Building Knowledge

The essential concepts of government and the civic behavior of citizens can be observed through a variety of lenses. Interdisciplinary instruction in civics combines literacy and numeracy skills with concepts from across political sciences to create a broad knowledge base from which students can draw as they approach civic challenges.

• Center for Civic Education
  The Center for Civic Education provides a detailed rationale for the importance of civic education.
• Guidebook: Six Proven Practices for Effective Civic Learning
  This Guidebook was created by the Education Commission of the States in partnership with the National Center for Learning and Civic Engagement.

Applying Knowledge

The pedagogy of civics is varied and crosses content area boundaries. Civics is an area of action-oriented instruction in which project-based learning drives proficiency. 

• Civics in the Elementary Classroom
  This Edutopia article shares ideas for integrating civics into elementary school.

Professional Learning 

The Maine DOE and a number of educational and civic organizations provide professional learning to K-12 teachers.

• Celebrating Rural Maine
  Celebrating Rural Maine is a program that provides resources and exemplars that focus on inquiry and community partnerships.

Resources

This section provides information and links to professional and partner organizations, to teacher tools, and to classroom resources for teachers and students.

Professional and Partner Organizations

• The National Council for the Social Studies provides resources for social studies education, including civics, that are linked to national standards.
• Maine Civics Network is a source for local programs and partnerships related to civics education in Maine.

Teacher Tools

• Maine Learning Results Social Studies – Civics & Government: Maine’s standards for civics.
• The Center on Representative Government is a nonpartisan educational institution that develops and provides materials on civics and government at no cost to students and educators.
• The Center for Civic Education is dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries.
• Civics Renewal Network is a consortium of nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations committed to strengthening civic life in the U.S. by increasing the quality of civics education in our nation's schools and by improving accessibility to high-quality, no-cost learning materials. On the Civics Renewal Network site, teachers can find the best resources of these organizations, searchable by subject, grade, resource type, standards, and teaching strategy.