From the Primary Source website:

"How can American art be used to deepen your students' understanding of democracy in American life? Bringing together educators from across the country in conjunction with the NEH Picturing America program, Democratic Vistas will show you new ways to incorporate important works of visual art in the core humanities curriculum. Day One of the institute explores democratic values and aesthetics as a theme in American art; Day Two highlights the "art of the people" - folk and traditional art, as an expression of American creativity. The course takes advantage of Boston's unique artistic and historical resources with a downtown walking tour of civic monuments, a museum field trip (Boston's Museum of Fine Arts) and presentations by leading scholars in the field.

Following the course, participants must complete a lesson plan or school project highlighting one of the works in the Picturing America collection."

From the Primary Source website:

"How can American art be used to deepen your students' understanding of democracy in American life? Bringing together educators from across the country in conjunction with the NEH Picturing America program, Democratic Vistas will show you new ways to incorporate important works of visual art in the core humanities curriculum. Day One of the institute explores democratic values and aesthetics as a theme in American art; Day Two highlights the "art of the people" - folk and traditional art, as an expression of American creativity. The course takes advantage of Boston's unique artistic and historical resources with a downtown walking tour of civic monuments, a museum field trip (Boston's Museum of Fine Arts) and presentations by leading scholars in the field.

Following the course, participants must complete a lesson plan or school project highlighting one of the works in the Picturing America collection."

This four-week institute will use Winslow Homer's paintings as the point of departure for a voyage of discovery about maritime history in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The goal is not only to understand the period historically and culturally, but also to explore multiple source materials for discovering the past, including works of art and literature, objects, landscapes, the built environment, descendant communities and a range of historical documents in order to synthesize these various perspectives. Participants will develop cross-disciplinary lessons and teaching materials for classrooms.

The institute is an intensive, professional development program on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Participants take part in lectures and discussions on constitutional themes pertinent to the curriculum content, classroom strategies, and performance assessment. An essential component of the institute is teacher preparation and participation in a simulated congressional hearing as a culminating activity. The hearing is a model for student hearings to be held during the school year. Experienced teacher mentors assist participants in discussing the challenges of teaching civic education and preparing for the culminating hearing.

The institute is an intensive, professional development program on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Participants take part in lectures and discussions on constitutional themes pertinent to the curriculum content, classroom strategies, and performance assessment. An essential component of the institute is teacher preparation and participation in a simulated congressional hearing as a culminating activity. The hearing is a model for student hearings to be held during the school year. Experienced teacher mentors assist participants in discussing the challenges of teaching civic education and preparing for the culminating hearing.

The institute is an intensive, professional development program on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Participants take part in lectures and discussions on constitutional themes pertinent to the curriculum content, classroom strategies, and performance assessment. An essential component of the institute is teacher preparation and participation in a simulated congressional hearing as a culminating activity. The hearing is a model for student hearings to be held during the school year. Experienced teacher mentors assist participants in discussing the challenges of teaching civic education and preparing for the culminating hearing.