Page 194 - Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students 4th Edition

166 Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students
In the early grades such experiences allow students to identify key ideals of the United States’ democratic republican form of government, such as individual human dignity, lib- erty, justice, equality and the rule of law, and discuss their application in specific situa- tions; identify examples of rights and responsibilities of citizens; locate, access, organize, and apply information about an issue of public concern from multiple points of view; identify and practice selected forms of civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic; explain actions citizens can take to influ- ence public policy decisions; recognize that a variety of formal and informal actors influ- ence and shape public policy; examine the influence of public opinion on personal decision-making and government policy on public issues; explain how public policies and citizen behaviors may or may not reflect the stated ideals of a democratic republican form of government; describe how public policies are used to address issues of public concern; and recognize and interpret how the “common good” can be strengthened through various forms of citizen action. In the middle grades, activities that develop desired civic ideals and practices allow students to examine the origins and continuing influence of key ideals of the democratic republican form of government, such as indi- vidual human dignity, liberty, justice, equality, and the rule of law; identify and interpret sources and examples of the rights and responsibilities of citizens; locate, access, analyze, organize, and apply information about selected public issues—recognizing and explaining multiple points of view; practice forms of civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic; explain and analyze various forms of citizen action that influence public policy decisions; identify and explain the roles of formal and informal political actors in influencing and shaping public policy and deci- sion making; analyze the influence of diverse forms of public opinion on the develop- ment of public policy and decision making; analyze the effectiveness of selected public policies and citizen behaviors in realizing the stated ideals of a democratic republican form of government; explain the relationship between policy statements and action plans used to address issues of public concern; and examine strategies designed to strengthen the “common good” which consider a range of options for citizen action.
The Center for Civic Education (2010) also has developed standards for teaching about civics and government. They are organized around the following five questions: (1) What is government and what should it do? (2) What are the basic values and prin- ciples of American democracy? (3) How does the government, established by the Constitution, embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy? (4) What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs? (5) What are the roles of the citizen in American democracy? (Center for Civic Education, 2010). Like the NCSS standards, these standards also address both knowledge/skills and values/dispositions, and are differentiated between the early and the middle grades.
Teaching about Civics and Government
To help students understand why governments are needed and what they do for their people, we recommend developing instruction around the basic idea that governments provide facilities and services that people need but are too big in scope, expense, and so on for individuals or families to provide for themselves. These include national defense and the armed forces; roads, airports, and transportation infrastructure; education from pre-kindergarten through university levels; the criminal justice system; police protection and emergency services; parks and recreation facilities; the postal service; standards and regulations regarding product quality and safety; safety net services for people with spe- cial needs; and so on. The tax money that is collected to pay for these services supports the common good.
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