Author Archives: stevemasy

Civic Renewal: A Webinar with Peter Levine and Joan Blades

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Recently, Peter Levine and Eric Liu issued a report on the Civic Renewal Movement, which seeks to re-energize and re-engage the public in participation within the civic life of this country. 

CRMThe report discusses the leadership of the movement, the perspective of citizens, and ways in which the movement can continue to grow and succeed. I encourage you to check out the report. Following this week’s webinar, I will be sharing my own thoughts, and look forward to hearing yours. You can read the report here.

Did I mention a webinar? That’s right! There will be a webinar on Wednesday, 23 Sep at 2pm to discuss the report, featuring Peter Levine and Joan Blades of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation. It will be worth your time, and as a reminder, it is free and open to the public, but they do request that you register in advance! It will no doubt be as enlightening as the report.


Civic Renewal: A Webinar with Peter Levine and Joan Blades

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Recently, Peter Levine and Eric Liu issued a report on the Civic Renewal Movement, which seeks to re-energize and re-engage the public in participation within the civic life of this country. 

CRMThe report discusses the leadership of the movement, the perspective of citizens, and ways in which the movement can continue to grow and succeed. I encourage you to check out the report. Following this week’s webinar, I will be sharing my own thoughts, and look forward to hearing yours. You can read the report here.

Did I mention a webinar? That’s right! There will be a webinar on Wednesday, 23 Sep at 2pm to discuss the report, featuring Peter Levine and Joan Blades of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation. It will be worth your time, and as a reminder, it is free and open to the public, but they do request that you register in advance! It will no doubt be as enlightening as the report.


Constitution Day with the Kids and the Congressmen!

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Congressman Gutknecht (R-Minn), Congressman Stallings (D-Idaho), Dr. Knuckey, Dr. Fine await the first question

Congressman Gutknecht (R-Minn), Congressman Stallings (D-Idaho), Dr. Knuckey, Dr. Fine await the first question

Today is, of course, Constitution Day. As part of the Lou Frey Institute‘s Constitution Day recognition, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a discussion involving two retired representatives: Congressman Richard Stallings (D-Idaho) and Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-Minnesota). This session was also attended by about 150 high school students from local schools, and it was such a pleasure and a joy to see how utterly engaged they were today. While the original intent of the day was to discuss the Voting Rights Act, it became devoted to allowing the students to ask questions of the Congressmen about politics, government, society, and the Constitution. Some of the questions that these citizens-in-development asked:

  • What do you think of Trump?
  • What is your perspective on issues of climate change?
  • What might the Founders think about government and politics today?
  • Do you believe that Davis has a constitutional right to refuse to provide marriage certificates?
  • How can we use the Constitution to ensure gender equality?
  • Should Congress and state legislatures abolish the courts if they disagree?
  • What advice can you give me about getting involved in politics?
  • How can the ‘average joe’ gain the confidence to make decisions about government?
  • Should we interpret every word of the Constitution literally?

Gutknecht and Stallings debate immigration in response to a student question

Gutknecht and Stallings debate immigration in response to a student question

Now, these are certainly not all of the questions that were asked, but they reflect the thinking of the students, and every question prompted an excellent back and forth between Congressman Stallings and Congressman Gutknecht. It was refreshing to hear such honest debate between friendly but strong partisans, and the fact that they responded so well to the students was wonderful, even if they did not touch on the Voting Rights Act (which was the original intent). These are kids that will remember this for quite a while, and will, I believe, be engaged citizens. We are grateful for all those who participated, and for Professors Jonathan Knuckey and Terri Fine, who helped moderate the event. The fact that students asked so many excellent makes this civic educator proud! Kudos to the students and to the teachers.

Congressman Stallings talks politics and government with high school kids during lunch

Congressman Stallings talks politics and government with high school kids during lunch

Congressman Gutknecht chats with passionate students during lunch

Congressman Gutknecht chats with passionate students during lunch


Constitution Day with the Kids and the Congressmen!

