1. Introductory Activity Draw a simple picture or graphic which summarizes either positively or negatively your experiences as a student of history/social sciences in kindergarten through 12 th grade. What descriptive word captures your experiences? Did your experience change when you entered college?

2. What will our students need? The 21 st century is characterized by change. What skills, knowledge, and dispositions (attitudes) do children need to prepare for a participation in our democratic government and the challenges of living in this fast-changing world?

3. Preparation for citizenship in a democratic society What are the qualities and characteristics we could consider important when preparing our students for citizenship in a democratic society? What KNOWLEDGE should they have? (What would they need to know?) What SKILLS should they have? (What would they need to be able to do?) What DISPOSITIONS should they have? (What attitudes and beliefs should hold?)

4. What is Project Citizen? An interdisciplinary instructional program designed for use with adolescents in schools and community organizations Uses interactive teaching methods Cooperative-learning Critical-thinking Problem-solving Decision-making Provides a model for authentic assessment Focuses learning on the processes of state and local government Focuses on real affairs within a community Teaches students to monitor and influence public policy

5. Civic education program Promotes competent and responsible participation in state and local government Engages students in earning how to monitor and influence public policy Encourages civic participation among students, parents and members of the community

6. Identify a public policy problem & evaluate alternative solutions Propose a solution Develop an action plan for implementing their policy Display research in a portfolio and documentation binder I t means you and your class will…

7. alternative policies the problem documentation section our class policy our action plan H ere’s what your class creates to “showcase” their efforts

8. Students identify public policy problems in their community by… discussing them with each other interviewing family members and other adults reading newspapers and other print sources listening to news reports on radio and TV

9. Selecting a problem for class study Problems in our community 1. Drugs 3. Pollution 2. Violence 4. Students present and discuss the problems they have identified and then select one problem for their class project

10. Students gather information on the chosen public policy problem from a variety of sources Interviews and surveys  Printed sources Radio and television  Libraries  Internet Scholars and professors  Lawyers and judges Community organizations and interest groups Legislative offices  Administrative offices

11. Developing a class portfolio Group 1 develops an explanation of the problem Group 2 evaluates alternative policies Group 3 develops a proposed policy consistent with constitutional principles Group 4 develops an action plan

12. Presenting the portfolio Public hearing before a panel of “judges” from the community Presentations by each of the four groups Opening oral presentations (4 minutes) Responses to questions from judges (6 minutes)

15. SO… IT’S A BIG PROJECT?

16. Project Citizen Hearing 5 th grade students presenting at the 2008 California State Showcase (start 11:45) IT’S MUCH MORE THAN A PROJECT.

17. So, what is public policy? When you see the words “public policy” what comes to mind? Given a newspaper, can you identify examples of public policy or issues that may result in a public policy? What level of government would be responsible for overseeing this policy?

18. A working definition of public policy …the study of what governments do, why they do it, and what difference it makes. -Thomas Dye …the sum of government activities, whether acting directly or through agents, as it has an influence on the lives of citizens. -B. Guy Peters

19. …the combination of basic decisions, commitments, and actions made by those who hold or affect government positions of authority. In most instances, these arrangements result from interactions among those who demand change, those who make decisions, and those who are affected by the policy in questions. -Larry N. Gerston

20. So, what is public policy? In democracies, a public policy is a concept or set of ideas that guides a course of action or a procedure used in dealing with public issues or problems. Public policies are often embodied in laws, rules, or regulations or agreed upon procedures used by government to fulfill its responsibilities to protect the rights of the people and to promote the general welfare.

21. So, what is “public policy?”

23. What comprises a “society?” Private sphere Government Civil Society individuals, families, private business, philanthropists service organizations, private clubs, churches, unions, trade groups national, state, local, special districts, government agencies (i.e. state schools, Department of Motor Vehicles, etc.)

24. Distinguishing among areas or spheres of society 1.A local school board changes graduation requirements. 2.Susan becomes a member of the Girl Scouts. 3.Carmen and her friend go out to dinner and a movie. 4.Marco’s family and friends have a picnic on July 4 th. 5. Sara and her two sisters join a labor union. 6. The Sierra Club lobbies state legislators to pass environmental protection laws. 7.The state legislature passes a law limiting the use of cell phones while driving. 8.Citizens join a taxpayer’s association in an effort to get government to lower taxes. 9.The federal government awards a contract to a private company to repair sections of an interstate highway. 10.A city council passes a law establishing smoke free zones in public parks.

25. Who should fix the problem? For each problem, decide who should take care of it. Use (A) for private sphere; (B) for civil society; (C) government. 1.Ensuring that children from birth to three years old eat nutritious food and develop healthy hygiene habits. 2.Ensuring that children receive equal educational opportunities. 3.Promoting the moral development of young children. 4.Caring for the elderly poor people. 5.Protecting the borders of the country. 6.Maintaining streets in cities and towns. 7.Providing medical care for the indigent. 8.Protecting people from criminal activity. 9.Upholding the moral standards of the community. 10.Building highways, bridges, and dams. 11.Protecting the country from external attack. 12.Promoting economic prosperity.

