NH Civics

A User's Guide to Democracy
2022-01-26
With Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy of the Civics 101 Podcast
Wednesday, January 26th, 2022
3:30-5:00 pm via Zoom
Free Professional Development for teachers grades 7-12

Join Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice of New Hampshire Public Radio’s Civics 101 Podcast as they unveil their new book, A User’s Guide to Democracy, and share how teachers can use it in the classroom. They will be joined by teachers Liz Melahn and Heather Monson, who will present on how their classes created their own user’s guides to democracy.

The first 25 teachers to register and participate fully in this PD (attend webinar and commit to creating and testing a follow up lesson) will receive a free copy of A User’s Guide to Democracy. *** Register soon to take advantage of this offer -we have only a few spots left!***

1.5 professional development hours available for attending this training with 8 hours, $75 stipend, and free copy of A User’s Guide to Democracy (available to first 25 who register) offered for full participation —pre-reading if assigned, participation in webinar, follow up lesson tested in your classroom and submitted to NH Civics by July 1, 2022.

Presenter Biographies

Nick Capodice
Nick has been the co-host and Education Outreach Producer for Civics 101 since 2018, where he creates episodes and works with teachers across the country to design lesson plans to pair with the show. He has presented to schools across the country on how to make podcasts in the classroom.

Before that he worked in the Education Department at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, focusing on content creation and storytelling in a digital age. In his spare time he picks apples and plays country harmonica, board games and trivia.

Hannah McCarthy
Hannah has been co-host of Civics 101 since 2018. Prior to that she worked as a producer and reporter at New Hampshire Public Radio, concentrating on goings on at the State House and understanding the primer-level basics of New Hampshire’s state government.

Prior to her career at NHPR, Hannah worked as a reporter and actor in Brooklyn, NY. In another life she would’ve spent her days studying analytic philosophy and manages to sneak it into a Civics 101 episode whenever possible.

Liz Melahn
Learning has always been (and will continue to be!) a vital part of Liz’ life; she began to fall in love with the study of history and government at a young age. Liz earned a BA in History from Colorado State University and has been teaching social studies at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School in Fort Collins,CO since 2010. In May of 2020, Liz completed her MA in American History through the Gilder Lehrman program at Pace University. At Polaris, she teaches US History and American Government each year along with various rotating additional social studies courses including We the People, World Geography, American Sports History, National Parks.

Liz believes that the classroom should be a safe and welcoming place for students to ask questions and seek answers, collaborate with teachers and peers, practice unconventional and imaginative thinking, grow as citizens and leaders, and develop meaningful analytical and communication skills that will serve them for the rest of their life. Her favorite part about teaching is seeing students light up when they understand concepts, make connections, develop new lines of inquiry, create work they are proud of, and discover their own love of learning. When not in the classroom, Liz can most likely be found at the ballpark cheering on the Rockies, traversing trails on her mountain bike, protecting her garden from Colorado’s ever-changing weather, exploring the world, or spending time with her partner, Scott and their dog, Chauncey.

William W. Treat Lecture Series 4: A Conversation with General James Mattis: What is the Role of the Military in a Democracy?
2021-12-21
FREE Event for the General Public
Thursday, December 2, 1-2:30 pm ET
What is the role of the military in a democracy? What does it mean when an officer takes the Oath to preserve, protect, support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic?
Join former Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis , retired War College professor Dr. Janet Breslin-Smith , military veterans, NH ROTC candidates, and high school youth in this civil and nonpartisan conversation.

This William W. Treat Lecture is presented in partnership with:
The Warren B. Rudman Center at the
UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law and New Hampshire PBS.

With additional partnership from the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, Citizens Count, and the New Hampshire Supreme Court Society

The William W. Treat Lecture Series is made possible with support from the New Hampshire Humanities , in partnership wit h the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org .

The Treat Lecture Series honors Judge Treat’s legacy of bridging political and other divides to improve discussions central to democratic society.

Presenter Biographies

Dr. Janet Breslin-Smith
Dr. Janet Breslin-Smith draws on her 40-year career in public service at the local, national, and international arenas. Over her career she had leadership roles in the United States Senate, the National War College, and in Saudi Arabia.
She has written and lectured on the Constitution, legislative strategy, strategy and culture, democracy and governance, and military family issues. Her article, “The Struggle to Erase Saudi Extremism” appeared in November 2015 in the New York Times . She is the co-author of The National War College: A History of Strategic Thinking in Peace and War. She was featured in a recent article on friendship and political difference in the Christian Science Monitor.
Dr. Breslin-Smith, a Professor of National Security Strategy for 14 years at the National War College in Washington, DC, was the first woman to Chair the Department of National Security Strategy. Prior to her academic career, she served for over 17 years in the United State Senate. She was Legislative Director for Senator Patrick J. Leahy and Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Dr. Breslin-Smith is the Historian of the National War College, and Member of the Board of the National War College Alumni Association. She is currently working on the Commemoration of the College’s 75th Anniversary.

