Picking Civics Textbooks

Image
Question

We are a new charter school in New Mexico. I have been tasked with ordering government textbooks. Do you have recommendations?

Answer

My first suggestion is that you look for outstanding curriculum, not just outstanding textbooks. I have seen most government textbooks gather dust on classroom shelves, while there is a host of interactive government curriculum that engages students in problem solving, group work, research, and exploration of major themes.

Quality Curriculum

One approach to curriculum adoption is to use the leading experiential programs to create your own curriculum, rather than use a textbook as its centerpiece. This is what I have done over 10 years teaching high school government, while my class set of Magruder's American Government textbooks stays mostly on the shelf. The programs I recommend below all actively involve students in collaborative learning, research, public speaking, deliberation, and other skills that good citizens must have. These programs have strong content but also require a level of activity that is absent in the traditional textbook approach to civic education. Most state civics standards are weighted heavily toward learning about the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and the operation of our federal government. Most state standards also include learning about state and local government, citizen participation in government, foreign policy, and the government's role in the economy. I recommend the following project-based experiential curriculum to address each of those standards individually.

U.S. Constitution
[. . . T]here is a host of interactive government curriculum that engages students in problem solving, group work, research, and exploration of major themes.

The best curriculum for teaching the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution is We the People...the Citizen and the Constitution, published by the Center for Civic Education. Available at elementary, middle, and high school reading levels, this textbook presents the Constitution through its historical context and philosophical foundations rather than as a series of facts to be memorized. The culminating activity associated with the We the People curriculum is a simulated Congressional hearing, in which students grapple with big questions about our form of government and defend their answers before a panel of experts. See students answering questions at the national finals here. While Congressional funding for this and other civic education programs was recently eliminated, the curriculum is still available for purchase, and many states will continue to hold hearings and offer professional development. Contact your state coordinator to inquire about the We the People program in your area.

Foreign Policy

The CHOICES program at Brown University produces an outstanding and engaging unit for evaluating U.S. foreign policy alternatives. The U.S. Role in a Changing World consists of background readings, optional learning activities, and a culminating activity in which students simulate a U.S. Senate Committee Hearing and deliberate four alternative "futures" for the United States' role in the world. Also check out the other fine resources produced by CHOICES.

State and Local Government and Civic Participation

The Center for Civic Education also publishes the We the People...Project Citizen curriculum. Project Citizen is the leading program for getting students directly involved in state and local government. Far from a textbook, Project Citizen is a brief manual that students and teachers use to analyze public policy problems and propose realistic policy solutions. The culminating activity is a showcase in which students present their portfolios to a panel of experts and policymakers. Here is a video overview of Project Citizen.

Online Resources

Finally, I recommend supplementing your government curriculum with online resources. The following websites provide free interactive activities to enhance your teaching. Street Law hosts the Landmark Supreme Court Cases site, which provides resources for teaching about the most important cases through moot courts and other interactive strategies. Budget Hero is a fun way for students to understand the federal budget. The Center on Congress hosts interactive learning modules on the role of Congress. C-SPAN classroom provides "Timely Teachable Videos," "Constitution Clips," and lesson plans based on C-SPAN's deep well of video archives. IDEAlog presents an interactive approach to understanding political ideologies.

Textbooks

Among traditional high school government textbooks, Magruder's American Government is a good bet. This high school textbook presents a comprehensive explanation of every major topic that is addressed in a government class, including the Constitution, foreign policy, economics, local government, and comparative government. To help teachers differentiate instruction and provide accessible content to English language learners and students with special needs, Magruder’s now offers a "Foundation Series" textbook. This book is designed for students reading at the 6th-grade level, yet it is aligned with the traditional high school reading level textbook. Magruder's also offers the "Experience It!" hands-on curriculum "for teachers looking for an experiential approach to American Government that focuses on simulations and online learning." Magruder's textbooks are not cheap, at about $85 per student edition, but if you want a traditional comprehensive government textbook as the core of your curriculum and have the budget to support it, it's a good place to start. Government Alive!, published by the Teachers' Curriculum Institute, provides a more interactive yet comprehensive approach to government. You can get a free trial and sample chapters on request. When reviewing textbooks I ask myself the following questions: Is it engaging for students to read? Does it address all the standards for my course? Is the reading differentiated for students below grade level? Does it fit in my budget?