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Congressman Gutknecht (R-Minn), Congressman Stallings (D-Idaho), Dr. Knuckey, Dr. Fine await the first question

Congressman Gutknecht (R-Minn), Congressman Stallings (D-Idaho), Dr. Knuckey, Dr. Fine await the first question

Today is, of course, Constitution Day. As part of the Lou Frey Institute‘s Constitution Day recognition, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a discussion involving two retired representatives: Congressman Richard Stallings (D-Idaho) and Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-Minnesota). This session was also attended by about 150 high school students from local schools, and it was such a pleasure and a joy to see how utterly engaged they were today. While the original intent of the day was to discuss the Voting Rights Act, it became devoted to allowing the students to ask questions of the Congressmen about politics, government, society, and the Constitution. Some of the questions that these citizens-in-development asked:

  • What do you think of Trump?
  • What is your perspective on issues of climate change?
  • What might the Founders think about government and politics today?
  • Do you believe that Davis has a constitutional right to refuse to provide marriage certificates?
  • How can we use the Constitution to ensure gender equality?
  • Should Congress and state legislatures abolish the courts if they disagree?
  • What advice can you give me about getting involved in politics?
  • How can the ‘average joe’ gain the confidence to make decisions about government?
  • Should we interpret every word of the Constitution literally?

Gutknecht and Stallings debate immigration in response to a student question

Gutknecht and Stallings debate immigration in response to a student question

Now, these are certainly not all of the questions that were asked, but they reflect the thinking of the students, and every question prompted an excellent back and forth between Congressman Stallings and Congressman Gutknecht. It was refreshing to hear such honest debate between friendly but strong partisans, and the fact that they responded so well to the students was wonderful, even if they did not touch on the Voting Rights Act (which was the original intent). These are kids that will remember this for quite a while, and will, I believe, be engaged citizens. We are grateful for all those who participated, and for Professors Jonathan Knuckey and Terri Fine, who helped moderate the event. The fact that students asked so many excellent makes this civic educator proud! Kudos to the students and to the teachers.

Congressman Stallings talks politics and government with high school kids during lunch

Congressman Stallings talks politics and government with high school kids during lunch

Congressman Gutknecht chats with passionate students during lunch

Congressman Gutknecht chats with passionate students during lunch


Constitution Day!

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Not that you necessarily need reminding, but don’t forget that Thursday the 17th of September is Constitution Day! I will admit that I preferred when it was known as ‘Citizenship Day’, because we really do not, I think, do enough to recognize the importance of good citizenship and what it means. I suppose that is a topic for another post however. In any case, how are you planning do approach Constitution Day?

Yesterday evening, I had a chance to participate for a time in a Twitter chat at #sschat sponsored by our friends at iCivics. I think that this may be of great interest to you if you are looking to see how other educators across the country are approaching instruction concerning both citizenship and the Constitution. The questions that were asked were deep and provocative, and the participant responses were illuminating, with a number of worthwhile tools and resources shared. I encourage you to check out the storify of the chat! And if you are not on Twitter, why not? It is worth it just to follow the #socialstudies and #sschat hashtags!

Finally, while we have shared resources for Constitution Day and teaching about that precious document before (please see here and here and here and here, among others), the Constitutional Rights Foundation (and is there a better name for a civic education group; I don’t think so) offers a great number of lessons and resources that you can use on Thursday or any other day!

The Constitutional Rights Foundation has resources for every grade level!

The Constitutional Rights Foundation has resources for every grade level!

Of course we have our own lesson plans and resources on the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship site. Register for free and access anything you need.

And we would love to have you do a guest post for us on how you approached Constitution Day or the document itself! Just shoot me an email! 


Constitution Day!

Posted on by
Reply

Not that you necessarily need reminding, but don’t forget that Thursday the 17th of September is Constitution Day! I will admit that I preferred when it was known as ‘Citizenship Day’, because we really do not, I think, do enough to recognize the importance of good citizenship and what it means. I suppose that is a topic for another post however. In any case, how are you planning do approach Constitution Day?

