Teaching Citizenship for Civic Engagement

Catalog description

This course explores citizenship education for civic engagement. Lessons revolve around three essential questions culled from the research literature: What kind of citizens and civic engagement does a 21st century democracy need? What should these citizens know, believe, and be able to do? What practices, programs, and structures in educational settings promote active citizenship? Activities and written assignments work to answer each of these questions, encouraging students to grapple with competing theories of citizenship that have shaped citizenship education programs in schools and universities. Course exercises will give students opportunities to think about and weigh their commitment to different definitions and theories of democracy, civic engagement, and citizenship. Students will analyze how educators have put those definitions and theories into practice across educational settings. In analyzing how civic engagement can be fostered across the educational lifespan-from the earliest grades to university education-students should take note of commonalities in approach as well as age-appropriate differences.