feature Encouraging Civic Virtues A Collaborative Model Developed by a Teacher-Librarian and a Classroom Teacher W. Dean Eastman and Kevin McGrath [email protected] and [email protected] Teacher’s Perspective years. These survey questions are similar in As a government teacher I have always been nature to many of those on the naturalization interested in the level of political knowledge that test. Unfortunately, these findings demonstrate that although Americans today may be painfully W. Dean Eastman has my students bring with them on the first day of class. For a period of five years in the mid-1990s lacking in civic knowledge, there has never, at been teaching history least over the past fifty years, been a golden age 28 my students were surveyed on questions concern- at Beverly (Mass.) High ing elected officials and the processes of the three of civic education. School since 1970 and branches of the federal government as well as In recent years, civics has become an elec- tive or, worse, been cut because of state-man- has been the recipient of on questions about state and local government <www.primaryresearch.org/civic/survey.php>. I dated standardized testing, in spite of studies numerous honors and asked, for example, Who is the mayor? Who is the by the Center for Information and Research awards, including the governor? What is a referendum? On what ocean on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) Knowledge Quest 34/Number 4 • March/April 2006 Volume Massachusetts Christa is Beverly located? There were nearly three hun- and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) that report that students McAuliffe Fellowship dred respondents to the pretest over the five-year period. The results of the yearly statistic were who have taken civic classes have better “civic (1989), the Disney consistently poor. The sad reality was exacerbated knowledge, skills and engagement” (Comber American Teacher Award by my realization that the students responding had 2003, 1). So that our students understand the (1991), and Harvard chosen this elective course because they were context in which this class operates, they are asked to conduct research into various aspects University’s Derek Bok interested in the subject matter. For me, the question that now begs discus- of civic education at Beverly High School during Prize for Public Service sion is, “What, if any, is the core body of civic the early part of the twentieth century <www. (2000). Formerly the knowledge that all Americans should possess?” primaryresearch.org/PRTHB/schoolhistory>. library media specialist Immigrants seeking citizenship are given a Librarian’s Perspective at Beverly High School, test in American history and civics as part the naturalization process, yet there are no such When our students go to Google and looks up Kevin McGrath is now a civic knowledge tests required of native-born the Bush administration’s record on energy library teacher at Newton Americans. While the percentage of immigrants policy, what will they find? Will their judg- (Mass.) North High School, who pass the citizenship test is around 90 ment be based on whose Web site has the and is co-founder of percent, ironically most high school students most hits and appears at the top of the results would have difficulty passing it. One might even list? Will they find articles from the New York PrimaryResearch.org surmise that today’s adult population would find Times, and, if they did, would they know how <www.primaryresearch. the test just as challenging. that paper’s articles differ from those in the org>. Out of curiosity I began investigating my Washington Times? How do they learn the dif- students’ responses compared to similar sur- ference between ad copy and editorial content ©2006 TK veys of the adult population over the past fifty in USA Today? How do my students learn from Civic Engagement (and about) blogs, RS feeds, and IM? What is org>, a Web site that features the achieve- the creation of local history digital databases, the difference between E! News and ABC News? ments and contributions of our students. It also which are then published on our Web site. Is there such a thing as unbiased media? provides them with Web resources, including Students develop sophisticated research skills These questions are central to both civic class assignments and course study guides. For while acting as apprentice-historians conduct- education and media literacy. With the expo- example, our students learn about the evolution ing original research using primary source nential spread of media outlets vying for the of democracy from its earliest stages in Ancient documents and databases. attention of an increasingly fragmented society, Greece and Rome; to British examples expressed access to information has increased—but in the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and Course Overview unbiased information is rare. In the past I Declaration of Rights; to the ideals expressed Our course attempts to provide students with focused on teaching the skills to access infor- in our Mayflower Compact, Declaration the knowledge and critical thought processes mation. Now that students can easily obtain of Independence, Constitution, Women’s needed to meet challenges to democracy, such some results, my emphasis has shifted to Declaration of Rights, and Emancipation as tyranny of the majority, separation of power, teaching media literacy—the analysis of those Proclamation. These documents have been individual liberties, limited government, and results. We school librarians have a mandate to posted by the school librarian as a study resource equality. Through a variety of hands-on activi- teach our students the skills necessary to weed for the class. Both of us have reworked or para- ties we hope to develop the political aware- Knowledge Quest 34/Number 4 • March/April 2006 Volume through the morass of data, fact, and opinion in phrased some of the more difficult readings in ness necessary for students to be informed and order make sense of civic issues. order to accommodate various reading levels. discerning citizens in a participatory democracy Study questions are linked to the documents. In with civic responsibility and civic virtue as the Collaboration between the addition we have created study guides on various intended outcomes. School Librarian and Social readings, such as Carl Becker’s The Declaration While we can only suggest the scope of Studies Teacher of Independence, Bernard Bailyn’s The Origins this curriculum in an article, one library-inten- 29 Like many public schools in recent years, our of American Politics, and David Jacobsen’s The sive unit teaches both media literacy skills and high school in Beverly, Massachusetts, has had English Libertarian History. research to explore voting and the history of a history of financial challenges. One school In further support of the curriculum, the voting rights. Since our students are almost of year 80 percent of our students were released at librarian adds relevant books and journals to voting age, we see voting and the evolution of the 12:20 P.M. because there were not enough funds the collection and acts as a co-teacher, editing franchise in the United States as a cornerstone of to pay for a complete school day. More recently, student civic research projects and teaching our curriculum. Students study not only who was we faced the loss of accreditation due to the before-school civic seminars using the library allowed to vote, but why certain groups were not unacceptable condition of the school building. as the classroom. given the franchise (see figure 1). Classroom resources are limited. There are no The guiding focus of our class is the Rather than merely reading in a civics book computers in the classroom in which the gov- preservation of local civic documents and that many citizens never register to vote for lack ernment class is taught. Our civics textbook was published in 1991. The television can only be Method (State Law, Federal Law, used to play videos. Constitutional Amendment, Supreme How can civics and media literacy be Time Period Group Receiving Franchise Court Ruling) taught in a system constrained by ideology, time, and funding? We’ve found that the answers lie in 1787–1850 Non-Protestant Males, Male Non-Land Owners Individual State Laws creative planning and collaboration that takes 1851–1900 All African American males 15th Amendment (1870) advantage of civic learning opportunities in 1901–1950 All women 19th Amendment (1920) the local community as well as at the state and 1951–2005 1. Citizens of Washington, D.C. 23rd Amendment (1961) federal level. At an institutional level, we work together 2. Poor people (Southern African Americans 24th Amendment (1964) on civic education initiatives. We are coordina- uses as a device to discriminate against African tors for the annual student Project Close-Up Americans. End of the Poll Tax.) insider trip to Washington, D.C. We also serve 3. Literacy tests banned. These tests sometimes Federal Voting Rights Act (1970) on the steering committee for the Massachusetts used to discourage certain groups from voting. Civil Liberties Union Bill of Rights Foundation, 4. Eighteen-year-old voters rather than twenty- 26th Amendment (1971) which offers student workshops about the one-year-old. impact of the Bill of Rights on everyday life. Collaboratively we maintain Figure 1. PrimaryResearch.org <www.primaryresearch. History of the Franchise in the United States of interest, lack of political efficacy, or because election of U.S. senators and the graduated high school experience. As a reciprocal gesture, they feel alienated from the government, students income tax. the Beverly city government has a Model City gather data on the registration rates of their own Primary sources found through the library Day where students take on the role of elected ward using the city’s voter registration list for media center support student investigations of and appointed city officials.