26. What are some problems in your community you would want to tackle? Got problems? What are some problems in your community you think students might want to tackle?

27. How do we pick a problem? Problem selection is a critical step. If kids don’t “buy in” to the problem, you will have problems later…(relevance) Ways to find problems to study: –Student generated (Project Citizen model) –Teacher generated (Limits student voice) –Hybrid—teacher and students and family members and others in community brainstorm

28. 5 th grade Problems from 2008-2009 1.Outlaw killing of polar bears 2.Restrict fireworks to sidewalks or cement 3.Assign garbage pickup to lawbreakers 4.Require more land for organic crops 5.Healthy school food in vending machines 6.Second emergency exit doors in classrooms 7.Two fire extinguishers in classrooms 8.School buses should have seatbelts 9.Limit corn crop production so there is less pollution in rivers, lakes, Gulf of Mexico 10. Dispose of batteries correctly 11. Classrooms should have no bars on windows or a quick release if they do have bars 12. Kids should be able to vote 13. Kids should play more games and activities at recess 14. Pets should not be killed in the pound 15. Outlaw test products on animals 16. There should be a computer program to adopt kids instead of going to a shelter

29. 5 th grade Problems from 2008-2009 17. Lower gas prices 18. Littering should not be allowed 19. No guns should be sold 20. Spanking should be illegal 21. There should be less smoke in the air and less water pollution 22. There should be friendly, helpful cars 23. No cutting down rainforest 24. Every park should have cameras and anti-vandalism laws 25. Teachers should have a code and not a key to unlock doors 26. There should be a spot in a classroom where kids can hide if someone breaks in 27. Students should be able to have ergonomically designed chairs and desks 28. People should not kill frogs and eat them or put them in the sewer 29. No plastic bags at grocery stores 30. Kids loiter at crosswalks and push the cross button and cause traffic jams 31. People driving too fast on residential streets

30. 5 th grade Problems from 2008-2009 32. People cut corners and drive over lawns 33. Parking garages should be free 34. People are jaywalking and almost getting hit by cars 35. There aren’t enough fire hydrants on my street and/or they’re hard to see 36. 5 hours of free recess each day at school 37. No state tourism fee/tax on hotel or car rental bills 38. Too much graffiti in parks 39. Guns should be outlawed 40. Animals should not be locked up in small cages in pet stores 41. Cities are spreading out into wild lands and crowing out animals (urban sprawl) 42. Large grassy field near homes are a fire hazard 43. Curbs should be rounded instead of having square corners 44. Everybody must have 2 trees and 2 bushes in their front yard 45. Preserve our old buildings and not tear them down to make new ones 46. Schools should have a safe room/tunnel on the playground field in case of an emergency

31. 5 th grade Problems from 2008-2009 47. Police should have to guard your house 48. People are driving on the grass in our parks 49. Classrooms should be weatherproofed/energy efficient 50. Skaters and bicyclists aren’t wearing helmets 51. People/kids are driving golf carts in the street 52. People are in the parks after hours 53. People are running stop signs

32. 5 th grade Problems offered by parents in 2008-2009 1.Backpack weight limits 2.Compulsory community service by young people 3.No items in your hand of any kind while driving (i.e. coffee, food, phone, etc.) 4. price ceilings for gasoline 5.Abandoned houses’ yards must be maintained 6.Student voice in cafeteria lunches 7.Eliminate recess—shorten the school day

34. skills knowledge dispositions

35. Knowledge What should a citizen know? The need for government The purposes of government Constitutional principles Structure of government Individual rights (personal, political, economic) Responsibilities of a citizen Role of the citizen in a democracy How the citizen can participate in the political life of the community

36. Skills What does a citizen need to be able to do to participate effectively? Critical thinking skills –Gather and assess information –Explain, clarify and prioritize –Identify alternative solutions to problems –Identify and assess consequences –Reflect and evaluate

37. Skills What does a citizen need to be able to do to participate effectively? Participation skills –Communicate effectively –Negotiate, compromise, and seek consensus –Manage conflicts peacefully and fairly –Monitor and influence politics and government

38. Attitudes/Democratic Values What attitudes and beliefs should a citizen esteem? Personal character –Moral responsibility (honesty, courage, etc.) –Self-discipline and self governance –Respect for individual dignity and differences –Civility (respect for opinions of others –Compassion (concern for the welfare of others) –Tolerance for ambiguity

39. Attitudes/Democratic Values What attitudes and beliefs should a citizen esteem? Public character –Respect for the law and willingness to seek changes in unjust laws peacefully and legally –Attentiveness to and concern for public affairs –Commitment to majority rule and minority rights –Commitment to the balance between self-interest and the common welfare

40. Preparation for Democratic Citizenship DISPOSTIONS SKILLS KNOWLEDGE INFORMED AND REASONED DECISION MAKER Commitment Competence Confidence

41. Video excerpt The World We Want 56:27 to 1:05:35 (9:08 total time) A Patrick Davidson Production http://theworldwewantmovie.com