HARRISBURG — First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell today helped celebrate Constitution Day by teaching a civics lesson via the Internet with elementary students from across Pennsylvania.
“Civics education is about more than just memorizing facts about the American system of government; it’s about building a deep understanding of the beliefs that structure our society and encouraging civic engagement,” said Judge Rendell. “Today’s lesson was an excellent opportunity to discuss the judicial system, its core principles, and its impact on all of our lives.”
As part of the lesson, Judge Rendell discussed the rule of law, how the Constitution reveals this concept, and how judges and attorneys use the rule of law to protect society and the individual.
Nine school districts were selected to interact with the guest teacher using video conferencing technology: the School District of Philadelphia; East Stroudsburg School District, Monroe County;
Owen J. Roberts School District, Chester County; Dover School District, York County; Central Fulton School District, Fulton County; Penncrest School District, Crawford County; McGuffey School District, Washington County; Huntingdon Area School District, Huntingdon County; and Forest Hills School District, Cambria County.
Constitution Day commemorates the day that the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution: Sept. 17, 1787. Each year on Constitution Day, any school receiving federal funds must provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution.
In conjunction with Constitution Day, Judge Rendell is touring Pennsylvania schools to promote civics education. She encouraged students, educators, and anyone interested in civic learning to follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/CivicsFirst.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us
