Teaching the 2020 Election and Beyond

by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist

The 2020 election provides a unique teachable moment for #CivicsInTheMiddle classrooms to explore issues around power, representation, and justice as candidates for state and federal office answer the essential question, “How should we live together?” in their platforms that delineate a vision for policy and practice to create a “more perfect union.”

IllinoisCivics.org provided a preview of things to come this week with a webinar through the Lake County Regional Office of Education on Teaching the 2020 Election and Beyond. Dr. Shawn Healy, Director of the Democracy Program at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, began with an update on the state of the race, the “veepstakes”, upcoming conventions, electoral college scenarios, current polling, and fundraising data. Dr. Healy also gave a preview of ballot questions unique to the Land of Lincoln including an amendment to the Illinois Constitution relating to graduated state income taxes as well as races for the Illinois State Supreme Court.

Many educators have reservations in addressing the upcoming election season with the current climate of polarization. IllinoisCivics.org created an Election 2020 Toolkit to support classrooms in using this teachable moment to meet both the middle and high school civic course requirements with high-quality resources that align with civic learning practices and the Illinois Social Science standards. Educators can view a recording of the webinar, Teaching the 2020 Election and Beyond, to gather ideas and resources for classroom use.

IllinoisCivics.org will be offering a series of webinars in the fall to support #Teach2020. Each webinar will provide both disciplinary content and pedagogy to support student engagement, whether in the classroom or in a remote learning environment. Webinar topics to date include: IllinoisCivics.org is also partnering with our friends at the Mikva Challenge to offer free training for both teachers and students around the elections. Details are emerging, so check the IllinoisCivics.org Professional Development Calendar often for new offerings.

What are you doing to #Teach2020? Please comment below. Together, we can prepare ALL students for college, career, and civic life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let's Talk About the "Required" Constitution Test

Image
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Lead Teacher Mentor As I have traveled around the state of Illinois to support implementation of the high school civics requirement and pending middle school civics legislation , one of the biggest concerns I have heard is, “How will we have time to prepare students for the required Constitution test? I will never have time to cover all 200 questions on the test if I have to make time for student-centered inquiry, discussions, simulations, and service learning!” The Illinois State Board of Education states: American patriotism and the principles of representative government, as enunciated in the American Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the proper use and display of the American flag, shall be taught in all public schools and other educational institutions supported or maintained in whole or in part by public funds. No student shall receive a certificate
Read more

Resources to Respond to Tragedy and Violence

Image
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist All educators are civics teachers. Teachers send messages to students about power, justice, and representation by the content we select, the way we engage student voice, the norms we employ, and the stories included in our classroom. We have a responsibility to prioritize our students’ lived experiences, putting Maslow before Bloom , to inform the essential questions we address in our curriculum. When violence or tragedy occurs, classrooms provide a safe venue for students to process, ask questions and be given context to understand current events as they happen. While current events unfold, it is not the time to debate policy. Educators will not have all of the answers to the questions students pose. Teachers can create a classroom space where we can be present, listen, and create a safe environment for our students to do the same. Start with Reflection Your students may be wrestling with a range of emotions. We cannot assum
Read more

Where Do We Go from Here? Resources to Help Classrooms Process the 2020 Election

Image
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist While the 2020 election season draws to a close, IllinoisCivics.org is committed to helping classrooms prepare for what comes next after a contentious and polarized election season. Students will need help processing the election results and their impact on current and societal issues their communities face around justice, power, equity, and safety. As all educators are civics teachers, we have a responsibility to prioritize our students’ lived experiences, putting Maslow before Bloom , to inform the essential questions we address in our curriculum. Educators will not have all of the answers to the questions students pose, but we can create a classroom space where we can be present, listen, and create a safe environment for our students to do the same. Here are a number of ideas and resources to support this work beyond the 2020 election. Start with Reflection Your students may be wrestling with a range of emotions post-electio
Read more