Do I Have a Right?

Image
What is it?

Supreme Court Justice O'Connor conceived of the iCivics digital initiative to provide higher quality materials for civics education. The core of iCivics is a set of free-to-play web-based games. One of these, Do I Have a Right?, according to the designers, "teaches kids the constitutional amendments." Dissecting this a bit, the game essentially has three learning goals:

Students will be able to:

  1. Identify and summarize 12 of the amendments of the U.S. Constitution (1-6, 8, 13-15, 19, and 26).
  2. Judge whether a variety of individuals in hypothetical situations have had their constitutional rights violated.
  3. Apply the relevant amendments to cases where people's rights have been violated.

The game is aimed at a middle school audience but may be useful anywhere from 5th grade to high school, depending on the goals of the teacher and the role envisioned for the game in the unit (more on this later).

Getting Started

Do I Have a Right?, Screencap of client's claim In DIHR? the player manages a legal firm specializing in constitutional law. The player first selects whether to do the "Full Edition" of rights throughout the Constitution or "Bill of Rights" which focuses on rights within the first 10 Amendments. He or she then customizes their lawyer and chooses a partner lawyer who specializes on a right. The game takes place over seven rounds, each representing a day. In each round the player tries to earn as many prestige points as possible for the firm by taking on clients and winning their cases. This involves a three-step cycle.

First the player greets a new client. The client then presents their story and the player must determine whether the client's constitutional rights have been violated. Clients whose rights have not been violated must be told so and sent away. Clients whose rights have been violated, on the other hand, must be introduced to a lawyer specializing in the relevant amendment that protects those rights. As the player successfully completes rounds, each lawyer in the firm has the chance to level up. Doing so unlocks a specialization in one new right protected by a constitutional amendment. Each lawyer can learn three additional areas of expertise. Do I Have a Right?, Screencap of skill upgradeGeorge Sayit, for example, begins with freedom of expression. The player can, through successful gameplay, unlock George's ability to plead cases on the freedom of religion, right to vote regardless of race, and, finally, right to vote regardless of gender. The player can ultimately hire six lawyers, each of whom can have four areas of expertise. As a result increasing numbers of different constitutional scenarios can be brought up in each successive round of gameplay.

Appropriately for a game promoting learning, the player needs more than luck to succeed. Failure to send away clients with illegitimate complaints and failure to match legitimate clients with the right lawyers will subtract from the player's prestige score; success adds to the score. The stories of clients whose rights have not been violated tend more to the absurd. Some such as "Do I have a right not to learn to read and write?," however, may challenge schoolyard folk wisdom. The legitimate claims are often straightforward, though posed in a variety of ways. A player who is shaky on the exact rights guaranteed by the constitution, however, will need to think about each client's story carefully. Further, even those with a stronger recollection of the amendments can be misled by some claims if inattentive. A good example: "I want to be on a jury. Yesterday, my state governor announced that Asians can no longer serve on a jury. I am a U.S. citizen and I am 18 years old. Do I have a right to be on a jury?" References to age and ethnicity could trigger a player's associations with the incorrect amendments. Even if the client has a legitimate claim, matching his case to the wrong amendment will deduct from the player's prestige.

