Educating for citizenship was the original mission of American schools, but for decades that knowledge-also known as civics education-has been in decline, as schools have shifted focus to college and career, STEM, and raising reading and math scores. But over the last few years, spurred on by political polarization and a steep decline in public understanding, civics education is seeing a nation-wide resurgence, as school leaders, educators, and parents recognize the urgency of teaching young people how America works-especially young people who have been marginalized from the political system. But this isn't your grandmother's civics. The "new" civics has been updated and re-tooled for the phone-addicted, multi-cultural, globalized twenty-first century kid. From combatting "fake news" with fact checking in Silicon Valley, to reviving elementary school social studies in Nashville, to learning civic activism in Oklahoma City, journalist Holly Korbey documents the grassroots revival happening across the country. Along the way, she provides an essential guidebook for educators, school leaders and caregivers of all types who want to educate a new generation of engaged citizens at a critical time in American democracy.
Acknowledgements Introduction: Is Democracy at Risk? Chapter 1: Rise of the Twenty-First Century Citizen : For Today's Young People, a New Civics Chapter 2: Nurseries of a Free Republic: The Critical Role Schools Play in Teaching New Civics Innovator: Seth Andrew, Democracy Prep, and the Civic Success Sequence Chapter 3: A Tree without Roots: Repairing the History Knowledge Gap New Civics Innovator: iCivics: Engaging the Twenty-First Century Kid with Video Games Chapter 4: The Value of Virtue: Raising Citizens With Character New Civics Innovator: Jack Bradley, "The Rosa Parks of Special Needs Students" Chapter 5: Together We Can Do So Much: Revitalizing Communities for the Twenty-first Century New Civics Innovators: The Young Voices in Newburgh, Indiana Chapter 6: A Vaccine Against Fake News: Using Less Critical Thinking-Not More-to Protect Against Misinformation New Civics Innovator: The Accidental Activist Chapter 7: Learning How to Talk and Listen: Civil Discourse in a Polarized Age Chapter 8: The Future's Citizen: Can Action Civics Create a More Equitable Democracy? Notes Index About the Author
