of Tippecanoe County Superior Court 4.

"All of the classes that participate use a social studies curriculum that focuses on Constitutional issues," VanFossen said. "This is a major commitment to implement, and for these teachers to go to such a length speaks volumes to their support of a civic education to their students.

"The competition is important to the students, but what is more important is that they are learning not only the rights that are inherent to the Constitution, but also the responsibilities."

And understanding both those rights and responsibilities goes a long way toward developing future generations of active and involved citizens, VanFossen said. For example, he pointed to the consistently low voter turnout among young people, and said those who understand the process behind the elections are likely to give more weight to the potential benefits.

That understanding is likely to spread.

"The students go home, and what they have learned sparks discussion with their families," VanFossen said. "What the students often discover is that their parents are misinformed, and the children actually teach them about the Constitution and the system of government that evolved from it. This sparks discussions around the dinner table, and that can only lead to a greater understanding of our constitutional republic."

The James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship was created in 1994 with a $2 million gift from James Ackerman, an Indianapolis cable television executive, and his wife, Lois. The center's mission is to bring citizenship education to schools throughout Indiana and the rest of the country.

Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu

Source: Phillip J. VanFossen, (765) 494-2367, vanfoss@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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