Raise your students' intellectual heartrate.
The case method has been used in higher education to promote critical thinking and decision-making skills for over 150 years. Developed at Harvard, it is now available to every high school history, government, and civics teacher in the United States — completely free.
Get Started — It's FreeThe concept of the “intellectual heart rate,” and other material presented on this site, are based on the contents of a book David Moss is currently writing on the case method.
What teachers are saying
“I have had few weeks in teaching that I enjoyed as much as doing this case. My biggest dilemma now is how many cases I want to fit into the year.”
CMI Partner Teacher
U.S. History · Philadelphia, PA | 2018
The case method
Civics as history — taught in the present tense.
The case method starts with a case: a factually rich narrative built on primary and secondary sources, centered on a pivotal decision point where historical actors faced genuine uncertainty. Students analyze the situation, weigh the evidence, take a position, and defend it through rigorous discussion — all before the outcome is revealed.
Case method instructors don't just facilitate — they engage individual students through Socratic questioning. They probe arguments, pushing back on weak reasoning and building on the strongest points. The result is neither a lecture nor a standard student discussion; it's a classroom reimagined as a practice ground for the skills of self-government.
Research confirms what teachers already sense: case method classrooms produce stronger critical thinking, deeper engagement, and greater civic commitment than comparable courses using traditional methods.
Learn about the method →How to get started
01
Apply or Register
About 5 minutes
Complete a short form to enroll in a CMI professional development program: in-person workshops require an application, while our self-paced online program has open registration.
02
Complete Professional Development
Attend a two-day workshop, or learn online at your pace
Read cases, experience case discussions, and reflect on how you’d apply the case method in your classroom. Complete several hours of preparatory work online, then attend an event in Boston, MA — or complete the entire program online at your own pace.
03
Access the Full Library
Forever
Upon completing PD, you become a CMI partner teacher with access to all 23 cases, detailed teaching materials, and ongoing one-on-one support from our team.
Our cases
22 cases spanning U.S. history, plus one case set in ancient Athens.
Use one case or many — flexible options for every course.
Origins of Democracy
The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Athenian Democracy (401 BCE)
After democracy has failed twice, can it be rebuilt to last?
Founding Era · 1787
James Madison, the 'Federal Negative,' and the Making of the U.S. Constitution
Should the new national government have the power to veto state laws?
Antebellum & Civil War · 1861
A Nation Divided: The United States and the Challenge of Secession
How should President Lincoln respond to Southern secession?
The Modern Era · 1965
Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights
On March 9, 1965, should Dr. King lead marchers across the Pettus Bridge or turn the march around?
A national community
Over 3,000 partner teachers across all 50 states.
From Title I schools to independent academies, city centers to remote rural areas, in every region of the country. The case method can work anywhere.
See our impact →3,000+
Partner teachers
2,500+
High schools
350,000+
Students reached
50 states
Plus D.C. & territories
Join the community
Ready to bring the case method to your classroom?
Join over 3,000 partner teachers. Complete a professional development program, access our full case library, and receive ongoing one-on-one support — at no cost.
