Today I share with you the extensive, high school level resource from Apologia and HSLDA’s Michael Farris. Constitutional Literacy is something we are passionate about as a family. We are raising future voters! A course by the same name – designed to fit this passion – is simply an answer to prayer for my two high schoolers! We love that Constitutional Literacy is led by an authority in this area of history and government. And the course presents with the tools needed – a student workbook and a DVD series on the history, theory and application of the Constitution of the United States.
Let me tell you more…
“This course will give you the opportunity to become truly constitutionally literate thereby become the kind of citizen that is enlightened and effective and is capable of stopping the advances of tyranny and restoring the freedoms and liberties that our f0unding fathers intended for all of us to have.” ~ Michael Farris of HSLDA
We received these Constitutional Literacy resources in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and we love the benefits and blessings we are continuing to see from this high school level study. Please see our disclosure policy.
Why Constitutional Literacy?
We are learning from a constitutional authority. What a privilege to be learning directly from Michael Farris! As homeschoolers we are confident that Michael Farris of HSLDA is an authority on Constitutional Literacy. “Dr. Michael P. Farris is Chancellor of Patrick Henry College and Chairman and Counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association. As a constitutional attorney, Dr. Farris has argued before the United States Supreme Court, seven U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal and ten state supreme courts.”
“Has our nation preserved, protected and defended the Constitution of the United States?” ~ Michael Farris
Everything you need is in the course – each module has the information to study and the questions to complete.
What Are the Contents of Constitutional Literacy?
The Complete 25-Part Series with a run time of 8 hours and 2o minutes – DVD Contents:
- Episode 1: Introduction to the Constitution
- Episode 2: Article 1. Section 1
- Episode 3: Judicial Review and Original Intent
- Episode 4: The Powers of Congress
- Episode 5: Commerce and General Welfare Clauses
- Episode 6: Powers of the President
- Episode 7: Does the Bill of Rights Apply to the States?
- Episode 8: The Establishment of Religion
- Episode 9: The Free Exercise of Religion (Part 1)
- Episode 10: The Free Exercise of Religion (Part 2)
- Episode 11: Freedom of Speech and Press
- Episode 12: Freedom of Association
- Episode 13: The Second Amendment
- Episode 14: The Fourth Amendment
- Episode 15: Procedural Due Process
- Episode 16: Property Rights
“Note to parents and teachers: You may find that the issues discussed in episodes 18 and 19 in regard to abortion and homosexual rights are inappropriate for younger students. Please read and watch these episodes in advance of your students and exercise discretion in determining whether to include these episodes in your course of study.”
- Episode 17: Equal Protection
- Episode 18: Abortion “Rights”
- Episode 19: Homosexual “Rights”
- Episode 20: Parental Rights
- Episode 21: International Law
- Episode 22: Is the National Debt Unconstitutional?
- Episode 23: Was the American Revolution an UnGodly Rebellion?
- Episode 24: Was the Constitution Illegally Adopted?
- Episode 25: Reclaiming Our Country
Companion Constitutional Literacy Workbook
The accompanying Constitutional Literacy Workbook (purchase both the DVD set and workbook as a set – or separately) is designed for use with the DVD series. We read through the workbook first then have it handy as we watch the episode. We use the pause button to answer questions and the glossary to define the vocabulary terms.
Every lesson is made up of these components:
- Purpose – an overview of what you will learn in that chapter
- Parlance – the language used by a particular group
- Preamble – introduces the topic discussed
- Ponder – takes you deeper into issues covered – testing comprehension with study questions
- Payoff – summarizes the issues and arguments
- Probe – suggested for further research and discovery on your own (going beyond what the author presents and discovering on your own)
What Age is Constitutional Literacy Designed For?
What Age is Constitutional Literacy Designed For?Constitutional Literacy is designed for high school level students – grades 9th-12th. (But honestly, all our ages benefit from what the high schoolers are studying!)
What is required?
- 25 part DVD series
- Workbook
How We Use Constitutional Literacy in Our Homeschool
Because our three older children took a civics and government course last year and then traveled to Washington D.C. with Hodgepodgedad, we all gather together once a week and watch an episode.
We added spiral notebooks for each of our high schoolers. We plan to use this course again with our younger three children, so we wanted to save the workbook rather than write in it. Our middle schooler is watching the episodes with us but we are not requiring her to write down the answers or complete the vocabulary.
- My high school junior gives this course two thumbs up. “It makes me want to go back to Washington, D.C.”
- My high school sophomore is “looking forward to learning much more from Michael Farris on defending the Constitution.”
Our civics and government students in Washington D.C.!!
How We Have Expanded and Prepared for Our Constitutional Literacy Course
You might remember that last school year our eldest three children took a Civics and Government course. They went on some fantastic field trips locally. Of course these aren’t required for the Constitutional Literacy course but this experience was such a wonderful precursor to Michael Farris’ course.
