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Tom McHale

We talk a lot about civic education. Here's how to get kids really engaged in it. - The... - 3 views

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    "We talk a lot about civic education, usually about how little of it too many students get in school. In this charged election season, the subject has rarely, if ever, been more relevant. But here's a different kind of discussion: how kids are actually being engaged in it. Below are several examples that could be used in any school. All of the authors are working in Illinois, where a law was recently passed requiring high schools to provide a semester-long civics course that includes community action of some kind. It says, "Civics course content shall focus on government institutions, the discussion of current and controversial issues, service learning, and simulations of the democratic process." But what they say can apply across the country."
Rob Jacklin

The ReDistricting Game - 4 views

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    The Redistricting Game is designed to educate, engage, and empower citizens around the issue of political redistricting. Currently, the political system in most states allows the state legislators themselves to draw the lines. This system is subject to a wide range of abuses and manipulations that encourage incumbents to draw districts which protect their seats rather than risk an open contest. By exploring how the system works, as well as how open it is to abuse, The Redistricting Game allows players to experience the realities of one of the most important (yet least understood) aspects of our political system. The game provides a basic introduction to the redistricting system, allows players to explore the ways in which abuses can undermine the system, and provides info about reform initiatives - including a playable version of the Tanner Reform bill to demonstrate the ways that the system might be made more consistent with tenets of good governance. Beyond playing the game, the web site for The Redistricting Game provides a wealth of information about redistricting in every state as well as providing hands-on opportunities for civic engagement and political action.
Bob Maloy

Building Democracy for All: Interactive Explorations of Government and Civic Life - 2 views

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    Building Democracy for All is an interactive, multimodal, multicultural, open access eBook for teaching and learning key topics in United States Government and Civic Life.
Kristen McDaniel

Bringing History to Life - High School Notes (usnews.com) - 13 views

  • The students' documentary was part of National History Day, a program that more than 600,000 middle and high school students participate in each year.
  • They're going to archives, going to museums, doing real historical research. In the process of all this, they learn history, they learn about their nation's past. They learn important skills they can apply in their careers and in college.
  • We have empirical data that proves without a doubt that kids who participate in History Day outperform their peers who don't.
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  • In middle and high school, that's where the loss of instruction time comes.
  • has to be an engaged study of the past.
  • [National History Day] is not just for gifted and talented students; this is a program that does extremely well with kids in the lower quartile.
  • riginal research, you have an opportunity to form your own opinion on a topic. You're looking at original material. They do have to read secondary material so that they can have context. Have you talked to any teachers about how they're discussing the killing of Osama bin Laden with students? What should teachers be saying to their students? What's the importance of recent history in history class? I haven't had the chance to talk to any teachers since [last] Sunday. But I can tell you that what I hope they're doing is helping young people put this in perspective. I hope they're helping students understand the history of terror and understand why 9/11 happened in the first place. You have to understand the history of the Middle East and the history of the United States' role there, so you can draw some meaning and understanding. Using the word understanding doesn't mean condoning; it just means you need to understand why it may have happened. See how your school stacks up in our rankings of Best High Schools. Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com. More High School Notes posts Reader Comments Add Comment Start the discussion! Be the first to comment on this story. var RecaptchaOptions = { theme : 'clean' }; Add Your Thoughts Title Comment 3000 characters left About You Name Email State - state - AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image. Recaptcha.widget = Recaptcha.$("recaptcha_widget_div"); Recaptcha.challenge_callback(); Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our
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    Outlining the importance of National History Day.
Daniel Ballantyne

The Civic Mirror | A citizenship education program that turns classrooms into countries... - 8 views

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    really engaging simulation for teaching Canadian or American gov't, economics, citizenship
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