Action Civics
Civic learning belongs at the forefront of preparing students for college, career and civic life
We hear a lot about the bad news: Fewer than 8.2 percent of eligible voters ages 18–24 turned out in the 2014 general election; most Americans cannot name the three branches of government; many young people do not think their civic involvement is worthwhile. But there are pockets of good news all around us. More schools are building on the old adage, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” We call this “action civics,” and we know it works.
Here in Sacramento County, our Action Civics Initiative, comprising 12 teams of teachers in five districts, has a unified vision: to integrate civic awareness, skills and engagement across the curriculum; empower students to identify local issues, develop strategies and become change agents in their communities; and equip the next generation with the skills they need for college, career and civic life.
Every day in Sacramento County, schools are moving away from dry memorization of facts and, in doing so, seeing students ignite their own civic interests when they are encouraged to ask compelling questions, apply disciplinary tools and concepts, evaluate sources and gather evidence, communicate conclusions and take informed action. They begin to build the tools and dispositions to help solve societal problems. These teaching methods help students become better communicators, problem solvers and critical thinkers. They prepare students for the 21st century workplace, and for civic life and involvement in the democratic process.
Here’s how it works: Over 40 percent of Sacramento County’s Action Civics teachers are from disciplines other than history, civics or government. Through this initiative, students are not just learning civics as a stand-alone subject, often relegated to the last semester of their senior year. Instead, they are learning how to turn civics concepts into action at every grade level, across the entire curriculum. Math, language arts and science teachers are integrating civics as a tool to teach students how they can take action to address societal and local problems. For example, students in science classes discuss the role of government and what they can do to address environmental issues. Science teachers team up with history and social science teachers to guide students in Socratic seminars around current events that might focus on relevant topics such as the drought, clean water Action Civics | Comstock's magazine: