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Madison Fellows
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 | | Professor Catherine Allgor at the James Madison Foundation 2013 Symposium |
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From the President, Lewis Larsen
Welcome back to the new school year. I am happy to report that the 2013 Summer Institute Fellows spent a challenging and collegial month in study, discussion, and experiential education (e.g., fieldtrips.) I know that the Summer Institute experience, regardless of when you spent the summer in Washington, DC, is something that each of you takes into the classroom whenever you teach the Constitution.
You will be able to take the Constitution into even more classrooms through our new Madison's Ambassadors program. This is an opportunity for you to visit college classrooms in your community, telling pre-service teachers about the challenges and rewards of being a Madison Fellow. You'll soon hear more from us about this program.
The state councils' initiative, E Pluribus Unum, launches next week. 42 Fellows from 25 states will be contacting you with ideas and suggestions about Fellows' activities at the state level. I hope that you will contribute and participate.
Finally, please take a few minutes to view our new videos (in the sidebar to the left.) Madison Fellows (about 3 minutes long) features Fellows speaking about the impact of the fellowship on their intellectual and professional lives. Professor Catherine Allgor's 35 minute Symposium address about Women and the Constitution raises some interesting and thought-provoking questions that you (and your students) will want to wrestle with.
Share these videos and this Madison Memo with your colleagues and potential Fellows. Please stay in touch-we always enjoy hearing from you.
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Focus on the Fellows 
Tim Moore, '99 (WI)
In 1999 the "big envelope" finally arrived. I had previous received a flattering yet disappointing letter. This mailing was different. It contained a letter, a myriad of forms, "the pin", and the binder for the Summer Institute at Georgetown. I was now a Madison Fellow.
At the time I thought this would be a tremendous opportunity not only for me personally and professionally, but also for the students who wandered in and out of my classes over the years. All that was true, but what I did not consider was the long-term impact of being selected as a Madison Fellow. I completed my degree and teaching responsibilities in short order and left the classroom after 30 years. But I did not retire, and I did not stop teaching about the Constitution.
I now serve as the Deputy Director at the Center for the Study of the American Constitution (CSAC) at UW-Madison. The Center has long been involved in researching and publishing volumes on the Ratification Period, and its resources on the American Founding are immense. My mission is to get materials on the creation and ratification of the American Constitution into the hands of teachers.
Since joining the staff, I've worked on summer institutes and scholarly conferences, and we are now writing curriculum. We recently collaborated with Fellows Brian Gunn, '93 (WI) and Shawn Healy, '01 (WI) to developing a regional program providing continuing educational opportunities for Madison Fellows in the Midwest. All this as a result of one little pin.
Let us hear what you have been up to since receiving your Fellowship. Submit a brief article (150-200 words) along with a high-resolution photo for possible inclusion in future newsletters to cgriffin@jamesmadison.com.
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 Constitution Corner
Dr. Jeffry Morrison
Eager to learn more about one of our "Forgotten" Founders? Click here to read Dr. Morrison's review of Michael C. Toth's Founding Federalist: The Life of Roger Ellsworth.
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 Teaching Tips
May Wong, '11 (WA)
I introduce my students to the Constitution by having them think about the role of the government. Students brainstorm the things they believe our government should always do and things the government should never do. After writing their thoughts on a T-chart, I ask them to highlight/circle their top three on each side. Then, they read the Constitution and try to find where those powers are either granted or retained by the people. This is a quick lesson to plan and needs no materials - other than access to the Constitution. In addition to gaining basic knowledge of what is in the document, students can also see how the Constitution is relevant in their daily lives. Finally, this is an excellent segue into discussions about the powers of the government, American's view of our government, political ideologies, political gridlock, etc.
Do you have a favorite pedagogical approach for teaching about the Constitution? Submit a brief article (150-200 words) to for possible inclusion in future newsletters cgriffin@jamesmadison.com.
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Opportunities
Click here for application information about the 2014 National History Day Normandy Institute. Previous participants have included Lynne O'Hara '03 (PA) and Stephen Johnson, '09 (VT.)
 The National Humanities Center is offering Madison Fellows FREE registration for its series of on-line seminars. The first session will be held on October 2, but Fellows will be especially interested in the October 15 session, Teaching the Constitution. Click
here for details about this special, exclusive offer
 Ken deMasi, '98 (AZ) invites Fellows to co-present with him at the Annual Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies, held November 22-24, 2013 in St. Louis, MO. He would also like you to submit lesson plans (which he will compile and distribute at the Conference.) Click here for Ken's invitation and more information.
Would you like to spend three weeks at the George Washington Library studying the life and influence of our first President? Click here for information about the Life Guard Teachers' Fellows Program. (Hannah Markwardt, '08, FL is a member of the inaugural class of Fellows.)
Visit our very own Madison website for an extensive list of professional development providers for anyone who teaches about the Constitution.
Let us know about professional opportunities that would be of interest to Fellows. We plan to include 3-4 timely notifications in each edition of the newsletter. Information can be sent to cgriffin@jamesmadison.com.
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From the Foundation
Payments: While closing out our fiscal year Sept. 15-30, no payment request forms will be processed. Any completed payment requests received by September 14 will be processed promptly; others will be processed beginning on October 1.
Applications: Do you know someone who would be a good candidate for the Fellowship? Send them to the website to get started. Or submit their names to the Madison Fellowship Nomination Program (in the Fellows Log-In section on the homepage). If you do not remember the password for accessing the Fellows Log-In section, please email Anne Marie at akanakkanatt@jamesmadison.com .
© 2013 by James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. All rights reserved.
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