Yesterday evening, I had a chance to participate for a time in a Twitter chat at #sschat sponsored by our friends at iCivics. I think that this may be of great interest to you if you are looking to see how other educators across the country are approaching instruction concerning both citizenship and the Constitution. The questions that were asked were deep and provocative, and the participant responses were illuminating, with a number of worthwhile tools and resources shared. I encourage you to check out the storify of the chat! And if you are not on Twitter, why not? It is worth it just to follow the #socialstudies and #sschat hashtags!

Finally, while we have shared resources for Constitution Day and teaching about that precious document before (please see here and here and here and here, among others), the Constitutional Rights Foundation (and is there a better name for a civic education group; I don’t think so) offers a great number of lessons and resources that you can use on Thursday or any other day!

The Constitutional Rights Foundation has resources for every grade level!

The Constitutional Rights Foundation has resources for every grade level!

Of course we have our own lesson plans and resources on the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship site. Register for free and access anything you need.

And we would love to have you do a guest post for us on how you approached Constitution Day or the document itself! Just shoot me an email! 


New Videos: Electing the President

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One of the important relationships that the Lou Frey Institute and the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship have developed is with the Florida State Association of Supervisor of Elections. Recently, our own Dr. Terri Fine sat down with Bill Cowles, the Supervisor of Elections of Orange County, and Dr. Aubrey Jewett, Associate Professor of Political Science at UCF to discuss the process of electing the president. The video is broken down into four segments, and you can click the embedded link in the descriptive text to download each video. Alternatively, you can simply visit the page to preview the videos.

Please keep in mind that here in Florida, our 7th grade civics course does not generally address federal elections and the Electoral College, so these would be more applicable for high school students in this state. These could certainly serve as a means to develop/refresh your own content knowledge however! 

The first addresses the role of the census and reapportionment in determining the power and influence of a state within the Electoral College and in the selection of candidates.
censusThe second video explores presidential preference primaries and state caucuses, and the role they play in selecting a party’s candidate.

PPPThe third video describes the national conventions. It really is an interesting discussion about how the conventions have become more of a fundraising opportunity and media event rather than the traditional selection of the candidate, the running mate, and the platform. As argued in the clip, it is in many ways a ‘staged event’ now, because many of the decisions that used to occur at the convention now occur well in advance. It’s often just ratifying these decisions! Download the video and check out the discussion!
conv1 The next video in the series discusses Election Day and how time zones and different state-level voting procedures could impact both the voter and the election of the president, as well as a reminder that we are actually not really voting for the president! And no discussion of elections would be complete with a consideration of the money involved.
electon dayThe final video in the series looks at the Electoral College itself, always a controversial and misunderstood component of the American electoral system.
electorla college
We hope that you find this resource useful. Visit the Orange County Supervisor of Elections page to view and download the videos.

Reminder: Here in Florida, our 7th grade civics course does not generally address federal elections and the Electoral College, so these would be more applicable for high school students in this state. 


New Videos: Electing the President

Posted on by
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One of the important relationships that the Lou Frey Institute and the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship have developed is with the Florida State Association of Supervisor of Elections. Recently, our own Dr. Terri Fine sat down with Bill Cowles, the Supervisor of Elections of Orange County, and Dr. Aubrey Jewett, Associate Professor of Political Science at UCF to discuss the process of electing the president. The video is broken down into four segments, and you can click the embedded link in the descriptive text to download each video. Alternatively, you can simply visit the page to preview the videos.

Please keep in mind that here in Florida, our 7th grade civics course does not generally address federal elections and the Electoral College, so these would be more applicable for high school students in this state. These could certainly serve as a means to develop/refresh your own content knowledge however! 

The first addresses the role of the census and reapportionment in determining the power and influence of a state within the Electoral College and in the selection of candidates.
censusThe second video explores presidential preference primaries and state caucuses, and the role they play in selecting a party’s candidate.

