Civics Teaching Tips
•Focus on local studies.
•Tap online potential.
•Create your own country.
•Do “do overs” with history.
•Always think critically.
The Lost Art
Where have civics classes gone? More than 10 decades ago, The Bureau of Education was tasked with revamping the entire American educational system. Social studies replaced civics, geography, history, and political science with a single class that touched on all of these aspects. Some teachers took to it right away. Others did not. Proponents of the change thought that the “mile wide and a foot deep” concept inspired students to delve deeper into the particular subjects that interested them. Detractors, however, just thought the whole curriculum was watered down.
Civics, however, has never lost its applicability even during times when it has not been a relevant focus in any curriculum. Collective social responsibility and knowledge of the functions of government are critical to the complete education of a 21st-century student. In today’s political climate, where the president confesses on tape to being a serial sexual abuser, and some people just don’t seem to care, knowing what to do when one disagrees with the president is essential to the continued function of our government.
Read: Why Does The Common Core State Standards Initiative Get Such a Bad Rap?
1. Local Things
Faced with the many problems in America today, trying to tackle them all at once can be disheartening. Instead of “thinking big,” it is far better to think small and work on things that can be changed in and around one’s own hometown and then work upward toward bigger topics and a wider sphere of influence.
2. The Online Resource
Opinions are fine things. Everyone has them, after all. They are worthless, however, without verifiable facts from reliable sources to back them up. It does no good, for example, to think that social security affects the deficit when it is paid for exclusively by FICA taxes. Children should be encouraged to research from reputable online sources to buttress their opinions.
3. The Fake Country
Break the class into groups. Each group is then tasked with drafting a Constitution for its own made-up country. The students would have to work together, negotiate deals on legislation, and make compromises. No matter which style of government a group chooses, that group should be allowed to bring the project to fruition.
4. Relive What Has Happened
Ask the students if they think they could have done better at some point in history. For example, ask if they think that the Allies could have crafted a better treaty at Versailles. How would they have written the Declaration of Independence? Would they have included slavery in their own Constitution?
5. Think Critically
This is the most important step. The exercises described above are worthless if the students cannot assess the viability of their opinions, research, and proposed topics and forms of government. They must be taught that honest assessment is a vital life skill and that being able to say, “We screwed up,” is just as important a lesson as saying, “We won.” There is much to be learned from both.
It’s not just about teaching civics. Teach the children and encourage them to learn about civics on their own.
