Draft--Civic Ideals and Practices Expectations (Early, Middle, High School)

Draft—Civic Ideals and Practices Expectations (Early, Middle, High School)

Civic Ideals and Practices-Early Grades

Purposes – Basic freedoms, rights, and the institutions and practices that support shared democratic principles are foundations of a democratic republic. Civic ideals developed over centuries. In some instances, civic practices and their consequences, are becoming more congruent with ideals, while in other cases the gap is wide and calls for continued civic action by individuals and groups to sustain and improve the society. Learning how to apply informed civic action to more fully realize civic ideals is of major importance for the health of individuals, groups, the nation, and the world.

Key Questions for Exploration

• What is civic life?
• What are key democratic ideals and practices?
• What are civic issues?
• How can students engage in informed and meaningful civic action?
  Knowledge – Students will understand:
• That civic life is defined by the exercise of rights and responsibilities by persons belonging to communities (e.g., classroom community, school community, neighborhood, state, nation, world).
• Life in a democratic community encourages civic participation such as studying community issues, planning, decision-making, voting, cooperating to promote democratic ideals (e.g., individual dignity, liberty, fairness, equality, justice, rules/laws).
• The meaning of civic life and democratic ideals and practices as represented in excerpts from sources, quotations, and stories.
• The importance of gathering information as the basis for informed civic action.

Processes – Students will be able to:

• Identify and exercise the rights, responsibilities of citizens.
• Based on more than one source, locate, access, organize, and apply information from multiple points of view about an issue of public concern.
• Analyze how specific policies or citizen behaviors reflect ideals and practices consistent or inconsistent with a democratic republic.
• Evaluate positions about an issue based on the evidence and arguments provided, and the pros, cons, and consequences of holding a specific position.
• Practice civic participation by addressing issues (e.g., in the classroom, school, community, nation, and world).
• Examine the influence of citizens and officials on policy decisions.
  Forms/ products – Students will demonstrate their knowledge of civic ideals and practices by
• Practicing forms of civic discussion and participation consistent with ideals and practices of citizens of a democratic republic.
• Drawing illustrations of examples of participation supportive of civic ideals and practices.
• Writing reports, letters, editorials, brief position statements to illustrate an issue, actions to address it, reasons for supporting a particular position over others.
• Collaborating with others to consider options and develop a plan to carry out a project of civic participation.

MIDDLE GRADES

Civic Ideals and Practices-Middle School

Purposes – Basic freedoms, rights, and the institutions and practices that support shared democratic principles are foundations of a democratic republic. Civic ideals developed over centuries. In some instances, civic practices and their consequences, are becoming more congruent with ideals, while in other cases the gap is wide and calls for continued civic action by individuals and groups to sustain and improve the society. Learning how to apply informed civic action to more fully realize civic ideals is of major importance for the health of individuals, groups, the nation, and the world.

Key Questions for Exploration

• What are civic ideals and practices?
• What documents support civic ideals and practices in a democratic republic?
• How does one become informed about civic issues?
• How can students participate in meaningful civic action?
  Knowledge – Students will understand:
• The origins and continuing influence of key ideals of a democratic republic, such as individual human dignity, liberty, justice, equality, individual rights, majority and minority rights, the common good, and the rule of law.
• Key documents and excerpts from key sources that define and support democratic ideals and practices.(e.g., Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Gettysburg Address, etc.)
• The origins and function of major institutions and practices developed to support democratic ideals and practices.
• Key issues past and present involving democratic ideals and practices, as well as perspectives of various stakeholders in proposing possible outcomes.
• The rights and responsibilities of citizenship and the practices involved in exercising citizenship (e.g., voting, serving on a jury, expressing views on issues, collaborating with others to take civic action)
• The importance of becoming informed in order to make positive civic contributions.

