Parents generally want their children to grow up to be responsible citizens and free thinking individuals who learn to feel, think, and act with respect for themselves and for other people. This booklet provides information about the values and skills that make up character and good citizenship and what parents can do to help their children…

What students learn in general education can improve their functioning as citizens and such learning can be objectively measured. Ten conclusions by the College Outcome Measures Project, working to find and develop solutions to problems in assessing general civic competence, are provided. (Author/MLW)

Suggests how parents can help their children learn to be good and productive citizens, explaining why it is important and offering six ways to get started: listen to one's children and explore their interests, learn more about the cause one's children care about, participate, partner, be a leader, celebrate the good results of family stewardship…

This pioneering book, by one of the founders of the media literacy field, provides evidence of the impact of media literacy on the academic achievement of adolescents. Read about the practice of high school teachers who prepared their students to critically analyze all aspects of contemporary media culture. These teachers incorporated popular and…

This unit introduces students to the principles of democracy through a variety of teaching/learning techniques. Each lesson builds upon the opinions/knowledge developed in previous lessons and utilizes them to expand to a higher understanding of the principles of democracy. The principles and values that this exposes can be applied to and…

This lesson examines the Hungarian system of government so that students compare that governmental system with the U.S. model. The lesson is structured with: (1) background on the parliamentarian form of government; (2) description of the judiciary in Hungary and/or the issue of local self-governments; (3) highlights on some major differences…

This curriculum focuses on peace and justice issues while emphasizing the positive of the building of relationships. Units are developmental in approach and work from "Relating to Self" to "Relating to Others" to "Relating to Community and World." A Code of Ethics is presented to guide the unit and a section on…

The goal of civic education should be to develop competent, responsible citizens whose words and actions uphold and enrich the constitutional democracy of the United States. Being a good citizen requires proper knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This forum offers five articles: (1) "Educating Responsible Citizens" (Ivor Pritchard;…

This book identifies examples of programs in Wisconsin schools that reinforce the core set of community values identified by the Wisconsin Citizenship Initiative Task Force. Those values include courage, honesty, respect, individual responsibility, and civic responsibility. The profiled programs teach the core values and involve partnerships…

The stated purpose of Law Day is to call the attention of every U.S. citizen to the principles and the practice of U.S. law and justice. It is a day to reflect on U.S. legal heritage, the role of law in U.S. society, and the rights enjoyed under the U.S. Constitution. The theme of Law Day 1993 (May 1, 1993) was "Justice for All--All for…

This lesson summarizes the most significant facts about the communist period in Hungary and briefly examines the Hungarian electoral system. The lesson is structured with: (1) background on the communist period (1948-1989) and the evolution of the democratic political system and institutions during 1989-1990; (2) description of the electoral…

In the elections of 2000, one-half of U.S. citizens did not vote, or vote effectively. This reflects a marked decline in civic participation. Before these serious civic issues could be addressed, a second national civics lesson suddenly upstaged the first when international terrorists hijacked and crashed commercial airliners into the World Trade…

An approach to citizenship preparation that might be called civic education for global understanding includes a renewed engagement with and dedication to the civic needs of the nation. A need exists for students not only to continue to study the basic concepts and values of democracy but also to gain a broader understanding of the complex and…

This issue of "Service-Learning Network" looks at the ways that service learning can transform local government into a learning laboratory for civic education. The first article, "Creating the Missing Link: Local Government, Service Learning, and Civic Education" (Todd Clark), introduces the issue. "Service Learning and Local Government" (Ann…

Citizenship enables young people to learn about their rights and responsibilities, to understand how society works, and develop knowledge and understanding of social and political issues. Through citizenship education young people are encouraged to take action on issues of concern to themselves and to play an active part in the democratic process,…