Formerly the isnowa has and [email protected] veys oftheadultpopulation overthepastfifty students’ responses comparedtosimilarsur- the testjustaschallenging. surmise thattoday’s adultpopulationwouldfind would havedifficultypassingit.One mighteven percent, ironicallymosthighschool students who passthecitizenshiptestisaround90 Americans. Whilethepercentageofimmigrants civic knowledgetestsrequiredofnative-born naturalization process,yettherearenosuch test inAmericanhistoryandcivicsaspartthe Immigrants seekingcitizenshiparegivena knowledge thatallAmericansshouldpossess?” sion is,“What,ifany, isthecorebodyofcivic interested chosen by myrealizationthatthestudentsrespondinghad consistently poor. Thesadrealitywasexacerbated period. Theresultsoftheyearlystatisticwere dred respondentstothepretestoverfive-year is Beverlylocated?Therewerenearlythreehun- governor? Whatisareferendum?Onwhatocean asked, forexample,Whoisthemayor? . I on questionsaboutstateandlocalgovernment branches ofthefederalgovernmentaswell ing electedofficialsandtheprocessesofthree my studentsweresurveyedonquestionsconcern- class. Foraperiodoffiveyearsinthemid-1990s my studentsbringwiththemonthefirstdayof interested inthelevelofpoliticalknowledgethat As agovernmentteacherIhavealwaysbeen Teacher’s Perspective Out ofcuriosityIbeganinvestigating my For me,thequestionthatnowbegsdiscus- thiselectivecoursebecausetheywere inthesubjectmatter. primaryresearch.org/PRTHB/schoolhistory>. the earlypartoftwentiethcenturyRights Act (1970) Federal Voting 26th Amendment (1971) While we can only suggest the scope of Rather than merely reading in a civics book the creation of local history digital databases, the creation of local history site. on our Web which are then published research skills Students develop sophisticated conduct- while acting as apprentice-historians primary source ing original research using documents and databases. Course Overview Course Overview provide students with Our course attempts to the knowledge and critical thought processes such needed to meet challenges to democracy, separation of power, as tyranny of the majority, individual liberties, limited government, and Through a variety of hands-on activi- equality. ties we hope to develop the political aware- ness necessary for students to be informed and discerning citizens in a participatory democracy with civic responsibility and civic virtue as the intended outcomes. this curriculum in an article, one library-inten- sive unit teaches both media literacy skills and research to explore voting and the history of voting rights. Since our students are almost of voting age, we see voting and the evolution of the of franchise in the United States as a cornerstone our curriculum. Students study not only who was allowed to vote, but why certain groups were not given the franchise (see figure 1). that many citizens never register to vote for lack Civic Engagement Civic The The Origins The Declaration . , and David Jacobsen’s , and David Jacobsen’s , Bernard Bailyn’s , Bernard Bailyn’s 2. Poor people (Southern African Americans uses as a device to discriminate against African Americans. End of the Poll Tax.) 3. Literacy tests banned. These tests sometimes used to discourage certain groups from voting. voters rather than twenty- 4. Eighteen-year-old one-year-old. In further support of the curriculum, the The guiding focus of our class is the Time PeriodTime Group Receiving Franchise 1787–18501851–1900 Non-Protestant Males, Male Non-Land Owners1901–1950 All African American males Individual State Laws 1951–2005 All women D.C. 1. Citizens of Washington, 15th Amendment (1870) 23rd Amendment (1961) (1920) 19th Amendment of American Politics English Libertarian History librarian adds relevant books and journals to editing the collection and acts as a co-teacher, student civic research projects and teaching before-school civic seminars using the library as the classroom. preservation of local civic documents and org>, a Web site that features the achieve- org>, a Web of our students. It also ments and contributions including resources, provides them with Web study guides. For class assignments and course about the evolution example, our students learn stages in Ancient of democracy from its earliest examples expressed Greece and Rome; to British Petition of Right, and in the Magna Carta, the the ideals expressed Declaration of Rights; to in our Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Women’s Declaration of Rights, and Emancipation Proclamation. These documents have been posted by the school librarian as a study resource for the class. Both of us have reworked or para- phrased some of the more difficult readings in order to accommodate various reading levels. Study questions are linked to the documents. In addition we have created study guides on various readings, such as Carl Becker’s of Independence Figure 1. Figure 1. History of the Franchise in the United States ? ABC News and E! News
. because there were not enough funds M . P
Collaboratively we maintain At an institutional level, we work together How can civics and media literacy be These questions are central to both civic These questions are central
