Class V Civics Action Project

Over the course of the Civics Action Project, students in Class V will learn about and practice content and skills related to these three topics:

Civic Knowledge

• Core knowledge relating to civics  and government, economics, geography, and history, including  the rights and responsibilities established by the Constitution and how to exercise them in local, state, and national government.

Civic Skills

• Intellectual and participatory skills that encompass knowing how to identify, assess, interpret, describe, analyze and explain matters relating to civic life, knowing how to make and support arguments using logical reasoning, and how to use the political process to take informed action. 

Civic Dispositions

• Values, virtues, and behaviors, such as respect for others, commitment to equality, capacity for listening, and capacity for communicating in ways accessible to others, including engaging with varying points of view and ideas in civil discourse. 

Essential question: How do citizens become engaged, informed participants in a democracy and become advocates for change in their communities?

The 8th grade history team and the Keefe Library collaborated on the creation of this project using Guided Inquiry Design. This graphic presents the GID model and provides definitions for the phases of the process.

Open: Invitation to inquiry, open minds, stimulate curiosity Immerse: Build background knowledge, connect to content, discover interesting ideas Explore: Explore interesting ideas, look around, dip in Identify: Pause and ponder, identify inquiry question, decide direction Gather: Gather important information, go broad, go deep Create: Reflect on learning, go beyond facts to make meaning, create to communicate Share: Learn from each other, share learning, tell your story Evaluate: Evaluate achievement of learning goals, reflect on content, reflect on process

Graphics and definitions are from:

Kuhlthau, Carol C., Leslie K. Maniotes and Ann K. Caspari. Guided Inquiry: A framework for your school. ABC-CLIO, 2012.

For more information about guided inquiry design, visit the GID website.