Developing Citizenship:

Civics and Government

Chapter 10Social Studies for

Preschool/Primary ChildBy Carol Seefeldt Sharon Castle & Renee C. Falconer

Presented by Arianny Savinon

EDS 739

Lehman College

Summer 2013

What would children learn?

Democratic and governance principles:

• Responsibilities * Power and authority• Rules * Roles• Laws * Individuals and groups• Participation * Values • Fairness• Democracy• Rights

National Councils for the Social Studies Strands(1994) Related to Civics

Strand X, 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”

K-4 Strand:

Children should know about democratic principles, government, the Constitution, world affairs, and citizenship

Children will acquire intellectual skills such as critical thinking within a democracy and participatory skills

Children should be exposed to questions and social issues related to:

Civic participation

Citizenship and role in the community, nation and world

Rights and responsibilities

Activities:

Helping set the classroom expectations, conducting service projects, participating in class meetings, making decisions to balance the needs for the wellbeing of individuals and the

NCSS Strand VI, Power, Authority and Governance:

“ Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority and governance”

Children should be exposed to questions and issues related to:

What is power, how is earned, used and justified, who hold it, what forms does it take?

What is government, how is created, structured, changed and maintained?

How we keep government responsive to citizens’ needs and interests?

How can individual rights be protected?

Activities:

Children learn about fairness, rights, responsibility, rules and order through their relationship with others in specific contexts

They develop notion of power and authority as they interact with teachers

Why is it important to Develop Citizenship in Young Children?

Civic Educations is

essential to the

preservation and

improvement of a

democratic society

Young children learn from

informal and formal

experiences that start in

the classroom

Children learn democratic

values : foundation for

complex civic

Democratic Values

Young children learn how to

become members and build

a democratic society

Children learn that they are

valued, worthy and

respected

Children learn their rights

Learn to give up their

egocentrism

Learn to share and to

balance their individual

needs with the common

Strategies to Manage a Democratic Group

Teachers share control

Children make decisions

Discipline is firm and consistently, but

does not involve around force,

coercion, embarrassment or threat

Freedom of thought and speech are

fostered

Children are NEVER overwhelmed by

the power of others

A sense of community is built

Teachers model respect for others

Teachers promote caring behaviors

and respect from the children

What do Young Children Learn?

Civic Participation

The National Standards for Civics and Government states that:

By the end of Grade 4, children

should have develop the following

participation skills:

• Influencing decisions by working with others

• Clearly articulating interests and making them known to decision

makers

• Building coalitions, negotiating, compromising, and seeking

consensus

• Managing conflicts

• Young children start developing

participation when they assume

responsibility for themselves

• Children learn to participate in

Civic ParticipationActivities that Promote

Civic Participation Responsibility for self:

Dressing, toileting and washing

Responsibility for others and the

group:

Group discussion, activities, stories, songs…

Setting tables, serving food, cleaning up after play and work, caring for plants and animals that belong to the group

Sharing responsibilities and ideas in a group activity

Class meetings are effective to model and practice democratic values: clarifying rules, resolving interpersonal conflicts, and collecting problem solving

Setting rules in the classroom and following them: using bathroom, toys, etc.

Children learn to participate and become productive members of a

society when: They serve others

Help in their homes: taking care of siblings, pets, parents

Research: “Active participation in service learning in social studies classrooms improves learning and attitudes toward civic involvement…”

Helpful experiences:

Teachers assign children responsibilities for taking care of others in the classroom

Teachers organized trips to places in the community where children can serve others ( e. g. nursing homes, picking up trash, recycling, distribute books, food/toys for needy children, designing posters to protect animals, plants, environment, etc. )

Engaging question: How could you make a difference?

This model service-oriented thinking and might result in some actions

Special considerations When Teaching Civic Participation to Young Children

Goals to move toward:

Knowing that rules and laws are established by people

Realizing that rules and laws are always changing

Understanding that people have control over their own lives

Being empathetic, socially responsible, and considerate for others

Goals to move away from:

Perceiving rules as coming

from “on high”

Thinking of rules as

unchanging

Perceiving people as

powerless before the law

Being egocentric, self-

centered, and indifferent to

others

Political Concepts

How do we teach political concepts to young children?

Political concepts are based on

children’s own experiences

and should be introduced

informally

Use their knowledge about the

President, Flag, Pledge

Allegiance, songs to introduce

political topics

Children understand authority

through their experiences at

home and in school –

Connections-

Research about Children’s Political learning:

“Children become politically aware and talk about politic topics even when their range of knowledge is narrow…”

Children acquire information from different sources and experiences including home, school and media

“Young children involvement in politics begins early with strong emotional attachment to the President….”

Concepts of politics begin in early childhood, and the process of development is continual

Basic attachments and identifications are among the first concepts acquired

Children view political authority figures as positive, benevolent, and personal

Feelings and affection develop before knowledge

Not until early childhood can children distinguish between different political roles and basic factual

VotingVoting is a challenging topic for young children because of their egocentric thinking: the concepts of winning and losing are difficult to accept

Strategies to Help Young Children Learn the Concept of Voting:

1. Ask children to make choices

and explain the reasons for

their choices

2. Let children experience the

consequences of their choices

3. Graph children’s choices so

they can talk about them

4. Give children two choices( in

the group, decide to make a

cake, then ask children to

choose between 2 flavors,

then graph their choices and

analyze with them the

outcomes)

Children can vote to make decision about:

Rules to cleanup time, games, taking turns for

specific tasks, who will lead the group for the day,

what service project they prefer to do, and so on.

Symbols of Democratic Government

Children understand that symbols stand for things

Through the use of a variety of symbols children begin to understand abstract political concepts in concrete terms: pictures, visuals, songs, stories, movements

The Flag

• The flag serves as a visual symbol

• Young children seem to recognize the importance of flags

• Experiences with flags can help develop a sense of ownership

Activities that help children develop a concept of the flag:

• Design flags in the classroom

• Post various flags around the

classroom

• Have children construct a booklet

about the flags

• Read stories about Betsy Ross and

the history of the flag

• Start research projects about the

American flag

• Research project about other flags

• Sing song or read stories about flags

• Organize a flag display day

Symbols of Democratic Government:

The Pledge Allegiance

What should we do with this?

Reserve the Pledge for special days

Invite members of special organizations to demonstrate their flags ceremony and recite the Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge allegiance was created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of

America’s discovery.

Teachers need to be careful about requiring young children to recite it and to salute the flag.

Flag salutation violates the religious belief of some groups of believers

No one may be compelled to salute the flag

For young children recite the pledge allegiance is meaningless. Since it’ s done without thought, it does not foster democratic values or attitudes

Reciting the pledge became an

act of doctrination instead of an

act of learning

Ownership and Pride

School and Community

Children develop pride in being members of the school community

Children share in caring for the school, cleaning, decorating, participating in events, appreciating the job of people within their community and school

Children take neighborhood field trips and explore their community

They learn how people are interdependent and develop awareness of the place their school and neighborhood into the community

Nation

Teacher can provide young

children with experiences that

help them comprehend the

sizes, magnificence and

diversity of the nation

Using maps, identify, culture,

features, habits, customs, and

practices of people from

different parts of the nation,

comparing places within their

community and nation and

around the world

THE END