Competitions & Hearings
What are Simulated Congressional Hearings?
We the People has a built-in authentic performance assessment: simulated congressional hearings. The simulated hearings allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles. Students can evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.
Students act as expert witnesses and "testify" their constitutional knowledge in the format of simulated congressional hearings. A volunteer judging panel comprised of adults from the community will hear the students present, ask follow-up questions, and offer feedback.
Hearing Questions
Hearing questions are organized by grade level, and separate questions are provided for state and national competitions. Those are updated annually.
High School
National Finals Questions (Pending)
Middle School
National Invitational Questions (Pending)
Elementary School
Navigating the We the People: Level 3 Transition
This transition guide highlights key updates from the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution (Level 3) fourth edition to the fifth edition, helping educators, decision makers, and key stakeholders understand changes in content, instructional features, and resources. It also spotlights new tools and learning supports found in the fifth edition designed to enhance teaching and student engagement with civic knowledge, constitutional principles, and inquiry-based learning.