General James Mattis
Jim Mattis was raised in Southeastern Washington and graduated from Central Washington State College.
He served over 40 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer, plus duty in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and as Commander of U.S. Central Command comprised of 250,000 U.S. and allied troops in combat across the Middle East and South Asia.
Retiring in 2013, he was a Davies Family Scholar at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Subsequently he served as the 26th Secretary of Defense from January 2017 through December 2018.
Contact: Amanda Pawlik – amanda.pawlik@nhcivics.org
See all events

Teaching Democracy: Reflective Patriotism: grades 7-12
2021-10-27
Teaching Democracy: Reflective Patriotism: grades 7-12

FREE Professional Development Opportunity
Wednesday, October 27th, via Zoom from 4-6 pm.
2 Professional Development Hours Available
The first 25 teachers to register will receive a free copy of Halvorsen’s book, Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0: Ethical Issues in American History.
Dr. Anne-Lise Halvorsen, Dr. Jane Lo, and Al Wood of Michigan State University provide best practices to teach reflective patriotism, considering this time of political and social division. With examples from civics and history, Lo, Wood, and Halvorsen will share research-based and field-tested practical strategies for deep discourse and rigorous content while navigating our current polarized environment. Inquiry methodology and the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap will be referenced, as well as Halvorsen’s co-authored book, Reasoning with Democratic Values 2.0: Ethical Issues in American History.

Listen to Dr. Halvorsen on the podcast Visions of Education.

2 Professional Development Hours Available (with 8 hours and $75 stipend offered for full participation —pre-reading if assigned, participation in webinar, follow up lesson tested in your classroom and submitted to NH Civics by May 1, 2022.)

Presenter Bios
Dr. Anne-Lise Halvorsen

Dr. Anne-Lise Halvorsen is an associate professor of teacher education specializing in social studies education. Her scholarship includes research on the history of education, social studies teaching and learning in urban contexts, the integration of social studies and other subject areas, teacher preparation in social studies, and curriculum policy. Her current work focuses on the history of elementary social studies education, project-based learning, lesson study, and historical thinking.
Dr. Jane C. Lo

Dr. Jane C. Lo is an assistant professor of teacher education at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on civic education broadly. Specifically, she is interested in the political engagement of youth, social studies curriculum development and the inequalities that exist within traditional civic education. Her methodological expertise includes mixed-methods designs and design-based implementation research. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in social studies methods. Her most recent work can be found in Multiple Perspectives and Democracy & Education. Prior to becoming a teacher educator, she taught government, economics and Chinese in Austin, Texas.
Al Wood

Al Wood is a doctoral student in curriculum, instruction, and teacher education at Michigan State University. Prior to joining MSU, he taught most content areas of middle and high school social studies for nine years in rural Northern Arizona, including three years on the Navajo Nation. His main goal as a researcher is to increase awareness of the unique challenges faced by social studies teachers in rural communities. He is particularly interested in exploring how rural students can feel engaged in the political process and receptive to social justice pedagogies.
Contact: Amanda Pawlik – amanda.pawlik@nhcivics.org

William W. Treat Lecture Series 3: Renewing Trust in Democracy: The Role of Courts
2021-10-21
FREE Event, Open to the General Public
Oct. 21 2021 5:30-6:30 pm
with former U.S. Solicitors General Gregory Garre and Neal Katyal
Moderated by Laura Knoy
Dartmouth College
Filene Auditorium (Room B13) in Moore Hall
3 Maynard St., Hanover, NH
This event will also be livestreamed from Dartmouth College. A link will be emailed the day before the event.
What is the role of the courts, in particular the U.S. Supreme Court, at this fraught juncture in our nation’s politics and culture? What is it like to argue in front of the Supreme Court, and how does one become a Supreme Court practitioner? Join former U.S. Solicitors General Gregory Garre ’87 and Neal Katyal ‘91 in conversation about court advocacy and reform, and the landmark cases they have argued – and won – before the Supreme Court. Moderated by Laura Knoy, former host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s acclaimed call-in news show The Exchange.

he Rockefeller Center, the Warren B. Rudman Center at the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, and the New Hampshire Institute for Civics Education present: a William W. Treat Lecture.