Processes – Students will be able to

• Identify and describe the role of citizen in various forms of government past and present.
• Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of various forms of civic action influencing public policy decisions that address the realization of the ideals of a democratic republic.
• Build background through research, make decisions and solve problems as they locate, research, analyze, organize, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information about selected civic issues (past and present) in key primary and secondary sources
• Identify sound reasoning, assumptions, misconceptions, and bias in sources, evidence, and arguments used in presenting issues and positions.
• Identify, seek, describe, and evaluate multiple points of view surrounding issues—noting the strengths, weaknesses, and the consequences associated with holding each position.
• Evaluate the significance of public opinion and positions of policymakers in influencing public policy development and decision-making.
• Evaluate the degree to which public policies and citizen behaviors reflect or foster the stated ideals of a democratic republican form of government.
• Participate in persuading, compromising, debating, and negotiating in the resolution of conflicts and differences
  Forms/ products – Students will demonstrate their knowledge of civic ideas and practices by
• Articulating an informed personal position on a civic issue based on reasoned arguments resulting from consulting multiple sources
• Practicing forms of civil, civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic.
• Sharing policy positions in such forms as position statements, editorials, or political cartoons
• Using a variety of media to report findings from surveys, debates, petitions
• Collaborating with others to write a plan of action on an issue of public concern, after carefully weighing possible options for the most effective citizen action.

HIGH SCHOOL

Civic Ideals and Practices – High School

Purposes – Basic freedoms, rights, and the institutions and practices that support shared democratic principles are foundations of a democratic republic. Civic ideals, derived over centuries, represent perfection. However, civic practices and their consequences, in some instances, are becoming more congruent with ideals; while in other cases the gap is wide and calls for continued civic action by individuals and groups to not only sustain, but improve the society. Learning how to apply informed civic action to more fully realize civic ideals is of major importance for the health of individuals, groups, the nation, and the world.

Key Questions for Exploration

• What are key ideals and practices supporting a democratic republic?
• What role do individuals, groups, and institutions play in strengthening democratic ideals and practices?
• What is the role of the citizen in the community, nation, and as a member of the world community?
  Knowledge – Students will understand:
• The origins, meaning, development, and continuing influence of key ideals of a democratic republic as contrasted with other forms of government (e.g.,, human dignity, social justice, liberty, equality, rights and responsibilities, citizenship, majority and minority rights, the common good, and the rule of law).
• Various interpretations of key documents and development over time of the definitions for and support of democratic ideals and practices.
• The origins, functions, evolution, and outcomes of major institutions and practices designed to sustain and more fully realize democratic ideals.
• Key issues past and present, civic ideals and practices involved, multiple perspectives represented in arriving at outcomes at different points in time, and current avenues for supporting progress toward more fully realizing democratic ideals..
• The rights and responsibilities of citizenship and the practices involved in exercising citizenship (e.g., voting, serving on a jury, expressing views on issues, collaborating with others to take civic action)
• The importance of becoming informed as the basis for thoughtful and positive contribution through civic action.

Processes – Students will be able to:

• Compare and contrast various the role of citizen in relation to government across various forms of government past and present.
• Make decisions and solve problems as they locate, research, analyze, organize, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information about selected civic issues (past and present) in key primary and secondary sources
• Identify assumptions, misconceptions, and bias in sources, evidence, and arguments used in presenting issues and positions.
• Identify, seek, describe, and evaluate multiple points of view surrounding issues—noting the strengths, weaknesses, and the consequences associated with holding each position.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and importance of public opinion in influencing and shaping public policy development and decision-making.
• Evaluate the degree to which public policies and citizen behaviors reflect or foster the stated ideals of a democratic republican form of government.
• Participate in persuading, compromising, debating, and negotiating in the resolution of conflicts and differences
  Forms/ products –Students will demonstrate their knowledge of civic ideas and practices by
• Articulating an informed personal position on a civic issue based on reasoned arguments resulting from consulting multiple sources
• Practicing forms of civil, civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic.
• Sharing policy positions in such forms as position statements, editorials, or political cartoons.
• Using a variety of media to report findings from surveys, debates, petitions
• Collaborating with others to write a plan of action to strengthen the “common good,” after careful evaluation of possible options for the most effective citizen action in a specific issue of public concern.