 

Do I Have a Right?, Screenshot of round summaryAt the end of each round, the player gets a summary of his or her performance. This takes the form of a newspaper that includes descriptions of the cases and relevant constitutional issues from the round. After the summary, the player can spend any earned prestige points to improve the firm—an important motivator since success at matching clients and lawyers leads to tangible gameplay bonuses. New lawyers can be hired, allowing the player to handle a greater variety of cases and win more prestige. In addition, each lawyer's desk can be enhanced with bonus items. These increase that lawyer's speed in handling cases, likelihood of learning a new area of constitutional law, or the prestige gained for a successful case. Finally, improvements can be made to the waiting area to increase the number of clients it can hold and the amount of time they will wait before storming off in rage—a feature that becomes especially important in later rounds as the number of clients increases.

At the end of the game the player is given a score report with a breakdown of play. This will help teachers identify areas of the amendments that the player needs to review more. Do I Have a Right?, Screenshot of hint system The ease of the control system and the core gameplay are important features of the game, adding to its suitability as a classroom tool. At the start of the game, onscreen hints helpfully label important areas of the firm and the screen—these hints can be left on or turned off at the player's discretion. All decisions are made through clicking on the relevant button or area in the game with the mouse. For those who still would like more guidance, there is even a teacher's guide that provides a detailed description of the game written for those less familiar with game motifs.

At its heart, DIHR? is a drill game. Unlike many other drill games, however, the focus on application as well as identification promotes a higher level of learning than many of its peers. Ultimately, DIHR? is well designed to achieve the goals of its designers. The playful and attractive graphics, core gameplay, and upbeat soundtrack make the game inherently engaging. The end-of-round system for leveling up lawyers and buying improvements will motivate players to continue playing, trying to improve their scores. Since maximizing one's score is best achieved by knowing the amendments well, DIHR provides an engaging and effective tool to learn basic constitutional rights.

Examples

Most teachers, of course, will want to go beyond the basic identification and application of constitutional rights. Happily, iCivics has provided some outstanding materials to help teachers foster students' analytical skills concerning constitutional rights. The site has an excellent pre-game lesson plan titled "Bill of Rights: You Mean I’ve Got Rights?" complete with flashcards, worksheets, and instructions for crafting a "Pamphlet of Protections." A post-game PowerPoint provides structure and questions for a debriefing discussion based on the many stories from the game. The PowerPoint can effectively spark conversation about the more complex issues involving free expression, unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment, etc.

These lessons, like the game itself, are targeted at a middle school audience. The game, however, can be effectively assigned as a lighthearted but worthwhile classroom warm up for high school students—after all, it can only help for students to be motivated to remember and apply the amendments. Teachers of high school civics can effectively use this game as a supplement to a more advanced discussion of constitutional rights crafted by the teacher—it all depends on the comfort the teacher and students have with the playful art, tone, and music of the game.

Upbeat and engaging, with core gameplay that encourages learning these 12 amendments well, Do I Have a Right? is well worth considering by any teacher interested in finding more engaging methods for learning constitutional amendments.

For more information

Do you use iPads in class? iCivics also offers Do I Have a Right? as a free app, Pocket Law Firm.

VoiceThread in a 1st-grade Classroom cpreperato Wed, 03/23/2011 - 15:10

Life, Liberty and Property: What’s the Big Idea?

Image
For more information

Ideas for this lesson were inspired by:

  • Jean Fritz, Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution. New York: Putnam, 1987. 64 pp. Illustrated by Tomi dePaola.
  • Center for Civic Education. We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Level I. Calabasas: Center for Civic Education, 2003.
  • “I Signed the Constitution.” An original lesson plan: National Constitution Center. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Visit the website at the National Constitution Center for printable copies of the Constitution, other free primary sources, and lesson ideas. You can also find ideas and resources at the Center for Civic Education.

Quick Overview
This tried and true lesson, a blend of history and civics, guides students through a process of evaluating John Locke’s theory of “living in the natural state” as a basis of our Constitution. Students discuss and learn about the three basic freedoms (rights) in our Constitution: life, liberty and the right to own property. Students will “lock in” these concepts through an exciting mix of brainstorming, framed discussion, and writing techniques designed especially for English Language Learners.

