Introduction

Civics Online is a collaborative, online project providing a rich array of primary sources, professional development tools, and interactive activities to help in the teaching of civics.

Civics Online provides:

Teachers

Students

  • To search for and retrieve multi-media primary sources using searches that speak to differing needs, abilities, and grade levels;
  • Grade specific civic explorations that has students use primary sources and trace civic themes in an interactive case based on the Elian Gonzalez story;
  • A civic glossary and timeline to help with primary sources and explore civic terms and trends;
  • A digital notebook so they can print or e-mail notes taken while online.

Parents

  • Guides and resources to help parents understand the civics curriculum and participate and extend their child's civic education.

Pedagogically

Civics Online is designed to foster teachers' thinking about how to design effective learning environments around ideas of democratic citizenship, and to support students as they explore these environments. Beliefs about teaching and learning civics embedded in this design reflect those found in standards documents such as the Michigan Curriculum Framework. These standards assert that students should actively construct knowledge and understanding about civic life through a process of disciplined inquiry that helps them make connections to the world in meaningful ways. Following this, students should also be supported and encouraged as they engage in thoughtful and purposive social action outside of the classroom around issues that are meaningful to them. Through the design and enactment of innovative and creative learning environments, teachers can foster skills that encourage and empower students to become thoughtful citizens who actively participate in democratic communities where human dignity is privileged.

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Civics Online
http://civics.matrix.msu.edu
Creation Date: 2/21/2000
Last Updated: 3/20/2005