Civic Engagement, Government and History

Teaching Nixon

Passion for Social Studies

JANUARY 11, 2025

Students learn about such a wide range of politics in high school history classes. For example, teaching Nixon is a crucial aspect of American history due to his leadership, insights, and evolution of politics. It can spark discussions about the role of the press, the legal system, and public trust in government.

Teaching

Teaching Civic Engagement Civics Lesson Plan

Strengthening Civic Education: The Role of High-Quality Curriculum and Teaching Strategies

TCI

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Civic education is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, yet recent evaluations reveal significant gaps in how it is taught across the nation. High-quality civics and U.S. history instruction is essential for developing informed, engaged citizens who can navigate the complexities of modern society.

Civics

Civics Teaching Civic Engagement Social Studies

Teaching ‘action civics’ engages kids — and ignites controversy

The Hechinger Report

AUGUST 1, 2021

They point to dismal scores on national history and civics exams — less than 25 percent scored as proficient — as proof that schools need to spend more time teaching students core facts about our system of government, and warn that civics projects are displacing that instruction. Sign up for Hechinger’s newsletter.

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement Civics Teaching Middle School

Teaching Voting in the Social Studies Classroom

Passion for Social Studies

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

Are your government students excited for the upcoming election? When teaching voting in the social studies classroom, students need to be civically engaged to understand how voting is essential to our democracy. This is even the perfect unit for teaching AP United States Government and Politics!

Social Studies

Social Studies Teaching Lesson Plan Civic Engagement

Webinar: Strategies for Teaching American Politics in Turbulent Times

Political Science Now

MAY 13, 2025

Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell University. Her research agenda focuses on political science pedagogy, campus-based civic engagement, and pop culture & politics. Roberts is the Richard J. Bell and Carah Ong Whaley. Martins Press, 2020), co-authored with Suzanne Mettler.

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement Teaching Political Science Civics

Service-Learning Can Be the Bridge to Social Emotional Learning. Educators Should Embrace It.

ED Surge

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

In 2020, California’s State Board of Education adopted criteria and guidance to award a State Seal of Civic Engagement to students who demonstrate excellence in civics education. In my 20 years as an educator, I have seen firsthand how service-learning engages students as they become leaders in their communities.

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement Civics K-12 Education

The Future of Democracy Depends on a Quality Civics Education

ED Surge

OCTOBER 11, 2023

Fortunately, in light of democracy’s fragility, there has been a steady increase in initiatives from federal and state governments to incorporate civics education in K-12 classrooms. In 2020, California adopted a State Seal of Civic Engagement that high school students can earn upon graduation.

Civics

Civics Education Civic Engagement K-12

Fun Civics Activity Ideas To Teach About Government

Let's Cultivate Greatness

MAY 31, 2024

Teaching civics and government is different from teaching history—it really requires a different set of go-to lesson ideas and projects. So, if you are brand new to the subject and need to know everything about how to teach civics, or you’re struggling to find ways to go beyond the textbook, welcome!

Civics

Civics Government Teaching Civic Engagement

COLUMN: Should schools teach climate activism?

The Hechinger Report

MARCH 12, 2024

Related: Teaching ‘action civics’ engages kids – and ignites controversy Sanes is at the far end of the teaching spectrum when it comes to promoting climate activism, not to mention discussing controversial issues of any kind in his classroom. Related: How do we teach Black history in polarized times?

Teaching

Teaching Civics K-12 Civic Engagement

The Importance of Research in Social Studies Classrooms

Teaching American History

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

A Conversation with Sonja Czarnecki Sonja Czarnecki, 2022 MAHG Graduate “In order to understand history, you have to do history,” Sonja Czarnecki insists. I felt like I’d won my own History Day contest!” Research Empowers Students of History Research work benefits everyone, Czarnecki feels. Czarnecki says.

Social Studies

Social Studies Research Archiving American History

STUDENT VOICE: Let’s stop the apathy in Kentucky and beyond

The Hechinger Report

JUNE 20, 2017

In a system that all too often doesn’t solicit our input on anything beyond planning social events and fundraisers, too many of us become either oblivious or callous about the very concept of civic engagement. The governance of schools is the place to start practicing civic participation.

Civics

Civics Civic Engagement K-12 Government

APSA’s Summer Rise High School Intern Program: Meet the Cohort

Political Science Now

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Summer RISE (Reimagining an Innovative Student Experience) is an initiative led by the MCPS’s Department of Partnerships in collaboration with businesses, government agencies, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Some of my favorite classes that I’ve taken are AP American History and AP Government.

High School

High School Civic Engagement Civics Social Justice

Theme Panel: Civic Learning on Campus: Bringing Political Science In Mini-Conference I, II and III

Political Science Now

JULY 16, 2024

This roundtable will focus on Balasco, Forestal, and Abernathy’s Engaging Citizenship, a forthcoming introduction to politics textbook (Oxford University Press 2025). political system within a global context, and 3) to engage with the political process as educated and empowered citizens.

Political Science

Political Science Civics Civic Engagement K-12

Civil Conversation Protects Our Civil Rights

Teaching American History

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Young citizens need civics education to understand their constitutionally guaranteed rights. The best civics teachers also help students learn the skills they need to protect their rights. They teach self-government as a cooperative activity. Civic engagement involves more than just showing up to vote.

Civics

Civics Civic Engagement American History Government

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Doing Social Studies

APRIL 13, 2020

This week’s post comes from Thomas Fulbright, current KCSS president and history teacher at Hope Street Academy, a public charter school in Topeka since 2008. Thomas intends “to spend my entire life convincing them how exciting and important history is.” His bio picture is daughter Claire and Thomas meeting President Lincoln.

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan Charter School History Private School

Make the Citizenship Test the Best Part of Your Civics Class

Let's Cultivate Greatness

AUGUST 24, 2023

During the 2010s, one specific group, the Civics Education Initiative, made it their goal to have all 50 states make passing some form of the US Naturalization Test (the official name of the test) a high school graduation requirement. Now over a dozen do. Full disclosure—my state does not. This inherently gives the test its why.

Civics

Civics Government Geography Project-Based Learning

OPINION: We did not need the Nation’s ‘Report Card’ to tell us we must invest in civic education

The Hechinger Report

MAY 3, 2023

Many educators probably weren’t surprised by today’s announcement of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test results for civics and history. In past years, the scores for civics have been flat, which is hardly encouraging. At the end of 2022, Congress grew the federal allocation for civic education from $7.75

Civics

Civics Primary Sources Civic Engagement K-12

More universities and colleges reach out to boost their home communities

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 22, 2016

They also say it’s in the universities’ self-interest, coming as it does at a time when decaying surroundings and urban crime discourage applicants, cash-strapped local governments are pushing these nonprofit institutions to pay more for the services they get, and the public has a low opinion of college costs, management and value.

Civics

Civics Civic Engagement Economics Museum

Congratulations to the 2024 APSA Award Winners

Political Science Now

JULY 17, 2024

Corwin Award for the best dissertation in the field of public law Recipient: Lucien Ferguson, Boston College Law School Title: “The Spirit of Caste: Recasting the History of Civil Rights” Harold D. The Consequences of Foreign Criticism” Leonard D.

Political Science

Political Science Civics Civic Engagement Archiving

Elevating Social Studies with High-Quality Instructional Materials

TCI

OCTOBER 28, 2024

According to the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) , social studies is the integrated study of social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. This broad field draws upon various disciplines, such as anthropology, archeology, economics, geography, history, law, and philosophy.

Social Studies

Social Studies Civics K-12 Geography

APSA Resources on the 2024 US Elections

Political Science Now

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Engaging the 2024 US Election Webinar Series National campaigns and elections allow citizens to reflect and participate in their democracy. This collection showcases the work of political scientists who conduct research, teach, or provide campus service to encourage student political participation, democratic engagement, and voting.

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement Civics Political Science Economics

Politics, Pressure and Poor Sources: History Teachers Have It Tough These Days

ED Surge

MAY 7, 2025

With a curriculum that includes slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, two world wars and the Civil Rights Movement, American history teachers are used to venturing into emotionally charged subjects. These are people who went into the profession because they love our country, they love our history, they love our founding ideals.

History

History Civics Museum American History

Last week was tough, teachers say. But it wasn’t the first difficult ‘day after’ they’ve faced

The Hechinger Report

JANUARY 15, 2021

The subject line read: “Living history.”. history teacher scrambles to explain unprecedented attacks and desecration of democracy. From then on, Patrie, a science teacher, started difficult days by asking her students how they felt — an approach recommended by the education nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves. Related: A U.S.

Charter School

Charter School Civics Middle School Civic Engagement

Social Studies Network

Teaching Nixon

Strengthening Civic Education: The Role of High-Quality Curriculum and Teaching Strategies

Trending Sources

Teaching ‘action civics’ engages kids — and ignites controversy

Teaching Voting in the Social Studies Classroom

Webinar: Strategies for Teaching American Politics in Turbulent Times

Service-Learning Can Be the Bridge to Social Emotional Learning. Educators Should Embrace It.

The Future of Democracy Depends on a Quality Civics Education

Fun Civics Activity Ideas To Teach About Government

COLUMN: Should schools teach climate activism?

The Importance of Research in Social Studies Classrooms

STUDENT VOICE: Let’s stop the apathy in Kentucky and beyond

APSA’s Summer Rise High School Intern Program: Meet the Cohort

Theme Panel: Civic Learning on Campus: Bringing Political Science In Mini-Conference I, II and III

Civil Conversation Protects Our Civil Rights

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Make the Citizenship Test the Best Part of Your Civics Class

OPINION: We did not need the Nation’s ‘Report Card’ to tell us we must invest in civic education

More universities and colleges reach out to boost their home communities

Congratulations to the 2024 APSA Award Winners

Elevating Social Studies with High-Quality Instructional Materials

APSA Resources on the 2024 US Elections

Politics, Pressure and Poor Sources: History Teachers Have It Tough These Days

Last week was tough, teachers say. But it wasn’t the first difficult ‘day after’ they’ve faced

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