Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics launch classroom lessons tied to More Perfect’s In Pursuit

More Perfect, the Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics have released new K-12 civics materials tied to In Pursuit, a 2026 project marking America’s 250th anniversary. The lessons use presidents and first ladies to teach civic virtues, leadership and self-government in classrooms nationwide.

Why it matters: - The new materials aim to make civics and U.S. history more engaging for upper elementary through high school students. - The lessons are built around civic virtues and leadership choices, which can help teachers connect historical figures to current ideas about self-government. - The resources are available now on the In Pursuit website.

What happened: - More Perfect, in partnership with the Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics, released curricular resources tied to More Perfect’s In Pursuit initiative. - The rollout comes during America’s 250th anniversary year in 2026. - The educational packages include videos and companion lesson plans for classrooms. - Each organization created five videos and lesson plans linked to specific In Pursuit essays.

The details: - In Pursuit publishes weekly essays on Substack in chronological order. - The project features essays from historians, journalists and other thought leaders on the leadership, challenges and civic character of presidents and select first ladies. - iCivics’ materials cover George Washington, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Dolley Madison. - Those lessons focus on virtues such as humility, trust and compromise. - The iCivics resources highlight Washington putting the good of the young country above his own interests, Adams relying on the judgment of others and Dolley Madison bringing people together to seek common ground. - The Bill of Rights Institute’s materials examine James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Ulysses S. Grant, Grace Coolidge and Lady Bird Johnson. - Those lessons look at Madison’s moderation during debates over the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Grant’s defense of equal rights and democratic institutions during Reconstruction, and Johnson’s work on environmental conservation and community improvement. - Contributors to In Pursuit include three former U.S. presidents, three former first ladies, the current chief justice of the Supreme Court and seven Pulitzer Prize winners. - The Bill of Rights Institute says the resources are designed to connect the American founding to self-government today. - iCivics was founded in 2009 by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. - The Bill of Rights Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on history and civics curricula. - More Perfect is a bipartisan alliance of 44 Presidential Centers, the National Archives Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Karsh Institute for Democracy at the University of Virginia and more than 100 organizations. - More Perfect says its work centers on five Democracy Goals: universal civic learning, expanding national service and volunteering, bridging divides and building trust, trusted elections and more representative and responsive governance, and access to trusted news and information. - In Pursuit is led by Colleen Shogan and co-chaired by John Bridgeland, Anita McBride and Mark Updegrove, with Andrew Mangino as vice chair.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives a broad civics project a ready-made classroom pipeline through two established education nonprofits. - The focus on presidents and first ladies suggests an effort to use familiar biographies to teach abstract civic concepts. - The announcement also fits a wider 250th-anniversary push to frame America’s founding ideals for students.

What's next: - Educators can use the videos and lesson plans immediately through the In Pursuit website. - In Pursuit will continue publishing essays weekly throughout 2026. - Additional classroom use will likely track the ongoing essay series and the release of related materials.