This lecture series was made possible with support from the New Hampshire Humanities , in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org
Presenter Biographies

Gregory G. Garre ’87 served as the 44th Solicitor General of the United States from 2008 – 2009. He is currently a partner at Latham & Watkins, a private law firm in Washington, D.C., where he is Global Chair of the firm’s Supreme Court & Appellate Practice. He counsels clients on regulatory, statutory, and constitutional matters, and handles an array of complex litigation in the federal and state court systems. He has argued 46 cases before the Supreme Court. A 1987 graduate of Dartmouth College, he earned his J.D. from George Washington University Law School, and served as law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court, and to Judge Anthony J. Scirica of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Neal Katyal ’91 is the Paul and Patricia Saunders Professor of Law at Georgetown University and a partner at Hogan Lovells. He previously served as Acting Solicitor General of the United States. He has argued 44 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. At the age of 51, he has already argued more Supreme Court cases in U.S. history than has any minority attorney, recently breaking the record held by Thurgood Marshall. He was elected to the Dartmouth Board of Trustees in 2021. A 1991 graduate of Dartmouth College, he graduated from Yale Law School and clerked for Hon. Guido Calabresi on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. His work has appeared in nearly every leading scholarly law review as well as numerous op-ed pages.

Moderator: Laura Knoy
Photo by Alllegra Boverman, courtesy of NHPR.

Laura Knoy is the former host of The Exchange, New Hampshire Public Radio’s acclaimed call-in news program. As host, first executive producer, and co-founder, The Exchange became one of New Hampshire’s most recognized and respected daily news programs. In addition, Ms. Knoy has moderated and hosted numerous special events and political debates, is a frequent keynote and commencement speaker, and has received countless national and state awards and accolades. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international affairs from George Washington University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and an honorary doctorate from New England College, in recognition of 20 years bringing critical public policy conversations to the people of New Hampshire.
Contact: Amanda Pawlik – amanda.pawlik@nhcivics.org

Renewing Trust in Democracy: The Role of the News Media
2021-09-29
Featuring:
Cecilia Kang, The New York Times
Joe McQuaid, New Hampshire Union Leader
Melanie Plenda, Granite State News Collaborative
Moderated by Anna Brown, Citizens Count
﻿

Civics in the Middle: Engaging Student Voice for Inquiry to Informed Action
2021-09-14
In this interactive session, participants explored how to design curriculum to equip students to be responsible, participatory, and justice-oriented members of their community whether in the classroom or engaged in remote learning. Walk away with strategies to promote student voice for agency and advocacy.

Max Registrations: 475

In this interactive session, explore how to design curriculum to equip students to be responsible, participatory, and justice-oriented members of their community whether in the classroom or engaged in remote learning. Walk away with strategies to promote student voice for agency and advocacy.

Pre-Readings

Thermometers to Thermostats: Designing and Assessing Informed Action by Mary Ellen Daneels
Taking Informed Action to Engage Students in Civic Life by Levine and Levinson

Mary Ellen Daneels
Mary Ellen Daneels serves as the Lead Teacher mentor for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. She is a National Board-Certified teacher who has taught at West Chicago Community High School for 27 years. Mary Ellen was the Illinois recipient of the 2017 NEA Foundation Teaching with Excellence Award. She has been recognized as the Law-related Educator of the Year from the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago, Teacher of the Year by the 19th District of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Civic Education Teacher Award from the Center for Civic Education. Mary Ellen has presented on service learning, simulations, and the use of controversy in the classroom at the local, state, and national level as well as provided professional development workshops in Estonia, Angola, and Belarus. A member of the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition, Mary Ellen has advocated for civic education before federal and state lawmakers. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Council of the Social Studies and recently worked on the task force to revise Social Studies standards in the state of Illinois.

Max Registrations: 475

William W. Treat Lecture Series 2: A Polarized Country - Can Schools Help Bridge the Divide?
2021-07-21
How can schools in New Hampshire and nationally navigate polarization and inequity to help heal our country’s division? How can schools support civic participation and democracy? Join two thought leaders, Dianna Gahlsdorf Terrell of Saint Anselm College and Peter Levine of Tufts University in this interactive conversation and learn about current efforts and research.

Watch replay video.

