Civics and social-studies educators worry that schools are neglecting to show the complex and difficult sides of democracy, including the importance of debate and dissent. Strategies to help young people grow into citizens include encouraging critical thinking, teaching students to understand other points of view, and linking service learning to…

Becoming a competent civic educator--one who can inspire and prepare students for informed, responsible, and humane participation in civic and political life--requires ongoing study of the content, pedagogy, and resources of civic education. Many elementary, middle, and high school teachers (and their students) would benefit from effective…

This article summarizes the efforts of legislators in studying up on what they might do to affect how well kids learn after the summer break. Some of the legislators' work leaned toward improving students' health, while some targeted dropouts or civic education. Most of the capitol-dome work appears to have matched the typical garden: a few…

In this paper, I use principles of civic education and social psychology to identify four main classroom contributors to students' pessimistic appraisals of their ability to improve social problems: authoritarian teaching methods, a culture of "doom and gloom," little attention to solutions to social problems, and no linkage of social problems to…

This article features the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. Social studies educators emphasize the civic mission of schools, and the need to provide students with citizenship education of the highest quality. As National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) members are well aware, the focus of recent educational reforms has…

This article talks about the specific responsibility of teachers during an election year which is to develop citizenship and civic awareness in students. The author discusses some of her ideas in creating a "news habit" to integrate election information and issues into regular classes and routines.

Immigrant adolescents are one of the fastest growing segments of our population, yet we know little about how schools prepare them for citizenship. Although prior research suggests that high school civics education, academic achievement, and a sense of connection increase political participation in early adulthood, we do not know if these…

The present study explored the ways in which the production of digital media, specifically podcasts (i.e., downloadable digital audio files), rooted in the key tenets of critical literacy, can support education for democracy, in addition to the overall benefits and barriers of podcasting in an elementary classroom. The project can be considered a…

This book explores four interrelated themes: rethinking civic education in light of the diversity of U.S. society; re-examining these notions in an increasingly interconnected global context; re-considering the ways that civic education is researched and practiced; and taking stock of where we are currently through use of an historical…

During the Vietnam War, and the years following the conflict, history teachers were often hesitant to examine the war in the classroom for a variety of reasons. This article explores some of the factors that prohibited the effective teaching of the Vietnam War. Implications regarding how these inhibiting factors might affect teaching about the…

This study is intended to examine the influence of the democratic climate of classrooms on student engagement and learning outcomes in order to find out a more adequate model of learning in Civic Education classrooms. A model is developed for testing with data obtained from a sample of 930 students from schools in North Sulawesi. Prior to the…

Presented by the Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, this speech addressed the following: (1) We were all created different! Equal yet different. Different but equal; (2) Those seemingly paradoxical statements do not have to present a dilemma of choice; (3) Our nation has always been one of great diversity; (4) A…

This user guide is part of a multimedia unit using an interdisciplinary approach with hands-on learning to motivate children to participate actively in their schools and local communities, and to experience the democratic process. This unit focuses on the concept of respect for self and others. Unit parts include: (1) video preview; (2)…

This user guide is part of a multimedia unit using an interdisciplinary approach with hands-on learning to motivate children to participate actively in their schools and local communities, and to experience the democratic process. This unit focuses on the concept of individual participation in the government. Unit parts include: (1) video preview;…

This handbook helps young people help each other prevent crime in their communities. The handbook organizes and prepares peer educators to effectively reach their peers about crime prevention. Sections of the booklet include: (1) "How and Why to Use This Handbook"; (2) "What You and Your Friends Can Do To Prevent Crime"; (3) "Where to Start"; (4)…