Educational Materials Designed for Nebraska’s K-12 Students

Online educational activities for students in kindergarten through high school are being offered by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation just in time for Constitution Day, an annual recognition of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. The online resources highlight the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

The Bar Foundation and the Nebraska Court of Appeals are encouraging teachers and parents to check out the wide variety of excellent educational resources available to celebrate Constitution Day. The resources are available free of charge at the Foundation’s website at https://www.nebarfnd.org/civics-education/19th-amendment-activities.

Chief Judge Frankie Moore of the Court of Appeals said this year’s celebration of Constitution Day is taking a new direction.

“While unable to make its annual in-person visit to a Nebraska community because of COVID-19, the Court and the Nebraska State Bar Foundation are encouraging Nebraska students in kindergarten through high school to take advantage of exciting online educational opportunities designed specifically for them,” Judge Moore said.

“We are particularly pleased to provide these rich educational offerings in 2020, which marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment not only gave women the right to vote, it also set the stage for women to pursue careers as lawyers and judges and legal scholars. The American judicial system is better for it.”

Steve Guenzel, President of the Bar Foundation, said the Foundation is proud to collaborate with the Court of Appeals to provide educational resources that highlight the importance of the 19th Amendment.

“These resources tell of the long struggles and great sacrifices that were made to ensure that women were able to cast their ballots and make their voices known, changing women’s lives forever. We are particularly proud and pleased to offer these resources in an election year and during the centennial celebration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment,” Guenzel said. “This is a rare opportunity for students of all ages to learn about the suffrage movement and the strong, courageous women who advanced its cause.”

The educational materials are designed for public and private schools as well as home schools. They are grouped in the following grade categories: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. The materials, designed for students at each grade level, include lesson plans, small group activities, recommended readings, discussion questions and infographics. Students explore such topics as the electoral college, learn about the history of the right-to-vote, debate the issue of women’s suffrage, research voter qualifications, discuss the impact of the 19th Amendment and study the lives of early suffragettes Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt.

The Nebraska State Bar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization dedicated to serving the citizens of Nebraska and the legal profession through the administration and funding of innovative programs directed at the improvement of the administration of justice. The Foundation was incorporated in 1963 as the philanthropic arm of Nebraska’s legal profession.