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We The People . . . Project Citizen |
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We the People... Project Citizen is a
civic education program for middle school students that promotes competent
and responsible participation in state and local government. It actively engages
students in learning how to monitor and influence public policy and
encourages civic participation among students, their parents, and members of
the community. As a class project, students work together to identify and study
a public policy issue, eventually developing an action plan for implementing
their policy. The final product is a portfolio displaying each group’s
work. In a culminating activity the class presents its portfolio in a simulated
legislative hearing, demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of how
public policy is formulated. Classes may also be able to enter their
portfolios in a local competition with other classes. Local winners submit
their portfolios for a statewide competition, and state winners go on to be
evaluated in the Project Citizen national finals. |
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The Curriculum |
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We the People... Project Citizen
focuses on the role of state and local governments in the American federal
system. The curriculum involves an entire class of middle school students in
a series of structured, cooperative learning activities which are guided by
their teachers and adult volunteers. Working in cooperative teams, the class learns to interact with
their government through a five step process that includes: 1.
identifying a public policy problem in
their community 2.
gathering and evaluating information on
the problem 3.
examining and evaluating solutions 4.
selecting or developing a proposed public
policy 5.
developing an action plan Students’ work is displayed in a class portfolio containing
a display section and a documentation section. |
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Free Materials & Training
Opportunities |
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