I am proud to announce that my colleague and I will be presenting at the NCSS 2018 Conference in Chicago.
Please visit us if you’ll be there!
Empowering Students: Teaching Civic Action in American History
Engaging students in civic action is both practical and necessary. American history courses can take a hybrid approach to teach students their rights and how to defend those rights.
During the current political climate, it is especially important for students to know and understand their rights as citizens as well as acknowledge their responsibility for maintaining those rights. Many schools simply don’t have time to fit a civics course in their curriculum, therefore the American History class must be used to inspire and teach civic action and ask students to reimagine society. By analyzing examples of competent civic participation throughout American history and in current events and highlighting the historic importance of civic engagement, as well as gaining an understanding of the fundamental documents that provide the foundation for their rights, students will learn democratic principles and values explore their feelings about political efficacy in a safe space for students to discuss theirs and others’ visions for society’s values. It is from history classes that are taught through the lens of the impact all people can have on politics that political movements are born and maintained.
In our presentation, we intend to share how we integrate American history and civics in order to give our classes the content of the American story and encourage the development of the political skills demonstrated throughout our history by a diverse group of active citizens. We work deliberately to highlight the changes that occurred in United States policies over time because of particular groups of people taking action to secure their rights and to tie in current events that demonstrate the same types of political actions in effect today. By using a variety of primary resources, project-based learning activities, student and teacher reflections, and relevant news sources teachers can ensure that students understand how the American government works, their rights as citizens, and their role in American democracy. Applying new strategies gives teachers the opportunity to construct a transformative experience by viewing American history through the lens of political efficacy which will encourage meaningful political participation. In addition to assisting teachers in planning how to create an American history and civics hybrid course, we also plan on discussing best practices for creating educational spaces that are safe and inclusive for students to share their opinions and values.
