Author photo

By Karla Pomeroy
Editor 

The U.S. Constitution: Attorneys reach out to fifth-graders

CHEYENNE — The Wyoming State Bar in partnership with the Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation announced that on March 16, Wyoming lawyers will be visiting nearly every fifth-grade classroom in the state to give a one-hour presentation about the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Amendments. The program is known as Liberty Day.

 

March 2, 2018



CHEYENNE — The Wyoming State Bar in partnership with the Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation announced that on March 16, Wyoming lawyers will be visiting nearly every fifth-grade classroom in the state to give a one-hour presentation about the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Amendments. The program is known as Liberty Day.

Founded in 1996, the Liberty Day Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), nonpartisan organization which spans the nation and is dedicated to educating all Americans, but especially the next generation, about the contents of the Constitution of the United States of America.

“We are very excited to have this program delivered in all 23 counties this year,” said Kristen Schlattmann, Liberty Day Program Chair. “I’m impressed with the great response from the lawyers in the state as well as the teachers and administrators. Education about the principles expressed in our Constitution is important, and Wyoming lawyers are proud to be a part of this outreach effort.”

Schlattmann said the program to reach out to fifth-graders about the Constitution has been going for about seven years. Why fifth grade? Because that is when students are taught about the U.S. Constitution.

She said that when it first started they had the presentations around Constitution Day, Sept. 17. However, the start of the school year did not work well with the teachers because it was near the start of the year, plus they did not go over the Constitution until after the Christmas break. The Constitution program was then moved it to Liberty Day in March. Liberty Day, she said fits in with what they are trying to do. Liberty Day is so named as it is the birthday of James Madison, considered the father of the Constitution.

Wyoming’s approximate 7,000 fifth-grade students will each receive a pocket-sized booklet containing the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Teachers will also receive lesson plan materials and access to Liberty Day’s online Teacher Resource Suite.

Locally, Schlattman said there are a number of attorneys involved with Michelle Burns as the Big Horn County coordinator, Bobbi Overfield the Hot Springs County coordinator and Marci Argeris the Washakie County coordinator.

While Liberty Day is March 16, not all presentations will be on that day. As program chair, Schlattmann asks her participating attorneys to talk to the schools and find the best date that works for them. In fact Ten Sleep School is off on March 16.

Schlattmann said, “The hope [for the program] is just to give the kids real life examples of how [the Constitution] affects them.”

She added that it is a good outreach for local attorneys to also show students what lawyers do.

“It’s a nice opportunity for outreach for us and for them to be given examples of how it works, how it is actually put to use; examples sometimes they can even relate to,” Schlattmann said.

She said attorneys are given a packet to use but they can also develop their own program.

Last year, Schlattmann had a program where students voted on candy bars. They filled out ballots, talked about their voting rights, and then she grabbed some of the ballots and threw them in the trash.

She said the students spoke up that it wasn’t fair to throw some out and that opened the discussion about why it isn’t fair and the importance of exercising your right to vote.

“It’s fun to talk to them about it,” she said.

She said the students during the presentations ask a lot of good questions. “They know more than you think. The engagement is wonderful.”

Online: http://www.libertyday.org

 
X
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/28/2024 10:11