Our high schoolers and middle schooler at the Georgia Supreme Court and State Capitol.
Our eldest three Hodgepodge children completed these type assignments: report on a political party sharing whether you agree or disagree with its stance; create a political campaign ad in print, video or audio form for a fellow student; research and compare another country with the United States – including studying economic factors, average life expectancy and more, choose one US or GA supreme court case and tell how it has changed the course of the nation. More detail in my Homeschool Electives for Multiple Ages.
“If we want to preserve our liberty, it is up to us to know what is going on, to know the Constitution, to know these limitation on the power of Congress and to insist that our leaders obey.” ~ Michael Farris
Where Can You Find Constitutional Literacy?
Find Constitutional Literacy on the Apologia website. There you can view a sample chapter, take a quiz to determine your constitutional literacy, sign up to stay informed about this curriculum and more.
Linking up with Finishing Strong: Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years
Homeschooling for over seventeen years now, Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos with five children. She is author of art curriculum for all ages and a series of cookbooks at Hodgepodge. She and her husband, Steve, are owners of Curriculum Choice.
-originally published 2014
Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos with five children. She has seen the fruits of home education with three grads so far! With their You ARE an artist art curriculum she, "Nana" and her family are passionate about growing a love of art. She also shares helpful homeschool habits at Hodgepodge and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are owners of The Curriculum Choice.
I would like to teach my kids about our Constitution!
We would use it to complement our trip to DC this year, to supplement what we are learning about early colonial history and the Revolutionary War.
I would love to win this! I’ll buy it at some point if I don’t win it because I want to use it as part of a government/civics class once both my kids are in high school – only two years away. {sigh}
I would use this curriculum to teach my daughter more about the Constitution before her winter trip to Washington DC.
I would so love to win this to use for my son. He loves to study anything doing with history and government. It would be such a blessing to win!!
I would use Constitutional Literacy for my high school son. It is very important to teach our children to be good citizens. I would also eventually use this for my daughter.
I would love to teach my child Constitutional history, with this.
We will be using this with the older girls. My husband and I will be joining in the learning.
I’d use it to teach myself, first.
If we don’t win this, we will buy it for election year!
This would be a wonderful resource for our whole family to use!
I would study this with my teenage daughters! I know that we would learn SO much and be more aware of the history of our country and government. I’m SO excited about this giveaway!!! xoxo
I’ve enjoyed everything that Apologia has put out, this looks great too! My kids are maybe a little young for this yet, but I would definitely add it to history as they got older.
I need to know and my husband, too; and then later, we can teach our kids. (It would also be fun to throw into a conversation)
I am hoping to use this with my high schooler, and it would be a huge blessing to win it!
I would use this with my 9th grader. I would enjoy going through this with him. It looks like a very engaging and informative course. We would love to use it!
A concerted effort to teach the rights we are guaranteed as Americans is necessary to insure that Americans know what their rights are.
I’d use it as a family government study with my ninth grader. 🙂
I really think it’s important to equip our children with the truth about our government and what it was intended to do. We are going to be doing American government next year to prepare for the next Presidential election.
I would love to be able to accurately teach the constitution to my children.
This would be such a great, foundational and thorough look at our Constitution!!
I would love to refresh my memory along with my kids as they learn this important information. Thanks!
I have two high schoolers, and a middle schooler, so I’d love to use this with them!
I would use it for myself because my kids are not yet old enough. But I would save it for them when they are older.
We love apologia, American history, & this just seems like a great next step
This looks wonderful! Loved the review!!!
So important for our kids to know and understand as Americans.
My oldest is just entering high school. This course has been on my radar to teach my kids about what our government is supposed to be.
Thanks for the great giveaway! I would love to use this for my high school boys!
I would use it to learn, learn, learn…then teach my kids in our homeschool!!!!! 🙂
It’s an important document that we all need to know more about.
I would like to learn more about it, so I can pass it on to my children and others.
This looks like a great way to teach the kids about the constitution.
Looking forward to this amazing resource for the whole family.
It is an amazing resource for the whole family! My husband and I are learning right along with our middle and high schoolers!
as part of our Am. Govt/Civics course.
I would use it for 1 credit in history for my daughter’s high school credits.
I would use Constitutional Literacy to help my children, ages 13 & 16, to learn more about our constitution. My 16 year old really wants to know more about the history of our country as she feels she was not taught very much in public school. Very exciting!
It’s a very important knowledge that we should learn to ourselves and impart it to our kids. I will be using it everyday for my two boys for our homeschooling and for myself who has an upcoming US Citizenship exam.
I’m SOOO excited to start this program with my whole family!
