View the recordings from this 2021 History School course, led by Kevin Cline. This content is intended for high school students.
AP US Government and Politics | History School (2021 Spring)
About the Course
The US Constitution has been the bedrock of American government since it was first conceived in 1787, but it is far from a rigid document set in a bygone era. The founders designed it to evolve with the nation, and for more than 230 years, Americans have debated and amended the Constitution’s parameters to achieve the goal of “a more perfect union.” This course focused on key aspects of the Constitution, the government it establishes, the freedoms it gives, and the questions it poses. Key topics included free speech, freedom of and from religion, voting, and cruel and unusual punishment, and how these rights, freedoms, and responsibilities have evolved since the Constitution’s drafting.
Topics Covered
- March 10, 2021: Who Are “We the People”?: Examining the Preamble and the Ratification Debate
- March 17, 2021: “Full Faith and Credit”: The Highs and Lows of Article IV
- March 24, 2021: James Madison and Freedom of Religion
- March 31, 2021: Is There Such a Thing as “Free” Speech?
- April 14, 2021: What Did the Founders Mean by “a Well-regulated Militia”?: Origins and Intent of the Second Amendment
- April 21, 2021: The “Process” in “Due Process”
- April 28, 2021: What Is “Cruel and Unusual Punishment”?: A Focus on the Eighth Amendment
- May 5, 2021: The Civil War Amendments
Class 1
Who Are “We the People”?: Examining the Preamble and the Ratification Debate
Recorded March 10, 2021
Class 2
“Full Faith and Credit”: The Highs and Lows of Article IV
Recorded March 17, 2021
Class 3
James Madison and Freedom of Religion
Recorded March 24, 2021
Class 4
Is There Such a Thing as “Free” Speech?
Recorded March 31, 2021
Class 5
What Did the Founders Mean by “a Well-regulated Militia”?: Origins and Intent of the Second Amendment
Recorded April 14, 2021
Class 6
The “Process” in “Due Process”
Recorded April 21, 2021
Class 7
What Is “Cruel and Unusual Punishment”?: A Focus on the Eighth Amendment
Recorded April 28, 2021
Class 8
The Civil War Amendments
Recorded May 5, 2021
About the Teacher
Kevin Cline teaches United States History and Government at Frankton High School in Frankton, Indiana. In 2016 he was named the National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and in 2012 he was a recipient of the American Civic Education Teaching Award from the Center for Civic Education. Mr. Cline serves as a master teacher for the Gilder Lehrman Institute and is involved with the National Center for History Education and the National History Club. Mr. Cline’s passions in teaching include fostering active citizenship and lifting up student voices.