TRAR Survey for VA & US History

The Real American Revolution

The purpose of this survey is to learn from classroom educators what would help them lay a strong, accurate, and lasting foundation of knowledge and interest in the founding history and civic principles of the nation while also helping students develop the skills, knowledge, and desire to become good citizens.

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Name

School

School District

Please select all subjects you teach or have taught at the high school level in the past 5 years.
Choose All That Apply

US History
US and VA History
US Government
US and VA Government
Civics

How many years have you taught any of these subjects?

How many, if any, teaching days do you teach any parts of the historical period that begins after the French and Indian War (1763), goes through the Revolutionary War, the New Nation, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, ending about 1812?

If you do cover this period, when (which weeks/months) during the year do you cover it?

How many teaching days do you teach the Constitution in historical context?

How many teaching days do you teach the Bill of Rights in historical context?

How many days do you teach the remaining 17 amendments?

Do you teach the remaining 17 amendments in their historical context?
Choose One

Yes No

How many days do you teach the organization of US government?

Do you teach the organization in historical context (the events and influences that led to this organization of government)?
Choose One

Yes No

How many days do you teach the powers and limits of each branch of federal government?

Do you teach state government?

Do you teach federal vs. state jurisdiction?*
Choose One

Yes No

*If so, is it taught in historical context?
Choose One

Yes No

Would it help you teach government and civics more effectively if accurate and illustrative historical stories behind each many aspects of government and civics were available to you?
Choose One

Yes No

Would it help you teach modern US history more effectively if students had access online to a brief, accurate, cohesive linear, illustrated review (told as a brief, well-illustrated narrative) of the American Revolution, founding of the country, Constitution, and government?
Choose One

Yes No

How much time could you afford to allot to the review counting both in class and homework?

What would help you teach government or civics?
Choose All That Apply

Your students could participate in a 40-minute interactive, dramatic, multi-media experience that makes clear how and why the big ideas about personal rights and the duties and functions of self-government swept through the American colonies and into the foundation of US government.
You had lessons in which students actively use principle-based reasoning and principles of self-governance to make decisions, debate elements of the Constitution, and formulate their own laws.
Your students could have access to online interactive activities designed to teach and develop skills of good citizenship.
Your students could view short online videos or PowerPoint presentations that explain aspects of the Constitution, or amendments.
Your students could be visited by or watch online videos of history reenactors representing people from various walks of life who present various relevant topics from the point of view of the historic person they represent.
Your students could have access to live or video presentations.

If your students had access to a live or video presentation, which of the following topics would be valuable to your teaching objectives?
Choose All That Apply

Individual Amendments- Stories behind the amendment, and rights protected, limits on those rights,
Supreme Court role
Constitutional Convention
Federalist versus Anti-Federalist issues
Representation issues from perspective of states with large populations versus states with small populations
What other topics would you suggest?

If your students could be visited by or watch online videos of history reenactors, what is the ideal maximum length of each program?

If your students could be visited by or watch online videos of history reenactors, would it help to have introductory and after-event materials for each?
Choose One

Yes No

In a live or video visit with a historical figure played by a character actor discussing and/or demonstrating a specific topic such as the topics listed above, which historical figures would be helpful?
Choose All That Apply

George Mason
John Adams
Past President Washington
Abigail Adams
Governor Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
John Jay

Which of the following types of teacher training would you use, if it were available?
Choose One

Zoom live training and Q&A series, held during the last hour of the workday over several days. On-demand, online, segmented by topic, educator training series on aspects of the Constitution, amendments, or government, many from a historic perspective. These lessons could be accessed at the viewer's convenience as many times as desired.

If you had access to on-demand, online, segments, what would the ideal maximum length of each segment be?

Examples of historic period presentations for teachers that you could access follow. These could be viewed online, taking advantage of all the visual material Power Point makes possible, or simply listened to, accessible as a podcast. Please select those that you would be interested in viewing or listening to.
Choose All That Apply

Orientation Overview of all 26 years of the American Revolution through Constitution era, 1763-1789
Foundational civic principles in the Founding Documents
Worldviews of the members of the Constitutional Convention
Impact of French aid and military on Americans
Impact of America on French soldiers who served here and France
George Mason and his key contributions
Summaries of each of the 27 amendments
Influence of the American Enlightenment on Foundational civic principles
Alexander Hamilton
Banastre Tarleton, British Cavalry Leader
Comte de Rochambeau, Commander of French forces in America
Comte de Grasse, French Admiral
French Aid during the American Revolution
General George Washington, Commander of American Continental forces
General Henry Knox, Commander of Continental Artillery
John Graves Simcoe, British Commander of Queen's Rangers
Lord Cornwallis, British Commander in the Southern Campaigns
General Lafayette, French General who assisted the American cause
Native American Involvement in the American Revolution
Patrick Henry, Voice of the Revolution
Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution
Spanish Involvement in the Revolutionary War
Thomas Jefferson, Primary Author of Declaration of Independence
Virginia's Role in the American Revolution
Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
Women Leaders and Heroines of the Revolution
Yorktown and French Aid
Constitutional Convention

Would you be more likely to use an online training series if you were to receive continuing education credits for doing so?
Choose One

Yes No

How many field trips do your students take per year?

What would an ideal field trip about the Constitution, Revolution, or founding period include?

Would you be more likely to select a history, government, or civics-oriented field trip if it also relates to important teaching objectives in additional subjects such as Science, Art, Technology, and Language Arts?
Choose One

Yes No

If you were able to take your students on a field trip relating to the Constitution, the foundational civic ideas, or history of the Revolution or founding period, assuming both the program and guides at each site are outstanding, which of the following sites would be most desirable?
Choose All That Apply

Constitution Center, Philadelphia
Gunston Hall, Home of George Mason
Monticello, Home of Thomas Jefferson
Montpelier, Home of James Madison
American Revolution Museum in Yorktown (State museum, Virginia)
Colonial National Historic Park (Yorktown Battlefield)
Mount Vernon, Home of George Washington
Museum of the American Revolution (National museum, Philadelphia)
Scotchtown, Home of Patrick Henry
St. John's Church, Richmond, Site of Patrick Henry's famous speech
Colonial Williamsburg
Hampton Roads Naval Museum for the Battle of the Capes games
Berkeley Plantation, Home of Harrison Family
Highland, Home of James Monroe
John Marshall House
Kenmore, Home of Mary Washington
Mariners' Museum
National Museum of the Marine Corps
National Museum of the U.S. Army
Red Hill, Last Home of Patrick Henry
Stratford Hall, Home of the Lee Family
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Virginia War Museum
Watermens Museum
Westmoreland, George Washington's Birthplace

If you have already taught in these subject areas at least one year, do most students begin in your class already possessing a strong foundation of knowledge about:
Choose All That Apply

Basic issues, events, and leaders of the Founding Period
Basic governmental organization set out in the Constitution
Rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights
Skills and duties of citizenship

Do your students possess a strong interest in knowing more about these subjects?
Choose One

Yes No

Would it help you teach what you are expected to cover if students did already have this foundation?
Choose One

Yes No

Do you currently give an ungraded, standardized pre-unit assessment of what they know?
Choose One

Yes No

Would you use a pre-unit assessment if it were available, very brief, easy to use, and helpful?
Choose One

Yes No

If you have already taught any of these subjects at least one year, do you believe that enhanced teaching methods, better materials, and training support would help you achieve the goal of laying a strong, lasting foundation of knowledge and sense of ownership of the nation, its history, government, and civic principles; as well as the skills, knowledge, and habits of good citizenship?
Choose One

Yes No

Type anything you would like to add.