Watergate and the Constitution aharmon Tue, 04/20/2010 - 16:19
Teaser

To indict or not to indict? Watergate raised complicated questions concerning Constitutional interpretation.

lesson_image
Description

Students analyze a primary source document which sets forth points both for and against the indictment of Richard Nixon, before considering Constitutional interpretations of Watergate.

Article Body

The strength of this lesson is that it is centered around a document which presents compelling arguments both for and against the indictment of former President Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal. The featured document, a memo to the Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski, was written by Jaworski's staff as he was considering whether or not to indict Nixon.

The memorandum’s language should be accessible to most high school students. Both a copy of the original document and a transcribed version are available.

The question at the center of the lesson is, "Should the Watergate Special Prosecutor seek an indictment of the former President?" If teachers want to make this lesson more of an historical inquiry, we recommend modifying that question to read: "What were the main arguments for and against the indictment of former President Richard Nixon?"

An additional strength of this lesson is two activities that use the Constitution as a lens to understand the Watergate affair. One of the suggested activities asks students to identify the specific role each branch of government played in the Watergate affair. Another activity asks students to apply specific sections of the Constitution and determine the role particular constitutional powers and rights played in the Watergate affair.

This lesson would likely work best after an introductory lesson on Watergate. While there is no formal assessment included in this lesson, the questions presented by the document easily lend themselves to an essay or a discussion.

Topic
Watergate, the Constitution
Time Estimate
1 day
flexibility_scale
3
Rubric_Content_Accurate_Scholarship

Yes
Historical background is detailed and accurate. The document is from The National Archives.

Rubric_Content_Historical_Background

Yes
Th lesson includes background information for teachers and students, as well as a chronology of the Watergate affair.

Rubric_Content_Read_Write

Yes
The lesson is centered around a primary document from the Watergate scandal, and requires students to read the Constitution.

Rubric_Analytical_Construct_Interpretations

Yes
Students are asked to weigh the reasons for and against indicting Nixon.

Rubric_Analytical_Close_Reading_Sourcing

Yes

Rubric_Scaffolding_Appropriate

Yes
The main document is appropriate and accessible for most high school students, as are the teaching activities.

Rubric_Scaffolding_Supports_Historical_Thinking

Yes
The lesson includes the Archives' worksheet for analyzing primary source documents, asking students to consider source and contextual information when interpreting the document.

Rubric_Structure_Assessment

No

Rubric_Structure_Realistic

Yes
The lesson is clearly presented and is easily adapted to emphasize either History or Civic standards.

Rubric_Structure_Learning_Goals

Yes
Appropriate for one class period.

Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Image
Annotation

This teaching site was developed "to support the teaching of landmark Supreme Court cases, helping students explore the key issues of each case." The site features 17 pivotal Supreme Court cases, including Marbury v. Madison (1803), McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Korematsu v. United States (1944), Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Miranda v. Arizona (1966), and Roe v. Wade (1973). Each case offers a "resources" section featuring such material as teaching recommendations, background summaries, a link to the full-text majority opinion, and excerpts from the majority and dissenting opinions. An "activities" section contains short activities and in-depth lessons. The site also includes instructions for general teaching strategies, including moot court, political cartoon analysis, and website evaluation. The site also offers material on key concepts of constitutional law including federalism, separation of powers and checks and balances, equal protection of the laws, judicial review, due process, the commerce clause, and the necessary and proper clause. An excellent resource for teaching the legal history of these important Supreme Court cases and the issues surrounding them.

Marbury v. Madison

Teaser

Constitutional or not? Read about this 1803 landmark court case deciding issues of judicial review.

lesson_image
Description

Students examine documents establishing the principal of judicial review in 1803.

