“We just finished the Madison case. It took 5 days and it has been the most rewarding experience so far in my 22 year career!” — CMI partner teacher in 2024
Based on the long-standing success of case-method teaching in business and other professional schools, the Case Method Institute has sought to bring case-based teaching to high schools as well. Working with several thousand teachers over recent years, the Institute has convincingly demonstrated that case-based teaching is highly effective in high school education, just as it is in professional education, helping to ensure a more exciting, relevant, and rewarding experience for both students and teachers.
In particular, teaching history, government, and civics by the case method has been shown to strengthen high school students’ academic performance, improving critical thinking, argumentation skills, and even mastery of course content. It also contributes to increasing students’ civic interest, knowledge, and engagement, presenting a unique opportunity to help reverse the broad decline in civic education in the United States.
All training, teaching materials, and ongoing support are provided entirely free of charge to participant teachers.
From the Constitutional Convention to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, each of our cases explores a key decision point in the history of American democracy.
Connect with a teacher support specialist.
Gain access to cases and other teaching materials via ShareVault.
Eleanor Cannon describes her students’ reactions to the case method.
Maureen O’Hern describes how the case method transformed her classroom.
Michael Gordon describes why he would recommend the case method to other teachers.
A Better Way to Teach HistoryOne professor is borrowing a method from Harvard Business School to engage students and inspire better decision-making skills.
Rewriting HistoryCan one HBS professor change how American history is taught in high schools?
All Hail Partisan PoliticsDavid Moss spoke with the Gazette about the book and about a new initiative to bring his case studies into dozens of high school classrooms, where they're used as an . . . interactive teaching tool.
How to Teach Civics in SchoolInspired by his years using the “case method" developed by Harvard Business School, David Moss has adapted the approach to the study of American democracy.
