Education for citizenship in a constitutional democracy has been a long-standing goal of schools in the United States. To achieve this goal, students must learn their civil rights and responsibilities in a free society. This ERIC Digest discusses: (1) the importance of teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship; (2) deficiencies in…

A comparative study of constitutions and governments in world history is a key to deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution. While many countries have constitutions, the United States is among a minority of nations in today's world that has a constitutional government. Many nations' constitutions truly guarantee few protections of individual…

Identifies four areas of deficiency in understanding and applying the principles of the Bill of Rights. Provides guidelines to improve instruction, emphasizing systematic coverage of Bill of Rights topics; analysis of case studies on Bill of Rights issues; and discussion of Bill of Rights issues in an open classroom environment. (CH)

Reaffirms the importance of civic education and active learning about the Bill of Rights and attendant civic responsibilities. Identifies four categories of knowledge deficiencies about the Bill of Rights. Explores four key ways to improve teaching and learning about the Bill of Rights. Stresses connections between civic knowledge and the vitality…