Civic Education

Walling’s article “The Return of Civic Education” argues for a renewed commitment to Civic learning within Social Studies classrooms. He insists that “teaching students about their constitutional heritage so that they will become knowledgeable, thoughtful citizens of democracy” is key to improving both political and community engagement and learning (285). I still find myself a little confused about the distinction between “government” and “civics” as separately offered classes. In my government classroom in 12^th grade, we discussed the principles of the constitution and the duties and expectations of citizens in a democratic nation. Walling explains that back in the 1960’s “civics” used to include exhaustive analysis of government functions that actually turned people away from civic engagement (286). I would be really curious to learn more about the proposed focus on “civic outcomes” that teach students how to work within their community to solve problems and encourages civic learning projects. I agree with the author that this type of learning is only truly valuable if it engages students. When the learning is hands-on and “real world”, it becomes more relevant and useful in the eyes of students. Since young people today are more motivated to volunteer, there should be opportunities within the classroom to discuss the reasons why we volunteer and how we can positively impact our communities. I also didn’t realize how many organizations and resources are available that promote civic education. It would be great if teachers shared this information with students and incorporate activities in the classroom to encourage debate and engagement.