PrimaryResearch.org society, fragmented society, attention of an increasingly nential spread of media outlets vying for the nential spread of media the difference between the difference between unbiased media? Is there such a thing as expo- With the education and media literacy. (and about) blogs, RS feeds, and IM? What is (and about) blogs, RS 30 Knowledge Quest Volume 34/Number 4 • March/April 2006 parties, suchasthe populistplanksofdirect issues wereeventually co-optedbythemajor is notawastedvote,asmanyofthe platform’s Party. We learnedthatvotingforathirdparty ments weexaminetheinfluenceof thePopulist with localexamples.Throughprimary docu- third parties,alwaysconnectingnational history conventions, andelections,including theroleof tions tobevoteduponduringamockcampaign. edge, theydesignspecifictypesofpollsandques- specialist. To testtheirabilitytoapplythisknowl- the content-areateacherandlibrarymedia ing researchandanalysiswiththehelpofboth realignment. Studentsconductextensivepoll- data andlookforpatterns—reasonsgroup school library, studentsstudylongitudinalvoting statistics foundthroughcarefulresearchinthe the ballotatadisadvantage?).Usingarticlesand (for example,arecandidatesfurtherdownon ine whathasbeendescribedas“ballotfatigue” turnout instateswithopenprimaries.We exam- best motivatorforpartyidentification)withthe turnout amongstateswithclosedprimaries(the voter impactsturnout.We comparevoter dency towarddeclaringoneselfanindependent In classweconsiderhowtheincreasingten- indicator ofvotingisstrongpartyidentification. When discussingnonvoting,themostreliable beginning withthe1968presidentialelection. data fromalongitudinalstudyofgroupvoting, behavior. Recentlywehavebeenexaminingthe ticular partiesandexaminetherationaleforthis voter alignmentofcertaingroupstowardpar- equation? Lookingforpatterns,weinspectthe and soon?Whatroledoesliteracyplayinthis call forholidaystovote,havefewerelections, voter registration,makeitmandatorytovote, are wesolow?Doothercountriesrequire with thoseofotherdemocraticcountries.Why a largercontextbycomparingourvotingrates why theyarenotregistered. then interviewstheirnonvotingneighborsasto versus nonregisteredvotersbyageandgender, their street.Eachstudentcomparesregistered ward usingthecity’s voterregistrationlistfor gather dataontheregistrationratesoftheirown they feelalienatedfromthegovernment,students of interest,lackpoliticalefficacy, orbecause We studythehistoryofpartyplatforms, This dataanalysisinvolvescriticalthinking. Then weputAmerican’s votinghistoryin individual students togetabettersenseofthe We invitelocalelected officialstoshadow Experiencing Government to neverfearfailureindesigningcurriculum. we’ve learnedthatthemostimportant lessonis gral partoftheyearlycurriculum. Asteachers attempted afewtimes,whileothers areainte- course, someoftheseadventureswereonly 1991). Inmorethantwenty-fiveyearsofthis of studentparticipatoryactivities(Westbrook designed areinspiredbyJohnDewey’s models the hands-onactivitiesandfieldtripswe’ve democratic attitudesandpractices,manyof In ordertoencourageanddeveloppositive Adventures Outreach andInreach Civic Examples ofHands-on restrictions) andacallforvolunteers. contributions (listingvariouscampaignfinance use. Thentheyissuemockcallsforcampaign knowledge ofavarietypoliticalpollstheir cians createmockpollingresultstoreflecttheir leisure activities.Further, ourstudent-politi- and scannedpicturesofthestudent’s familyand deal oftimeonpoliticaladvertising)arésumé Web sitethatalsoincludes(aswespendagreat This isdevelopedintoanindividualcampaign positions onanumberofcontemporaryissues. cal platformwithplanksreflectingtheirchosen of manyissues,eachstudentdevelopsapoliti- library. Aftercarefulanalysisandexamination school amount oftimeworkingindependentlyafter to accomplishthis,theyspendasignificant of politicalcampaignsandelections.Inorder selected fromalmostthirtytopicsonallaspects impact oftheNineteenthAmendment. Suffrage andAnti-Suffragemovements;the demographic differencesamongwomeninthe gration, andprohibition;theideological the suffragemovementregardingrace,immi- ideological differencesamongtheleadersof nationally. We areparticularlyinterestedinthe the suffragemovementlocally, statewide,and media centersupportstudentinvestigationsof income tax. election ofU.S.senatorsandthegraduated Every studentwritesaresearchpaper Primary sourcesfoundthroughthelibrary QY:
