During a recent trip to South Africa, the author had an array of opportunities to experience the cultural, historical, political, and geographic landscape of the country. He was privileged to visit classrooms and to teach and interact with students and teachers. Through teaching some lessons on democracy and citizenship, the author learned that…

During the 1980s, two of the authors of this article were inspired to link good citizenship to solid classroom practices. These practices were articulated as the "Democratic Classroom Interaction Model," which grew directly from the authors' classroom experiences. The purpose of this model was to identify and illustrate how teachers could organize…

Many young students are unfamiliar with key symbols of the United States and the ideals that these symbols represent. These symbols consist of images and words that adults know by heart, but too often take for granted. The lesson activities described in this article focus on four well-known symbols--their history and what they mean to American…

As a teacher of fourth and fifth grade students, this author wanted to teach her students to assume the responsibility of civic activism for the public good, but found that students at this age do not always understand that they can make important civic contributions or that one child can make a difference. To illustrate these concepts and…

Researchers have been studying children's knowledge, thinking, and attitudes about government for several decades. However, the studies focusing on elementary students, and especially primary students, have little or nothing to say about children's ideas about democracy or democratic government. That is because children at these ages have not yet…

This article describes several websites that can be used to encourage students to vote. These include "The Democracy Project: Inside the Voting Booth" sponsored by PBS. This site addresses three elementary topics: how one vote has made a difference in U.S. history, how the right to vote has gradually been expanded to include minorities (African…

Exposure to ideas helps young children articulate their own beliefs and sharpens their connections. Teachers can provide opportunities for children to advance their knowledge about democratic conditions through sustained discourse, or, as described in this article, purposeful class discussions followed by hands-on activities. The author describes…

The fifth grade social studies curriculum includes a study democracy within the context of United Sates history. The traditional approach to teaching the material focuses on stories of the white, male heroes of American History and calls on students to be passive recipients of information. History is presented as a series of events that "just…

This article provides examples of how a teacher can take childhood as a main topic of a unit of study and create interesting lessons that cover many aspects of social studies. It describes how a classroom learning community can be a place for helping students practice democratic principles while addressing academic subjects. It demonstrates that…

This article relates the experiences of a fifth-grade teacher who was determined to find a creative way to engage her students in civic life. The educational standards in her state (Washington) required that fifth graders learn about the basic structure and work of government at the state and federal level. Realizing that students tend to enjoy…

Presents learning activities focusing on the office and nature of the Presidency, campaign election procedures, and the necessity of informed citizen choice. Includes activities on polling, voting procedure, vocabulary, campaigns, candidate qualifications and debates. Discusses teaching about the difference between political advertisements and…