PPPThe third video describes the national conventions. It really is an interesting discussion about how the conventions have become more of a fundraising opportunity and media event rather than the traditional selection of the candidate, the running mate, and the platform. As argued in the clip, it is in many ways a ‘staged event’ now, because many of the decisions that used to occur at the convention now occur well in advance. It’s often just ratifying these decisions! Download the video and check out the discussion!
conv1 The next video in the series discusses Election Day and how time zones and different state-level voting procedures could impact both the voter and the election of the president, as well as a reminder that we are actually not really voting for the president! And no discussion of elections would be complete with a consideration of the money involved.
electon dayThe final video in the series looks at the Electoral College itself, always a controversial and misunderstood component of the American electoral system.
electorla college
We hope that you find this resource useful. Visit the Orange County Supervisor of Elections page to view and download the videos.

Reminder: Here in Florida, our 7th grade civics course does not generally address federal elections and the Electoral College, so these would be more applicable for high school students in this state. 


Bringing the Constitution to Life: The Joe Foss Institute

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Today’s post is a guest post from Audrey Mazzota, the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the Joe Foss Institute. She joins us this morning to discuss how the Joe Foss Institute can help you and your students grow in your understanding of American history and civics through the programs they offer. As a veteran, I especially admire their integration of active duty and former military members into classrooms. Please remember that this is a national organization, so it serves more than just Florida!

As teachers know, stories transport children to a new level of understanding. The Joe Foss Institute (JFI), a national nonprofit organization, and their Veterans Inspiring Patriotism (VIP) program, uses the power of a “living history” story to inspire students and bring the concepts of citizenship and freedom to life.
 
Military veterans visit classrooms and speak of their service, in addition to delivering free education material on the Flag, Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. These corresponding videos and lesson plans are fun, engaging, aligned to clear learning objectives and are age appropriate. Florida history teacher Evy Fernandez says, “Having a veteran talk about their experience helps students put my lectures and lessons into perspective.”
 
Teachers solely seeking materials to supplement their civics and history lessons will find a resource in JFI’s You Are America civics series. In addition, classroom-size Flags and poster-size copies of the Founding Documents are offered free to schools.
 
Since its founding, JFI has enriched the education of more than 1.6 million, K – 12 students nationwide and more than 53,000 students in Florida.
 
JFI was founded in 2001 by Medal of Honor recipient General Joe Foss, and his wife Didi, to help educate young Americans on responsible citizenship and prepare them for civic engagement. In addition to classroom presentations and educational resources, the Institute offers college scholarships.
 
For more information on the JFI and their programs, or to volunteer, please visit joefossinstitute.org or contact Audrey Mazzotta, JFI Regional Coordinator – Southeast Region, at amazzotta@joefossinstitute.org
Thank you, Audrey, for the post and for the work that you do!

A DoD Resource for Teaching About the Constitution!

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Jennifer Auriemma of Liza Jackson Prep School in Fort Walton Beach Florida sends us this resource that you may find useful! I have taken a look myself and there is some good stuff here! Take a look!

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

September 17, 2015
 
The U.S. Constitution has withstood the test of time for more than two centuries as our nation’s charter of government and the guarantor of our liberties.  Signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, this founding document reflects our core values and enshrines the truths set forth in the Declaration of Independence, that we are all endowed with certain unalienable rights.
 
To commemorate the signing of the Constitution, the 17th of September each year has been designated Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.  Since 2005, all Federal agencies have been required by Public Law 108-447 to provide education and training to both newly hired employees and the agencies’ currently employed personnel to commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.  In the Department of Defense (DoD), a specially designed website containing a wide spectrum of information about the U.S. Constitution and American history is available at http://constitutionday.cpms.osd.mil/
 
The website includes an interactive, short course about the Constitution.  The course is designed to provide interesting and educational information about the events leading up to the creation of the Constitution by the Founding Fathers and the evolution of the document through the 19th and 20th century.  Visitors to the website can watch a speech by Sandra Day O’Connor, Associate Justice (Ret) of the U.S. Supreme Court.  The website also includes a link to an interactive Constitution, read text of the Constitution and variety of other valuable historical information related to the Constitution.