Lesson 3

LESSON 3
CIVIC IDEALS AND PRACTICES
Teaching Civic Ideals and Practices in Early Childhood Education
The relative value of civics in the overall educational landscape is the subject
of a great deal of discussion in the education field these days. The push to create
students who are globally competitive, workforce ready, STEM proficient, and who
possess the skills necessary for success in the 21st century makes the argument for
ramping up civic education all the more challenging. Quality civic education that
crosses subject areas, however, has the potential to help students meet all of these
other expectations while simultaneously promoting the long-term civic health of our
democratic society.
Young people who engage in and know more about their communities are more
likely to want to improve those communities through better government, voting,
political discussion, and other civic activities than their less engaged and
knowledgeable counterparts. These students also tend to be more interested in
learning how to create change and make effective decisions in their civic work.
CIVIC IDEALS AND PRACTICES
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the
ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic.
An understanding of civic ideals and practices is critical to full participation in

society and is an essential component of education for citizenship, which is the
central purpose of social studies. All people have a stake in examining civic ideals
and practices across time and in different societies. Through an understanding of both
ideals and practices, it becomes possible to identify gaps between them, and study
efforts to close the gaps in our democratic republic and worldwide.
Learning how to apply civic ideals as part of citizen action is essential to the
exercise of democratic freedoms and the pursuit of the common good. Through
social studies programs, students acquire a historical and contemporary understanding
of the basic freedoms and rights of citizens in a democracy, and learn about the
institutions and practices that support and protect these freedoms and rights, as well
as the important historical documents that articulate them. Students also need to
become familiar with civic ideals and practices in countries other than our democratic
republic.
Questions faced by students studying this theme might be: What are the
democratic ideals and practices of a constitutional democracy? What is the balance
between rights and responsibilities? What is civic participation? How do citizens
become involved? What is the role of the citizen in the community and the nation,
and as a member of the world community? Students will explore how individuals and
institutions interact. They will also recognize and respect different points of view.
Students learn by experience how to participate in community service and political
activities and how to use democratic processes to influence public policy.
In schools, this theme typically appears in units or courses dealing with civics,
history, political science, cultural anthropology, and fields such as global studies
and law-related education, while also drawing upon content from the
humanities. In the early grades, students are introduced to civic ideals and practices
through activities such as helping to set classroom expectations, examining
experiences in relation to ideals, participating in mock elections, and determining
how to balance the needs of individuals and the group. During these years, children
also experience views of citizenship in other times and places through stories and
drama. By the middle grades, students expand their knowledge of democratic ideals
and practices, along with their ability to analyze and evaluate the relationships
between these ideals and practices. They are able to see themselves taking civic roles
in their communities. High school students increasingly recognize the rights and
responsibilities of citizens in identifying societal needs, setting directions for public
policies, and working to support both individual dignity and the common good. They
become familiar with methods of analyzing important public issues and evaluating
different recommendations for dealing with these issues.

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CIVIC IDEALS AND PRACTICES

Teaching Civic Ideals and Practices in Early Childhood Education

CIVIC IDEALS AND PRACTICES

An understanding of civic ideals and practices is critical to full participation in

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