National Center for Constitutional Studies

by Kyle Zook

 Much ink has been spilled in the 200 years since our Forefathers presented their magnum opus, the Constitution of the United States of America.  Much of this has been due to the seemingly inscrutable meanings of what the Founders were saying and whether after so much time it has any bearing on the United States of today.

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 The goal of the National Center for Constitutional Studies is to help restore the meanings of what our founders intended to establish with their Constitution, a document that was based on a tremendous amount of historical research and countless debates on the role of politics, not to mention a steadfast belief in the all-wise and all-knowing Creator.  NCCS was established to help students become aware of these principles that inspired the great success that is America today, lest the eroding of these principles should erode the foundations of our liberty.

 To this end, NCCS offers a number of great resources designed to help youths get interested and excited about the way our country was founded.  One of these great products is A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation, a 2-hour motion picture depicting the great events that occurred during one sweltering summer in 1787, the events that led to the first draft of the Constitution.

 A More Perfect Union is a stunning recreation of the actions of our Founding Fathers, focusing on James Madison as he attempts to rectify the great evils that are occurring due to the fact that there is no strong central government.  His great passion that the will of the people would be expressed by their proportionate representation in Congress attracts a number of great leaders of his time, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.  The film was shot at Independence Hall, which really helps to bring a sense of authenticity to the film.

 It’s much more than just a film, though.  A More Perfect Union is a perfect way for homeschooling parents to add the study of Civics to their curriculum, since the DVD has the full movie plus the movie divided into teaching segments which are integrated with a 32-page teacher’s guide. This guide is complete with reproducible sample tests and fun exercises with different activities suitable for ages K-12. There’s also a wall poster – one side has the entire Constitution and the other side the Constitution at a Glance - as well as a pocket version included for handy reference.  This course would be a great way to acquire an initial background in Civics required in GED testing.

 For the rest of the Civics course, homeschoolers may be interested in NCCS’ American Government and U.S. Constitution Study Course, Part 1.  This is the first part of a course based on The 5,000 Year Leap, a seminal work about the success formula that our Founding Fathers employed that made America the great nation it is today.  This course is intended for high school-level students, and the information they will glean will enable them to recognize good principles of government and may even inspire them to become future leaders!

 The gist of The 5,000 Year Leap is predicated on the following argument: Mankind has come quite a way in 5000 years, but it has come an even longer way in the last 200.

 In over 5,000 years, mankind had not made a whole lot of progress.  Beginning in 1607, with the founding of the colony of Jamestown and ending in 1787 with the final version of the Constitution of the United States of America, principles of freedom were established by our Founding Fathers that led to our flourishing as a nation since that time.

 In the 200 years since the Founding Fathers set down on paper these guiding principles, our country has leapt from the ox-driven cart to spaceships and astronauts treading the surface of the moon. There has been an ever-increasing expansion in available technologies in the last 200 years than was developed in the combined 5000 years of recorded history prior to 1607.

 The premise is that there are principles of the American system of government that are tried and true and can be memorized.  Memorizing these principles will enable citizens to recognize disparities in political action that differ from these successful principles our Founding Fathers espoused.  Many of the problems in government today are directly traceable to misconstructions of the original intent of the framers of the Constitution.  This book suggests that if we would but follow the successful formula of our nation’s Founders, nearly every problem we have in America today could be solved.

 When everything was finalized and Washington had been our first president for a couple of years, the efficacy of the fledgling government caused Washington to write, "The United States enjoy a scene of prosperity and tranquility under the new government that could hardly have been hoped for."  This after the first attempt at a central government which almost lost the war for America.  Obviously, the Founding Fathers had learned from their mistakes, and the resulting document has survived as the supreme law of the land with little revision during its 200-year history.

 The 5000 Year Leap is part of a complete Civics curriculum, and is accompanied with a 6 DVD lecture series conducted by NCCS president Earl Taylor, Jr., as well as a 78-page Teachers Curriculum filled with all the information you will need to help your homeschooler really understand and retain these essential principles.  For those who are interested, NCCS has the entire book, The 5000 Year Leap in mp3 format as well.  But be warned that if you embark on the American and U.S. Constitution Study Course, Part 1 – there’s a chance it may change the way you look at the world, and may well change your life.   It’s that powerful.

 There are also a number of resources for younger students as well. Take Your Hat Off When The Flag Goes By! is a musical introduction to the Constitution and is filled with great, catchy children’s songs written by Janeen Brady.  You may also be interested in the I Love America series, the Teacher’s Resource Kits for Ages 4 thru 12.  In there you will find activities for holidays that occur during the traditional school year, stories, songs, poems, cut-outs, coloring sheets, games, and so much more.

 NCCS invites you to search through their web site, which not only has the great resources listed above, but a number of free resources as well, including an online Constitutional I.Q. Test!  You can find them on the web at www.nccs.net, or by writing them at 37777 W. Juniper Rd., Malta, ID 83342.  You can also reach them toll-free at 1-800-388-4512.

 

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