Elective Course

ASPECT 1_Civic Knowledge: Demonstrate a fundamental and functional knowledge of government, law, history, geography, culture, economics, and current events.  These may include inequities within our democratic system at the federal, state, and local level.  Students should know how to apply this knowledge to different circumstances and settings. 

• Structure and functioning of government, law, and democracy at the federal, state, local and school levels and how to participate 

• Civil and educational rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the U.S. constitution, the Constitution of the State of NY and federal, state and local statutes and regulations 

• History, geography, economics and current events within our country and in our global society 

• Impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues 

• View and analyze history and current issues from multiple perspectives 

• The importance of civic rights and responsibilities, such as voting, volunteering, etc.

• Ensuring a free press 

ASPECT 2_ Civic Skills and Actions: Demonstrate a broad array of critical analytic, verbal, communication, media literacy and other skills and participate in a wide variety of actions.  Students should practice such actions both inside and outside of school on a regular basis. 

• Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and classroom debates and how to respectfully disagree with other viewpoints and provide evidence for a counterargument 

• Participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, community, state or national issue or problem 

• Identify, describe, and contrast the roles of the individual in opportunities for social and political participation in different societies 

• Work to influence those in positions of power to achieve extensions of freedom, social justice and human rights 

• Fulfill social and political responsibilities associated with participation in a democratic society and the interdependent global community by developing awareness of and/or engaging in the political process 

• Analyze and evaluate news (news literacy) media, social media and other sources of information for accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility. 

• Engagement in working toward the public good 

ASPECT 3_Civic Mindsets:  Demonstrate the mindset of a participant in a democratic society.  A civic mindset is a commitment to democratic interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues, attitudes, and beliefs and informed actions that promote and facilitate meaningful participation in civic life.  It is an understanding of self as part of and responsible to larger social groups 

• Valuing equity, inclusivity, diversity and fairness 

• Recognizing the need to plan for both current needs and the good of future generations 

• Committing to balancing the common good with individual liberties 

• Demonstrating a sense of self as an active participant in society, willing to contribute to solving local and/or national problems 

• Respecting fundamental democratic principles, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the rule of law 

ASPECT 4_Civic Experiences: Participate in developmentally appropriate civic experiences.  Civic readiness should be developed in a variety of settings and ways—inside and outside the classroom, across content areas and for multiple purposes.  Civic Readiness should be promoted by engaging students in relevant experiences that include students as active participants. 

• Completing a civic capstone or civic engagement project 

• Engaging in service learning 

• Engaging in civil discourse around controversial issues 

•  Engaging with news and digital tools, such as social media, responsibly 

• Participating in civic centered co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as Model UN, Student Government, Debate Club, Student Journalism or Mock Trial 

• Participating in school governance 

• Voting, volunteering, and participating in community organizations and governmental systems, such as community boards, youth advisory councils etc. to promote continuous improvement. 

• Engaging with local officials and government institutions through activities such as providing public comment before a government agency, or meeting with public and elected officials.