09/04/2026
Shikellamy Middle School - The National Constitution Center visited Mr. Specht's 8th grade American History classes this year to present a lesson about Benjamin Franklin and his 13 virtues. Students examined a primary source, Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, and identified how the Founders defined "the pursuit of Happiness." Happiness meant being good, having virtue, and having good character rather than simply feeling good.
Mr. Specht is serving as a member of the Teacher Advisory Council and a Civic Virtue Fellow for the National Constitution Center this year. Students in his classes will be piloting new lessons developed by the NCC on civic virtue and what it means to be a good citizen in the United States of America.
The National Constitution Center is a private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan institution created by Congress in 1988 to educate the public about the U.S. Constitution. The Center grew out of the bipartisan effort to commemorate the Constitution's bicentennial, an effort led by Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. It is located in Philadelphia directly across from Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution came to life.
