Civic Knowledge

Dec 5

How do I further students’ civic knowledge and understanding?

Students need a foundation of civic knowledge and understanding so that they can build informed opinions and perspectives, know about the structures and functions of government, and participate effectively in civic and political life. Students can develop this foundation by examining important civic documents, learning about concepts that will enable deep thinking about social issues, forging connections between important historical events and the present. Students also bring their own civic knowledge drawn from their own lived experiences. Explore the resources on this page to learn more.

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Educating for American Democracy Roadmap

America needs a shared, national conversation about what is most important to teach in U.S. history and civics, how to teach it, and why. The Educating for American Democracy Roadmap provides a framework and guidance to start the urgent dialogue. The EAD Roadmap and supporting documents can be used by states, local school districts and educators to transform teaching of history and civics to meet the needs of a diverse 21st century K–12 student body. The Roadmap includes suggested educational strategies for every grade level, a website of curated examples, and implementation recommendations that each state and district can use to fit the needs of their own, unique communities. It details benchmarks for state-level accountability to support continuous improvement—as well as recommendations for investment in developing a corps of history and civics educators. Here are ways you can learn more and get involved in supporting this effort:

Visit educatingforamericandemocracy.org to download a copy of the Roadmap and Report.
For more specific information about what you can do, click on “Take Action” on educatingforamericandemocracy.org and look for the stakeholder brief that best matches your role.
Encourage students in grades K-12 to submit artwork in the K-12 Student Design Challenge Contest for a chance to win a cash prize.
For comments or questions, please contact us at EAD@iCivics.org.

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The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards emphasizes the acquisition and application of knowledge to prepare students for college, career, and civic life. Civics is an integral component woven throughout the framework. The C3 framework outlines an inquiry arc that includes the following dimensions:

Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
Applying Disciplinary Tools and Concepts
Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action

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There are opportunities to build students’ civic knowledge, skills, and commitments in a range of other content areas beyond History-Social Science. Civic engagement provides an effective instructional strategy for addressing real-world issues and helping students gain related content knowledge in every subject area. For example, in Science courses students can explore topics and concepts that have direct implications for public policy, society, and community. In addition, the inquiry cycle promoted by the Next Generation Science Standards closely aligns with civic inquiry. In Math courses, students can develop the ability to read evidence and understand statistical analysis in order to make sense of issues that impact our democracy. Every teacher has a role to play in helping prepare informed, engaged, and effective members of society.