Article Body

During the early years of the American republic, the system of checks and balances between the three branches of the federal government was tested and solidified. This lesson examines the history behind the expansion of the Supreme Court's role and the principal of judicial review that came from the case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803. For teachers, one of the helpful things this website provides is secondary background reading and questions at three different ability levels. The easiest level provides help with vocabulary and may be suitable for English language learners. An engaging political cartoon analysis exercise is also included. The cartoon illustrates the balance of powers between the three branches of government, equating the Supreme Court to referees in a football game. In addition, excerpts of the most significant passages and other related texts are provided for students to read and interpret. We think teachers will appreciate the flexibility in the recommended sequence of activities. Activities can be tailored to how much time you have to teach about this important topic.

Topic
Early Republic; Marbury v. Madison; judicial review; Supreme Court
Time Estimate
1-4 class sessions
flexibility_scale
3
Rubric_Content_Accurate_Scholarship

Yes Materials used in the lesson have been well researched. Content and materials on the site are very thorough.

Rubric_Content_Historical_Background

Yes Background information and questions are available for students at three different reading levels.

Rubric_Content_Read_Write

Yes Lesson focuses on reading and answering questions. No large, essay-style question for student writing is included, but students construct brief responses to questions about documents they have read.

Rubric_Analytical_Construct_Interpretations

Yes Students analyze documents to answer questions about who has the power to declare laws unconstitutional. The political cartoon analysis exercise centers on analytic thinking.

Rubric_Analytical_Close_Reading_Sourcing

Yes Emphasis on reading primary sources. Source and perspective understanding are required when considering (for example) Thomas Jefferson's adverse reaction to the decision.

Rubric_Scaffolding_Appropriate

Yes This lesson is appropriate for a secondary audience, though this is not specifically stated on the site. Teachers may decide the activities and resources are appropriate for an eighth-grade class.

Rubric_Scaffolding_Supports_Historical_Thinking

Yes In addition to the leveled background reading, an opening scenario, a diagram of the case, and excerpts from primary documents also work to support student understanding. Questions included with the sources require varied levels of understanding ranging from basic to quite sophisticated.

Rubric_Structure_Assessment

No Activities do not include assessment strategies other than questions that a teacher could assign to check for student understanding.

Rubric_Structure_Realistic

Yes The lesson provides adequate instructions for implementation.

Rubric_Structure_Learning_Goals

No No learning objectives are explicitly stated; however, the lesson activities progress logically.

Reading and Thinking Aloud to Understand

Image
Article Body

This 11th-grade honors U.S. history class, using Reading Apprenticeship techniques developed by WestEd, shows students engaged in the process of reading primary source documents as a means of better understanding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The students in this video are in an honors classroom. The class is in an ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse school in a high immigrant, rural community. This video provides examples of two promising practices:

  • Putting students in pairs to conduct "read aloud/think aloud" work
  • Providing students with strategic vocabulary for reading primary sources
Content

Students in this lesson are in the middle of a week-long unit on Japanese American internment. Focusing on the question of the constitutionality of relocating and interning these citizens, students read several primary source documents, including the Constitution and opinions from Korematsu vs. the United States, a 1944 Supreme Court case challenging the internment.

Read Aloud/Think Aloud

Students work together in pairs to summarize excerpts from the Constitution relevant to the internment. They take turns reading aloud to each other and talk through the process of reading. As they do, they verbalize their reading and thinking processes, defining terms, connecting the text to prior knowledge, analyzing the meaning of the text, and asking questions about difficult passages as they go.

Strategic Vocabulary

Before, during, and after her students read, the instructor signals key terms that need definition (e.g., ex post fact, bill of attainder, vested). While the read aloud/think aloud strategy helps students make sense of difficult texts, they still need assistance with advanced language and sophisticated concepts. By identifying and defining key terms for students, the instructor helps them decode the documents.

What's Notable?

Many teachers ask students to read primary source documents. But students often struggle with complex language and difficult concepts, often missing the connection with the material they are studying. What makes this class unique is the way the instructor structures the class in order to support student reading.