Speaker’s Biographies:

Peter Levine
Associate Dean, Tufts University

01/18/2017 – Medford/Somerville, Mass. – Peter Levine, Associate Dean of Research at Tisch College, poses for a photo on January 18, 2017. (Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)
Peter Levine is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University’s Jonathan Tisch College of Civic Life. Trained as a moral and political philosopher, Levine conducts research and organizes professional efforts related to civic life, civic education, voting rights, public deliberation, social movements, and social capital.
Levine is author of eight books, including most recently We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: The Promise of Civic Renewal in America , and the forthcoming What Should We Do? A Theory of Civic Life. He was one of the authors of The Civic Mission of Schools (2003), The College Career and Civic Life Framework (2013) and The Educating for American Democracy Roadmap (2021).
Levine graduated from Yale with a B.A. in Philosophy and earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Oxford University. He helped to found and then led CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research of Civic Learning and Engagement. He serves on many boards including Street Law, Inc., the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, Discovering Justice, and the American Bar Association Committee for Public Education.

Dianna Gahlsdorf Terrell
PROFESSOR of education, st. anselm college, nh professional standards board

Dianna Gahlsdorf Terrell is Professor of Education at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Her research interests include civic, democratic, and socially just education; the impact of high stakes tests on curriculum, instruction and assessment, teacher education and the social and political contexts of education. She teaches courses in Curriculum and Assessment and supervises teacher interns. She was Chair of the Education Department at Saint Anselm College, and served as Chair of the NH Professional Standards Board, an advisory body to the NH Board of Education.

The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law is pleased to co-sponsor this lecture.

This lecture series was made possible with support from the New Hampshire Humanities , in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org .

Contact: Martha Madsen – martha.madsen@law.unh.edu

William W. Treat Lecture Series 1: Civic Health - Renewing Trust Among Neighbors
2021-06-23
with EveryDay Democracy’s Martha McCoy and authors of the NH Civic Health Index, Bruce Mallory and Quixada Moore-Vissing
Do you feel you matter in your community? Do you know and help your neighbors, and do they know and help you? What is the status of the strength of the fabric of communities in our state? Nationally? This interactive conversation will explore these questions and more, in the context of the recently published NH Civic Health Index and the national perspective on civic health from Martha McCoy.

Watch replay video.

Speaker’s Biographies:

Martha McCoy
EXECUTIVE Director, EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY

For 30 years Martha McCoy has been a national leader in the fields of deliberative democracy, community problem-solving, and racial justice. Under McCoy’s leadership, Everyday Democracy has developed into a national organization that excels at helping communities build their own capacity to organize diverse dialogue for problem solving. Everyday Democracy connects public dialogue to collective action and democratic governance while keeping equity and inclusion at the forefront of practices to strengthen democracy.

McCoy’s academic background is in political science, with her master’s degree and doctoral work (A.B.D., U. Conn) in thei fields of political theory and methods, international relations, and comparative politics.
Bruce Mallory
PROFESSOR EMERITUS, SENIOR ADVISOR AND CO-FOUNDER, NH LISTENS

Bruce Mallory is professor emeritus of education at UNH. At the Carsey School of Public Policy he provides leadership related to deliberative processes for citizen engagement. Co-founder and past co-director of NH Listens, a civic engagement initiative of the Carsey School, Mallory now serves as senior advisor.

A leader in NH and nationally, Mallory has served as interim director of the Carsey School, education department Chair, Graduate School Dean, and Provost and Executive Vice President at UNH. He has provided technical assistance to organizations such as the Association of American colleges and Universities, the Spencer Foundation, and Everyday Democracy. Mallory earned his doctorate from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Special Education and Community Psychology.

Quixada Moore-Vissing
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, PUBLIC AGENDA CARSEY FELLOW, NH LISTENS

Quixada Moore-Vissing is a civic engagement researcher who works with a range of national organizations including Everyday Democracy, Public Agenda, and the Deliberative Democracy Consortium. Moore-Vissing studies democracy at the local level, including how to bridge difference and strengthen communities. While at UNH, Moore-Vissing was selected for one of UNH’s highest honors for graduate students for her dissertation about education transformation and civic engagement in Pittsfield, NH. Moore-Vissing co-authored NH’s 2012 and 2019 Civic Health Indexes with Bruce Mallory.

The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law is pleased to co-sponsor this lecture.

This lecture series was made possible with support from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org .