We’ll be using this curriculum through Apologia Academy. We’d like to have another workbook and would give the DVD to family so they could learn along with us.
I would use this as part of a Civics/Government course for my daughter. I think I’d learn a lot from it as well!
What a great curriculum! I love the video format. And that it’s for high schoolers.
This would definitely become part of our high school curriculum. I would probably enjoy it as much if not more than they do.
With the state our country is in, we could all stand to learn more about the constitution. I would use it to teach my high schooler while learning something myself too.
We would use it not only for High School History credit but also to refresh our entire family on the subject of The Constitution!
I would love to use this course with my children. I would use it to teach them everything that is not taught to children in our curriculum anymore. A lot of books now days, don’t teach these great things.
I would use it for US Government with our high school students!
I would love the opportunity to teach this subject to my 4kids! I want them to know what our nation was founded on and know and understand what the constitution says…especially because it is being twisted more and more every day! This is a very exciting prospect! Thank you Apologia for making high quality, bible and truth based curriculum. You are the best!!!! =)
I would like to use this with my high schoolers.
Awesome to win, I think every child needs to know about the Constitution! The constitution is very important to know. Seems like these days it’s gone down the drain. This is such a blessing.
I would love and appreciate this curriculum package! Thank you
This would definitely get my husband more involved with homeschooling. I could even see him taking over these lessons!
I would use this with my 11th grader as part of her government class.
I would love to add this course to my 11th grade daughters government class.
This will be used with a rising middle school student. She loves history, so I’m always looking for additional ways to feed that love.
This would be an awesome addition to our curriculum this year.
This would be awesome for my 9th grader!!
I would love to win this! The oldest of our 11 children is doing American Government this year.
Our family would love to use this curriculum.
This would be a wonderful curriculum to teach an accurate and thorough history of our Constitution. Than you for the opportunity to win such a great giveaway!
I feel the constitution is one of the most important things I teach my children about and this looks like an awesome resource! We already love the Apologia we use for science!
I would use it over the summer with all of my kids.
One of the main reasons that we homeschool is to give our children a strong understanding of the history of the world and the foundation and history of our country. I know this curriculum would be instrumental in accomplishing the goal of understanding the Constitution.
I would use the constitutional liberty curriculum with my eighth grader because my husband and I believe it is important to study the constitution. I think this curriculum and any curriculum from apologia is the perfect way to learn. Thanks for the contest!
This curriculum would be perfect for my eighth grader. Educating ourselves about the principles our nation was founded on is very important to our family.
would love this
I so need this! Thank you!!!!!!!!:)
Thanks for the give-away! Excited someday to be teaching this course to my kiddos. Oldest is in 6th grade now, so we are not quite there – but it would still be fabulous to watch the video’s!
This would be great to use this year when we learn about our Constitution!
We will use this curriculum in our homeschool classroom to help fight Common Core!!!!!
I’ve been looking for a good curriculum to teach the Constitution. this would be a blessing to our family.
My son loves history and government and we’d use this curriculum to equip him with the understanding of how alive the constitution is today.
Thank you!
I would use this as the core for our Con law course that I plan to teach my kids.
Would love to use this with the three kids left at home!
I love the history of our country and most look forward to this part of our school day! I would absolutely love to add this resource for my older kids, as well as for me to add to what I have for our younger children. We have six children who would all benefit. 🙂
I would use this to teach them about our nation, our freedoms, and our foundation as a God-fearing country.
Would love our entire family to know more about our Constitution!
I love to teach my kids about the Constitution. After hearing Mike Farris at the AFHE convention last year, we did a 6 week course on the Revolution through the Constitution (beyond what our curriculum covered), and this would be great for them when they are in High School.
Use it to learn more about the Constitution!
I would love to use this for my 8th grade son. I would also love to learn right along side him.
I am so excited for my high school son to have a better understanding of our Constitution and how it is relevant to our culture!
I would use this for my high schooler’s Govt credit
My students are in 8th grade, so they are required to take the US Constitution test to pass 8th grade. This would be an excellent resource to teach and prepare my students with!
To encourage critical thinking!
I plan on using Constitutional Literacy with my high school students to fulfill their government course, along with the Uncle Eric books.
This will be great for the whole family. It will be the government course for our high schoolers too.
Even though we are a Canadian homeschooling family, we will be purchasing this for our kids to learn about the history of democracy and how we should be protecting our freedoms in ANY country.
I have a question. We just started using this as a co-op with some friends. We are having A LOT of trouble on the very first set of probe questions. And I was surprised that the probe questions do not have answers in the answer booklet. How have you handled the Probe sections?
Hi Kori – good question! It was about four years ago that my high schoolers enjoyed this curriculum. We did ‘night school’ and watched the videos with my husband. We talked through the questions and if we had further questions, we looked up and studied the answers right then. I hope that helps some!