Teaching Civics & Government
TCH 347 Social Studies in the Elementary School
Department of Teacher Education
Shippensburg University
March 6, 2006
Han Liu, Ph. D.
What is Civics?
• The study of civic affairs and the duties and
rights of citizens
• A social science dealing with the rights and
duties of citizens
• The branch of political science that deals
with civic affairs and the rights and duties of
citizens.
Why Do We Need to Study Civics
• There is an old saying that the course
of civilization is a race between
catastrophe and education. In a
democracy such as ours, we must
make sure that education wins the
race.
John F. Kennedy (1958)
Core Contents/Themes
• Democratic Heritage and Principles
• The Nature of Government
• The U.S Government
• Citizenship
• Rights and Responsibilities
• Civic Virtues
• Participatory Citizenship
Democratic heritage
• Contributions of the Greeks and the
Romans
• The Magna Carta
• U.S. Historical Documents
• Thoughts of the Framers
• Declaration of Independence
• The Constitution
• The Bill of Rights
Democratic Principles
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Right to life, liberty, and happiness
Constitutional Government
Rule of Law
Justice and Equality
Diversity and Minority Rights
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Civilian Control of Military
Separation of Church and State
Due Process of Law
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The Nature of Politics & Government
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Why is there a government
Political power & authority
Purpose of government
Government functions
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Make rules/laws
Interpret laws
Carry out rules and laws
Resolve conflicts
Provide public services
• Types of government
• Democracy/Republic
• Monarchy/Constitutional Monarchy
• Dictatorship
Government
• Key Institutions
• Legislature (rule/law making)
• Executive (rule/law applying)
• Judiciary (rule/law adjudicating)
• Government Officials
• Elected
• Appointed
• Government by different levels
• Local
• State
• National
• Government functions at different levels
• Relationship between government & other social
institutions
U.S. Legal System
• Federal Court System
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Federal Court of Appeals
• Federal District Courts
• State Court System
• State Supreme Court
• Court of Appeals
• Circuit Courts
• District Courts
• U.S. Police System
The U.S. Court System
Citizenship
• Civic Dispositions
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Honesty
Fairness
Self-discipline
Civic-mindedness
• Rights of Citizens
• Right of life and liberty
• Right to personal, political, and economic freedom
• Right to pursuit happiness
• Responsibilities of Citizens
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Obeying the law
Respecting for others
Voting
Paying taxes
Serving in the armed forces
Sample Concept Clusters-1
• Sources of law
• The Constitution
• Statutes
• Common law
• Decrees
Sample Concept Clusters-2
• Civic Virtues
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Fairness
Honesty
Keeping promise
Speak the truth
Fairness-fair play
Sharing
Respect others
Care for others
Help the weak and the poor
Civic participation
Compromise
Sample Concept Clusters-3
• Government Functions
• Internal order
• External security
• Public services
Sample Concept Clusters-4
• Public Services
• Postal service
• Education
• Health
• Conservation
• Police
• Fire
• Labor
• National defence
Samples Generalizations
• Every citizen needs to possess the civic
dispositions of democracy.
• Public services are provided by the
government at different levels in the
United States.
• Peer mediation programs in middle
schools demonstrate a good example
for civic education.
Topical Approach
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Community service
Fairness
Classroom rules
Ways of showing respect for others
Mayor
Police
President of the United States
United Nations
U.S. foreign policy
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Inquiry Approach
• How many traffic signs do you know?
• Find three examples showing you treat
others fairly.
• How is our community governed?
• What is the role of the governor?
• What powers does the President have?
• What are the rules that must be followed at
school?
• What rights are guaranteed by the Bill of
Rights?
Class Activities
• Develop rules at home
• Develop rules at school
• Role playing to solve conflicts
• Voting simulation
• Brainstorming solutions for public
concerns
• Peer Mediation in middle school
• Writing persuasive articles to public
media
Social Activities
• Serve in elder homes
• Serve in the community
• Conduct environment protection projects,
such as Recycling
• Attend rituals & ceremonies
• Attend meetings of public affairs with adult
guidance
• Visit museums
• Travel abroad
• Make friends from other nations
Debating Issues
• Violence
• Gun control
• Alaska Petroleum Exploitation
• U.S. attitude towards Kyoto Treaty
• Prayer in schools
• Minimum wage
Venn Diagram Exercise
• How are the following concepts
related to each other?
• Social science
• Political science
• Civics
• Government
• Citizenship
Sorting/Summarizing Skills
• Sort Presidents
• by political parties
• by birth place
• by education
• Sort government functions by different
levels
• Summarize civic virtues
• Summarize democratic principles
• Summarize citizen rights
Writing Skills—Inter Disciplinary
• Write a letter to the mayor, the city
council member, or the Congressmen
in Washington D.C. to voice your public
concerns
• Write a poster persuading environment
protection
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Reference : Standards
• The Center for Civics Education
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http://www.civiced.org/
• National Standards for Civics & Government
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http://www.civiced.org/stds.html
• Content Standards by Grade Levels
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http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/index.shtml
• PA standards for Civics & Government
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http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/lib/stateboard_ed/pdfeconomics.pdf
Links
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Center for Civics Education
http://www.civiced.org/
Ben’s Guide for US government for Kids
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen (PDF)
http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/citizen/citizen.pdf
Character Education
http://www.wcpss.net/Instructional/chared.html
U.S. Presidents
http://www.presidentsusa.net/index.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/
http://www.presidentsusa.net/bio.html
U.S. Legal System
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/legalotln/federal.htm
Law for Kids
http://ogc.navy.mil/ogcwww/LAW-4-KIDS.asp
Rubric
http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/TL/liu/citizenrub.html