Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
08/27/2018
The importance of civics education
We've all had that moment. A family member or a close friend ranting very passionately about politics or government, except they don't know what they're talking about. In 2016, only 26 percent of Americans could name all three branches of government. "If we are country that's not united by any particular racial identity, not united by any particular religious identity, not united by any particular ancestral identity, what is it that unites us?" asks Professor Justin Dyer, executive director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. "This is the challenge of civic education."
■Class discussion: Can you name all three branches of government? Do you understand how laws are made? What are the duties of executive and judicial officials? Do you know the names of your Congress person and Senators? Can you name any of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court? If you can’t answer these question, do you think you are qualified to vote? Could you parents answer these questions? What could happen to a democracy when most of the populace is ignorant of how government works? Should high school students be required to pass the same citizenship test that immigrants must take to become U.S. citizens?