wording accurate?? in theschool services ofthelocalandstategovernments. duce immigrantstothevariousproceduresand working onavideoinSpanishthathelpsintro- legislation. Inthecurrentschoolyearweare meetings, factfindingtrips,andactualvotingon the first-handopportunitytoseecommittee Over thesemester, everystudentinclasshad Boston andshadowedhimforthewholeday. week, twoofourstudentstookthetrainto Representative MichaelCahillwhere,oncea was aprogramthatwesetupwiththen-State or StateSenator. Anoutgrowthofthesetours House, usuallyledbyourStateRepresentative for studentstotourtheMassachusettsState and appointedcityofficials.We also arrange Day wherestudentstakeontheroleofelected the BeverlycitygovernmenthasaModelCity high schoolexperience.Asareciprocalgesture, Delba Winthropat aneveningsessionheldinthe political philosophers HarveyMansfieldand culminated withaninvitedvisitbyHarvard Tocqueville’s (2000) A week-long,before-schoolseminar onde Academic Connections beginning ofcivicresponsibility. that civicknowledgeandvotingareonlythe election results.Throughouttheyarelearning tion issues,offerpredictions,andanalyzepost- local cableTVshowsinwhichtheydiscusselec- recount. Occasionallystudentshaveproduced official BeverlycountersforaCongressional on oneoccasionwhentheywereaskedtobe tical analysisskillsbecameextremelyimportant once, forCongressionalcandidates.Theirstatis- cil, schoolcommittee,statelegislature,and, moderate campaigndebatesforlocalcitycoun- In theschool’s auditorium,studentshostand class (forexample,pollinganddataanalysis). teer fortasksthatapplywhattheyhavelearnin students arenotjustsign-holders;theyvolun- effort, andexpertiseforthegreatergood.Our we encourageallstudentstodonatetheirtime, all levelsofgovernment.Duringtheseelections to volunteerinmyriadpoliticalcampaignsfor of theirlearning,manystudentsaremotivated registration, tabulation,andanalyses.Asaresult local, state,andfederal.Theseincludestudent We runmockschoolelectionsonalllevels: Political Campaigns Democracy inAmerica
Knowledge Quest31 Volume 34/Number 4 • March/April 2006 and Cato’s and Cato’s Democracy in John Dewey and Ithaca, N.Y.: Ithaca, N.Y.: The English New York: Knopf. New York: The Origins of The Declaration of Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Pr. Chicago: Univ. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill. Independent Whig New York: Harcourt Brace Harcourt New York: “the truth is out there,” but it’s but it’s “the truth is out there,” Libertarian Heritage, From the Writings Libertarian Heritage, From the Writings Gordon and Thomas of John Trenchard in the Letters. American Democracy. Pr. Cornell Univ. Independence: A Study in the History of Ideas. and Civic Skills: Recent Evidence.” CIRCLE: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Nov. . 2005. Accessed 16 Nov. America. American Politics. Jacobsen, David, ed. 1965. Robert B. 1991. Westbrook, Comber, Melissa K. 2003. “Civics Curriculum Comber, Alexis. 2000. de Tocqueville, The X-Files, of half-truths and also buried under a mountain is to grow along lies. If American democracy changes in technology with the unprecedented must protect the and the media, we educators ability to choose between future-voting public’s understand all sides of candidates and to fully skills lie at every issue. These decision-making civic involvement. It is the root of meaningful the reason we teach government and civics in high school. For these reasons the library media specialist has never been more essential. Carl. 1922. Becker, Works Cited Works Bailyn, Bernard. 1968.
In every civic research project we keep In every civic research the local history meets the larger historical discover the spot where truth context. To and myth may be separated. number of resources (archives and orga- nizations) to ensure a collective sense of community responsibility and apprecia- tion. Any project we undertake is based on a spirit of caring, sharing, and daring. databases, and previous research acces- aim to blend sible to a wider audience. We research and technology via online access to resources that may have been previously inaccessible or relatively unknown. In modern hip-hop parlance, we are provid- ing the samples to allow the audience to create new and exciting mixes. ing to the contributions of the people in ing to the contributions who have either our community's history never before been been forgotten or have preserve documents and appreciated. To these lives cultural artifacts that illuminate and their contributions. focus on the point where Intersection: To combine the greatest Collaboration: To make the documents, Accessibility: To give life and mean- To Immortalization: Our Future an age when access to informa- are entering We tion no longer defines those who are enfran- chised and those who are not. The haves and the have-nots are those who know and those the difference between good know who don’t borrow a phrase from and bad information. To these four objectives in mind: these four objectives in
. database, and research projects are listed at community’s history. Other online digitization, Other online history. community’s educators interested in teaching their own to serve as an instructional aids for other textbooks on archaeology and architecture course. Our students have also created online Educational Archives, and our government Beverly High School course using the Beverly Beverly High School course using the Beverly of Beverly, student work from the History of of Beverly, called Primary Research through the History called Primary Research through the History Apprentice to History (PATH), a course Apprentice to History (PATH), untary, out-of-school program called Project: untary, dedicated civic virtue of students from a vol- primaryresearch.org> is the result of the projects. The bulk of the research on