Contact: Martha Madsen – martha.madsen@law.unh.edu

Democracy in Action in Elementary School: How to Infuse Principles of Democracy in Everyday Teaching and Learning
2020-12-31
If we want children to grow into active citizens – people who will participate in the democratic process, they need to experience the foundational principles of a democratic society in childhood. The elementary school classroom provides many opportunities to model and help children experience many core tenets of democracy in action. Featuring Mike Anderson, award-winning educator and best-selling author.
Mike Anderson has generously offered his mini course for free (coupon code: NHCIVICS2020) to NH teachers through NH Civics until December 31, 2020. Please let your colleagues know about this opportunity. If teachers don’t have time to watch and participate now (it takes between 3 and 4 hours), they can consider accessing the materials this year so they can save and participate when it works best for them at a later date.

Authentic Engagement: Community Connections in Legal Education
2020-10-27
Kate Sintros presented on teaching racial justice in a predominantly white state like NH. She shared her practices of utilizing mock trial as well as Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy in her civics and law classes. Attorney Seth Aframe described how he has supported Kate’s instruction.
Aaron Blais presented on how he teaches law using a project-based-learning approach incorporating the Innocence Project and a sentencing activity, You Be the Judge, with Judge Will Delker. He wants teachers to know that fruitful connections between the community and the classroom are plentiful and accessible no matter where you teach in NH, even or especially in the age of remote learning.

What Kind of Citizen? Educating Middle School Students for the Common Good
2020-10-13 08:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Featuring Joel Westheimer of University of Ottawa and Matthew Hicks of Shaker Road School, Concord, NH

Student Journalism: What is the Law?
2020-04-16
Student journalists are entitled to some of the First Amendment’s free speech and free press protections. Featuring Burlington High editor-in- chief and recipient of the courage in student journalism award Julia Shannon-Grillo and Michael Hiestand, Senior Legal Counsel of the Student Press Law Center.

Teaching the Election - Citizens Count & Civics 101 in the Classroom
2019-11-08 08:30 - 15:00
Featuring Citizens Count, Civics 101 and Dan Marcus of John Stark High School, Weare, NH

Dialogue About Our Deepest Differences - Facilitating Current & Controversial Issues Discussions in the Classroom & School Community
2019-10-11 08:30 - 15:00
Featuring Mary Ellen Daneels of the McCormick Foundation, IL; and NH Listens’ Bruce Mallory and Michele Holt-Shannon

Surfing in the Age of Fake News - Media Literacy and the Act of Inquiry
2018-10-05
Featuring Sam Wineberg of Stanford University and Ann Hadwen of Exeter, NH

Student Voice Summit 2018
2018-04-21
The purpose of this gathering was to connect, collaborate, and learn about the potential impact student voices, when embraced and respected by their school and communities, can have on learning, educational outcomes, and school culture.

Student Voice and School Governance
2017-03-08 08:00 - 16:00
Featuring Marc Brasof of Constitution High School and Arcadia University in PA; the Council of Hanover High School & Derek Hamilton of Pittsfield, NH

Framing Civic Learning
2017-02-23
Featuring Michelle Herczog, Ed.D., History-Social Science Consultant III for the Los Angeles County Office of Education

Civil Dialogue & Deliberation
2017-02-22

The Civic Learning Arc - Inquiry, Investigation, and Taking Informed Action
2016-12-07
Featuring Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Ph.D. and Michelle Herczog, Ed.D.

Empowering Connected Citizenship - Making Civics Count in Middle School
2016-06-23 08:30 - 2016-06-24 15:30
Featuring Val McVey, Florida Joint Center for Citizenship; Sarah Shanahan, MAT; Marek Bennett, NH-based cartoonist, musician and educator; Vicki Hebert, Youth 2 Youth; Tricia Lucas, Esq.; Richard Vassar, NH High School Mock Trial Association; Jared Bedrick, NH High School Mock Trial Association; Marieljane Bastien, Discovering Justice; Anastasia Gogol, Discovering Justice

Civic Literacy in Our Classrooms
2013-06-25
This day-long symposium for K-12 Educators brought together educators, law professors, and attorneys to explore the contours of our Constitution and discuss ways in which it can be brought into our classrooms in meaningful and engaged ways. One of the highlights of the symposium was an hour long audience participation session with Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale.

Voting Rights and the Constitution
2012-11-21
Presentation by Carol Nackenoff, Richter Professor of Political Science at Swarthmore College.

Federalism: The Constitutional Design
2012-11-21
Presentation by Calvin Massey, Daniel Webster Distinguished Professor of Law at UNH Law
