Aaron & Trent Toler

We are brothers who live in two different states, Florida and Oklahoma, but while
distance keeps us apart our love for history brings us together. Trent teaches U.S. History and Government at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, Florida, while Aaron teaches 8th Grade U.S. History & Government in Bethany, Oklahoma. We collaborate and discuss different
ways to teach lessons weekly and decided to put our heads together to create this lesson for the “We the Future Contest 2024.” We have worked together to create a “Constitution History
Buff Challenge” that culminates with our students entering the Constituting America “We the Future” Contest just like us! We hope you enjoy our lesson “Constitution History Buff Challenge”

Aaron Toler

Aaron Toler has been a Social Studies teacher in Oklahoma for over 19 years. During this time he has taught World History, U.S. History, Native American History, Military History, and Modern History. He has been awarded Middle School Teacher of the Year twice as well as District Teacher of the Year once. He holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Southern Nazarene University and became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2012. His philosophy in his classroom is “Make History Fun.” He uses a number of different resources to teach his students about history. He previously received an Honorable Mention for the category of his lesson “Little Jemmy is Missing.” It is an interactive escape room lesson where the students must find “Little Jemmy” a.k.a. James Madison and the missing Constitution. He and his brother Trent, teamed up to create a Constitution History Buff Challnege for their winning work. He and his brother often collaborate together on lessons, despite living in two different states.

Aaron also enjoys incorporating debates, songs, and skits to bring history to life for his students. His historical themed Valentines Day Cards were featured on “The Ellen” show to celebrate Presidents Day. You can follow him on Social Media @MakeHistoryFun

Aaron and his wife Lauren (who is also a teacher) have three children Lila, Will, and Hayes.

Trent Toler

After graduating from Southern Nazarene University with an undergraduate degree in Social Studies Education, Trent began a career that has now spanned over twenty years in education. Trent initiated his teaching at Oklahoma Christian School in Edmond, Oklahoma and is currently instructing at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, Florida. Throughout the past two decades, Trent has earned a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and has served as the Department Head in the social studies department at his respective places of employment.

In addition to teaching, Trent has coached in various athletic programs. Coaching both girls’ and boys’ basketball, he has won over 200 games. Along with a winning record, Trent has coached on basketball teams who have achieved two State Championships and one State Runner-Up placement. He was named Little All-City Coach of the Year and the Jim Thorpe All-Star Coach in Oklahoma. In recent years, Trent has ventured into coaching girls’ and boys’ bowling and throwing events in track and field. In track, he has had four State Qualifiers and one State Champion since the 2023-2024 season.

Trent has been married to his wife Erin, a fellow educator, for twenty-five years. His son, Ty, is a junior in high school who enjoys social studies and participates in track and field. Trent’s daughter, Jordan, is an eighth grader who is involved in volleyball and track and field and whose favorite school subject is history.

See their winning lesson plan outline here.

See their winning lesson plan slides here.

Our Interview With Aaron & Trent

Was this the first time you entered the contest?
Aaron: This was the third time that I entered the contest. I entered once by myself and twice with my brother.
Trent: No, I have entered once before with my brother

How did you hear about the contest?
Aaron: I heard about it when Constituting America came and spoke to my class.
Trent: My brother. He has always had great experiences with Constituting America.

What inspired your work?
Aaron: My brother and I are history teachers and we were looking for a way to try and challenge our students to learn about the Constitution in a fun way. We wanted to create something that would make learning about the Constitution fun!
Trent: My brother and I both like competition, love the Constitution, and appreciate the work that Constituting America does in teaching on the Constitution. We took all three of those ideas and turned the lesson into a challenge with different levels.

What did you learn about the U.S. Constitution while creating your entry?
Aaron: I was reminded of how important the document is to our country and how important it is that we study it and understand it!
Trent: Just a good reminder of how amazing a document the Constitution is (especially when we follow it).

How do you plan to spread the word this year to your peers about the importance of the U.S. Constitution?
Aaron: I will continue to encourage my students to read it and try to understand it better. I will also continue to encourage my fellow history teachers to participate with Constituting America because what they are doing is so valuable for our students!
Trent: I have a good group of teachers that I interact with, and we discuss the Constitution often with each other.

Which U.S. historical site would you like to visit?
Aaron: There are so many! I would go to Williamsburg every year if possible. It’s like Disney World for history lovers! You can walk around and talk to George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Marquis de Lafayette among others. I would also enjoy visiting Gettysburg, or Pearl Harbor!
Trent: I have been to most of them, and they are all great so it is hard to choose. It is probably a tie between Colonial Williamsburg and Pearl Harbor .

What are your career plans?
Aaron: I plan to continue to teach middle school history and try to make history fun for my students.
Trent: I don’t know if these are career plans, but my goals are to continue to grow as a Christian, husband, father, and educator.

How do you spend your free time?
Aaron: I spend my free time with my wife and three kids. We love to travel and go on little adventures around the country.
Trent: With family, coaching multiple sports (trying to get bowling back at the school), chess, playing new instruments poorly, and reading the Bible.

Why is the Constitution relevant today?
Aaron: The Constitution is relevant because its foundational principles continue to guide us today. Our system of checks and balances, along with the separation of powers, plays a vital role in preventing any one person or group from gaining too much power.
Trent: It is a foundational document to who we are as a republic. It lays the restrictions on the government to maintain order and protects our individual God given rights. A document that does these things should never become irrelevant and it is our responsibility to hold those under the Constitution accountable.

What about your winning contest entry do you think is the most eye grabbing? We’re looking for the best “click bait” to get people to open your work on social media!
Aaron: Are you a History Buff? Here is your chance to prove it with the Constitution History Buff Challenge!
Trent: The idea of becoming an expert through a series of challenges was probably the most eye grabbing.

Last question – we want to tag you when we promote you on our social media! Please provide any social media profile/handles you have for yourself, your school, and any other organizations that you are connected with that you think would be good to tag! (Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter/X)
Aaron: You can follow me at @MakeHistoryFun on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, & TikTok
Trent: Not on social media

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