People are not born with the knowledge, the civic skills, or the dispositions they need to be citizens of our constitutional democracy. The goal of public schools should be to prepare all students to participate equally in a democratic way of life. In this section you will find resources and thoughtful discussions on how to attain this goal.
Civic Education Collaborative
Supporting the California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
"Your Voice...Your Responsibility...Your Community"
The Civic Education Collaborative mission is to encourage, support and empower students and other members of the community to be active, responsible and thoughtful citizens. Collaborative partners include the San Joaquin and Stanislaus County Offices of Education, CSU Stanislaus Office of Service Learning, Modesto City Schools, The Modesto Bee, and Learn & Serve. For more information on The Civic Education Collaborative, click here.
Civic Mission of Schools Regional Events
Civic Education Resources
Awareness Session
Wed. March 11, 2009 - 4 to 6 PM
2707 Transworld Dr. Stockton
FREE Information Session will provide resources from the Center for Civic Education programs, We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution and Project Citizen. Teachers will receive a FREE set of classroom texts and opportunities to attend in-depth institutes, also free of charge.
California approved supplemental materials by the
Center for Civic Education programs provide:
? challenging content ? critical thinking & problem-solving activities
? cooperative learning strategies ? intellectual & participatory skills
? historical & contemporary issues ? thought-provoking illustrations
Connects English-Language Arts, History-Social Science,
and other core subject standards in a civic education context
For more information and to register contact Veray Wickham (209) 468-9021 or vwickham@sjcoe.net
We the People
This is a nationally acclaimed program that helps students understand the history and principles of our constitutional government with a focus on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. We the People fosters civic competence and responsibility among elementary and secondary students in public and private schools nationwide. We offer workshops to train teachers to integrate the program in to their curriculum. After completing the training, each teacher receives a FREE class set of textbooks and ongoing support!
--More information on upcoming workshops coming soon!
Project Citizen
This program is an example of a curriculum that promotes students? commitment to participating in the democratic process. Students in grades 5-12 learn about public policy and how to influence the direction of government at the local or state level. We offer workshops to train teachers to integrate the program in to their curriculum. After completing the training, each teacher receives a FREE class set of textbooks and ongoing support!
--More information on upcoming workshops coming soon!
Web Links
Constitutional Rights Foundation
crf-usa.org/
The Constitutional Rights Foundation seeks to instill in our nation's youth a deeper understanding of citizenship through values expressed in our Constitution and its Bill of Rights, and educate them to become active and responsible participants in our society. The resources on their website include information about mock trials, youth internships, lesson plans, web links, and numerous programs and grant opportunities.
Youth News, Views, and Action and Action.
www.crf-usa.org/youthsite/youth_home.htm
Youth News, Views, and Action offers methods, information,
and Internet resources for young people to:
* Explore the world, the nation, and their community.
* Express their ideas and opinions about vital issues.
* Deal with important school and community problems.
* Join a Youth News, Views, and Action News Team.
Landmark Cases
landmarkcases.org/
This site was developed to provide teachers with a full range of resources and activities to support the teaching of landmark Supreme Court cases, helping students explore the key issues of each case. Cases range from Marbury v. Madison in 1803 to U.S. v. Nixon in 1974.
Sites For Teachers
sitesforteachers.com/resources_sharp/socialstudies.html
This link from sitesforteachers.com gives educators access to lesson plans, virtual tours of historical sites relating to the president and the constitution, and links to numerous other sites by category, for all grade levels.
Vote Smart
vote-smart.org/
This is a non-partisan site which has information on current candidates, polling locations and online voter registration. You can also look up voting history of the house and senate on bills. This site can be utilized by any age group.
Awesome Library
awesomelibrary.org/college.html
The Awesome Library provides only resources that have been reviewed and found to be of highest quality for our users. This site is a useful search tool with the ability to do a search as a teacher, student, or college student, for all civic related searches. A search can also be done in a different language (spanish, portuguese, russian, etc.) as well!
Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids
bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/index.html
Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids is divided by grade level: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and Parents and Teachers. This site is a great tool to use with students which shows them our nation, their neighborhood and who is in it to help them, the symbols of our country and where they came from, and printable or interactive games. There is also a page for teachers and parents with tools, resources and links.
Center for Civic Education
civiced.org/index.php
The Center for Civic Education is an organization whose mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries. This website has links to many resources regarding civic education, as well as information about their own programs such as We the People and Civitas, both geared to elementary, middle and high school students.
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
civicyouth.org/
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) is a leader in the civic mission of schools. Since 2001, CIRCLE has conducted, collected, and funded research on the civic and political participation of young Americans. CIRCLE is based in the University of Maryland's School of Public Affairs and is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York. From this website, others can access tools for practice, research and trends, and materials, resources and grants information.
Civic Mind
civicmind.com/
The Civic Mind was founded by lawyer turned author, Wendy Bay Lewis, who states,? My goal is to help you become a more effective citizen by understanding civic leadership and the legal process." This site contains resources for all age groups, elementary through higher education, as well as for all citizens. There is a current list of legal cases that relate to civic issues, a state-specific guide to resources and organizations, a ?CivicQuotient Test?, and a calendar of upcoming conferences.
Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics
constitution.org/liberlib.htm
The Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics is an awesome collection of printable historical, classic books and other works on constitutional government. The works range from the Magna Carta of 1215 to the Federalist Papers of 1778 to the Declaration of Independence. These works are available in PDF, word and text formats and are extremely user friendly to print.
PBS Democracy Kids Project
pbs.org/democracy/kids/educators/tovote.html
The PBS Democracy Kids Project is a complete lesson plan about teaching kids about the value and purpose of voting, culminating with an online game, ?Inside the Voting Booth? in which kids can vote about certain issues that are important to them and print it out to save forever.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE)
score.rims.k12.ca.us/
Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE) is a California-based resource for history and social science educators for all grade levels. There are virtual projects and field trips, frameworks and lesson plans by grade level, numerous resources, and an order form for ?pages of the Past?, a guide to social sciences literature for K-6.