By LAURA HAMMACK, guest columnist
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s one of my most favorite times of the year. It’s We the People time!
Once again, a team of students from our Brown County Junior High School is actively preparing for the state We the People competition. This team of extraordinary students successfully competed in the regional competition on Nov. 17 and earned a bid to the state competition on Dec. 11. Should the team win the state competition, they will represent the state of Indiana at the national competition in Washington, D.C.
In case you aren’t familiar with this program, a team of our eighth-grade students at Brown County Junior High School are led under the expert leadership of social studies teacher, Mr. Michael Potts, through a comprehensive curriculum, “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution.”
This curriculum prepares the students for competition, which involves a simulated congressional hearing. During these hearings, the students “testify” before a panel of judges who represent members of Congress. The hearings include the students demonstrating their knowledge of the United States Constitution by taking and defending positions of constitutional principle while simultaneously using historical evidence to support their conclusions. And by the way, they do this without using any notes.
The units of study for which students prepare are as follows:
Unit 1: What were the founders’ basic ideas about government?
Unit 2: What shaped the founders’ thinking about government?
Unit 3: What happened at the Philadelphia Convention?
Unit 4: How was the Constitution used to establish our government?
Unit 5: How does the Constitution protect our basic rights?
Unit 6: What are the responsibilities of citizens?
Teams of three to four students dedicated themselves to one of the units of study for competition. I can tell you, the content knowledge that our students display is nothing short of amazing. Without a doubt, the level of understanding that our students hold for the United States Constitution far surpasses my own. Check out some sample questions from this year’s upcoming state competition:
From Unit 1: The founders were concerned with how to preserve a republican form of government. According to the founders, what was republican government? What weaknesses did the founders think would lead to the failure of republican government? How did the founders think these weaknesses could be prevented? Do you think the founders’ solutions were correct? Why or why not?
From Unit 3: The framers put forth various plans to solve the problem of representation in Congress. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Virginia Plan? What were the advantages and disadvantages of the New Jersey Plan? Do you think the Great Compromise was a good solution to the problem of representation? Why or why not?
From Unit 6: Many people believe that an informed citizenry is essential if democracy is to work. Should people be required to pass periodic citizenship tests to maintain their citizenship? Why or why not? Would you favor requiring literacy tests, fairly administered, before allowing citizens to vote? Why or why not?
As you can see, the preparation that is involved for competition at this level is significant. This year’s team has been working very hard to represent our county with the distinction that it has evidenced in the past. The Brown County Junior High School We the People team boasts six state championships, two national runner-up titles and two national championships. I am confident that this team will represent us, as Mr. Potts instills, as “class acts.”
There is a lot to be proud of here, Brown County. No matter the outcome at state, we are proud to present a team of young people who are an informed, enthusiastic and passionate citizenry. And with these young people leading the way, the best is yet to come.
Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].
