Bringing the Declaration of Independence to Life

The IU Center on Representative Government (CORG), in partnership with the Indiana Council for the Social Studies (ICSS), invites Indiana educators to a free, immersive, one-day professional learning workshop on the IU Bloomington campus focused on bringing the Declaration of Independence to life for students.

Led by Dr. Elizabeth R. Osborn, this exclusive session includes a guided visit to the Lilly Library to view a historic copy of the Declaration of Independence, as well as a visit to the Eskenazi Museum of Art to view a Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington. Participants will engage in collaborative lesson design that connects founding principles to today’s curriculum standards and classroom needs.

Educators will also explore CORG’s Engaging Congress digital tool and use it to help develop dynamic, classroom-ready lesson plans aligned to standards and built for strong student engagement.

What’s Included

• Cost: Free
• Honorarium: $100 to offset attendance costs (plus an additional $100 upon submission and approval of a completed lesson plan)
• Provided: Parking and lunch at the Tudor Room
• Special Experiences:

  • Lilly Library visit to see a Declaration of Independence document
  • Eskenazi Museum of Art visit to see a Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington