Young Political Scientists:

Future Citizens in Action

By: George W. Maxim

Reported by: Alvin B. Balaba 1

What does civics look like?

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What does civics look like?

Service learning which

encourages active
assistance through
student projects that
meet the needs of groups
within the community.

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What does civics look like?

Helps students become

engaged in community matters
as conscientious citizens and
helps give students the
assurance that they are useful
to the general public and can
make a difference in their
communities.

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What is Civics?

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What is Civics?

▰ Civics is the study of our political and

legal systems about our rights and
responsibilities as citizens and about
how our government works.
▰ A study where students are applying
their civic knowledge to the solutions of
real problems.

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What is an active citizen?

▰ According to the National Council of

Social Studies (2001), “effective citizens
are people who has the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes required to assume
the office of the citizen in our democratic
republic.”

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▰ Students participate in well planned and
organized citizenship education
programs in which activities:

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Why is civics important?

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Why is civics important?

▰ Citizenship education would provide the

knowledge and courage to “enable every man to
judge for himself what will secure or endanger
his freedom.”
▰ Citizenship education is fundamental to the
preservation of our constitutional democracy.
▰ Makes the public be capable of exercising their
rights and responsibilities in an informed and
meaningful manner.

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What should young political
scientist know or be able to
do?
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What should young political scientist know
or be able to do?

▰ The goal of civic education is the

development of informed, responsible
citizens. Their effective and responsible
participation grows from the acquisition
of a body of knowledge and a set of
applicable participatory skills.

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What should young political scientist know
or be able to do?

▰ The Center for Civic Education

established a set of standards on what
students should know and be able to do.
▰ The standards are not intended to be
used as a basis for the national
curriculum in civics, but simply to offer a
guide to teachers so they know what
they should teach.
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In general, how should
civics be taught?

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Informal Civics Instruction

▰ Refers to the classroom management

techniques teachers employ to create a
spirit of democratic community.
▰ Citizenship education happens when
teachers accept students as partners in
developing a mini-democratic society.
▰ The class fosters the attitude of “We are
all in this together”.
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 Establishing Rules

▰ Teachers should accept the idea of

collaboration
▰ When students have a voice in the rule-
making process:
▻ They develop a sense of ownership
and pride
▻ They are more inclined to remember,
respect and follow the rules.
▻ They take a role in group problem
solving. 16
 Class Meetings

▰ Class meetings are best carried out in an

environment where children can share freely
and where they realize that what each has
to contribute is worthwhile.
▰ The teachers job is to reduce anxiety and
reassure each child that his or her needs
and point of view will be recognized and
valued in the classroom.
▰ Meeting in a circle, or oval provides the
greatest attention and maximum
participation.
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Classroom Symbols

▰ Children have a spirit for bonding

together as a classroom community.
▰ Teachers can take advantage of their
excitement by planning activities that
have to do with building class spirit.
▰ Ask the students to develop a list of
symbols they would like for their
classroom community: flag, song,
motto, great seal etc.

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Classroom Holidays

▰ Special classroom “Holidays” help a

sense of group identity. Special days
might include hat day when everyone
wears a favorite hat to school, color
day when students wear their school
colors: or retro day when students
come to school dresses as students in
the 1970’s or 1980’s.

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Games

▰ Teachers design games in which students

must cooperate to reach goals.
▰ It helps the group to function as supportive
classroom members and enhance
classroom cohesiveness.
▰ Students understand and appreciate the
role of interpersonal cooperation in forming
a productive learning community.
▰ Follow up discussions help solidify the
targeted behaviors.

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Formal Civics Education

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Formal Civics Education

▰ As children become involved in

meaningful democratic classroom life
and are given significant opportunities to
participate in classroom governance,
they will develop greater insight and
appreciation for the civic life in the
community, nation and world.

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Formal Civics Education

▰ The center for Civic Education maintains

that such knowledge is communicated
to students through formal instruction
that provides students with

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 The Constitution of the United States

▰ Teachers should help the

students to understand the
constitution while looking for
opportunity to relate its
principles to their lives.

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 National Symbols

▰ Teachers should help the

students to understand the
constitution while looking for
opportunity to relate its
principles to their lives.

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National Symbols

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Election and Voting

▰ Voting offers an excellent opportunity to learn

civic responsibility and shared decision making
in a meaningful and motivating context. By
participating in the entire voting line of action
children directly experience how a democracy
works.
▰ Children should be encouraged to thoroughly
discuss the issue before they take a vote.

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Election and Voting

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Civic Responsibility

▰ The ultimate goal of civics education

has shifted to producing citizens who
are both knowledgeable and committed
to the principle of civic responsibility.
▰ A commitment to civic responsibility –
voting, letter-writing to public officials,
volunteering one’s service in various
public capacities
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Civic Dispositions and Virtues

▰ Develop rich understanding of

governmental practices and public
policy
▰ Make connections between what they
learn in school and their lives as citizens
in a democracy.

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Civic Dispositions and Virtues

▰ According to NCSS 1994 Standard X

“Social Studies programs should include
experiences that provide for their study
of the ideals, principles, and practices of
citizenship in a democratic republic.”
▰ Students should be able to explain the
importance of the fundamental values
and principles of American democracy.
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Civic Dispositions and Virtues

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Literature as a Source of Learning About
Character

▰ Involve children personally to stories of

the lives of people who have
demonstrated heroic democratic values.

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Critical Thinking

▰ Good civic education was described as

one’s ability to distinguish good from
evil.
▰ Students must be helped

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