In 2010, the State of Florida enacted civics education as a state mandate, requiring civics content to be taught in the language arts curriculum of all grades (Reiss, 2012, par. 20). Teaching government and civics provides students with the knowledge they need to become fully participating citizens in their communities. The range of content in this section moves from the basic structure, function, and purpose of government, and a comparison of their powers, to the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. electoral system and election process, citizenship responsibilities, the U.S. legal system, and more.
- Distinguish between the structure, functions, and purposes of federal, state, and local governments.
- Compare and contrast the rights and responsibilities of a citizen in the world, nation, state, and community.
- Identify and interpret major concepts of the U.S. Constitution and other historical documents.
- Compare and contrast the ways the legislative, executive, and judicial branches share powers and responsibility.
- Analyze the U.S. electoral system and the election process.
- Identify and analyze the relationships between social, economic, and political rights and the historical documents that secure these rights in the United States.
- Identify and analyze the processes of the U.S. legal system.
Teaching these topics will allow students to understand the history and structure of their own political and legal systems and how these function in the world today. Along with the topics taught formally, an informal curriculum will ideally be expressed by "adults who govern in accordance with constitutional values and principles" as well as by "students [who are] held accountable for behaving in accordance with fair and reasonable standards and for respecting the rights and dignity of others" (National Standards, 1994, pars. 3-4).
Additional resource for further exploration
At the link below, scan a roundup of 15 civics sites for teachers.
https://www.theedadvocate.org/15-best-social-studies-websites-teachers/
