STANDARD 6.2 (CIVICS) ALL STUDENTS WILL KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND THE RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ROLES OF A CITIZEN IN THE NATION AND THE WORLD.

 

Descriptive Statement: The purpose of this standard is to prepare students to be informed, active, and responsible citizens in the American democratic republic. It is essential that students have an understanding of the historical foundations, underlying values, and principles upon which the American system of representative democracy is based.  Before citizens can make informed, responsible decisions as voters, jurors, workers, consumers, and community residents, they must have an understanding and appreciation of the fundamental concepts, laws and documents which form the American heritage including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the New Jersey State Constitution.  Students must understand how a representative democracy works and the value of citizen participation in the nation, state and local communities.  In addition, students must also be prepared to serve as global citizens; that is, students must be aware that the United States has a significant impact on the rest of the world, and conversely, the rest of the world impacts the United States. Technological advances bring the world to our doorstep.  International education enables students to broaden their understanding of global issues that impact their life as Americans.

 

The study of politics, government, and society should start in early elementary grades with the identification of the need for rules, laws, and structures for decision-making or governance, and proceed through upper elementary grades to identify key documents and ideas that express democratic principles. Intermediate students should examine the various forms of government, the functions of the various branches of our federal government, as well as local and state levels of government. They must understand the ongoing need to balance individual rights and public needs. High school students should build on their prior knowledge and skills by analyzing the scope of governmental power, the spectrum of political views, and how the United States functions in a global society. Students should be encouraged not only to learn about how government works but also to apply their knowledge and to use their critical thinking, listening, and speaking skills to better understand the value of citizen participation in a representative democracy.   

Five major topics are addressed in the indicators and are reflected in the following questions:

• What is government and what should it do?
• What are the basic values and principles of American democracy?
• How does the government established by the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy?
• What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs?
• How can citizens and groups participate effectively in the democratic process?

 

Cumulative Progress Indicators

 

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

 

A.     Civic Life, Politics, and Government

 1.         Discuss the sources, purposes, and functions of law and the importance of the rule of law for the preservation of individual rights and the common good.

 2.         Describe the underlying values and principles of democracy and distinguish these from authoritarian forms of government.

 3.         Discuss the major characteristics of democratic governments.

 4.         Describe the processes of local government.

 5.         Discuss examples of domestic policies and agencies that impact American lives, including the Environmental Protection Agency (e.g., clean air and water), the Department of Labor (e.g., minimum wage) and the Internal Revenue Service (e.g., Social Security, income tax).

 6.         Explain how non-governmental organizations influence legislation and policies at the federal, state, and local levels.

 

B.     American Values and Principles

 1.         Analyze how certain values including individual rights, the common good, self-government, justice, equality and free inquiry are fundamental to American public life.

 2.         Describe representative government and explain how it works to protect the majority and the minority.

 3.         Describe the continuing struggle to bring all groups of Americans into the mainstream of society with the liberties and equality to which all are entitled, as exemplified by individuals such as Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Nat Turner, Paul Robeson, and Cesar Chavez.

 

C.     The Constitution and American Democracy

 1.         Discuss the major principles of the Constitution, including shared powers, checks and balances, separation of church and state, and federalism.

 2.         Compare and contrast the purposes, organization, functions, and interactions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of national, state, and local governments and independent regulatory agencies.

 3.         Discuss the role of political parties in the American democratic system including candidates, campaigns, financing, primary elections, and voting systems.

 4.         Discuss major historical and contemporary conflicts over United States constitutional principles, including judicial review in Marbury v. Madison, slavery in the Dred Scott Decision, separate but equal in Plessy v. Ferguson, and the rights of minorities in the Indian Removal Act.

 5.         Discuss major historical and contemporary conflicts over New Jersey constitutional principles (e.g., the impact of the New Jersey School Law of 1881 which required integration in the state’s public schools, Hedgepeth and Williams v. Trenton Board of Education, the Mount Laurel Decision, Jackman v. Bodine, Abbott v. Burke).

 6.         Research contemporary issues involving the constitutional rights of American citizens and other individuals residing in the United States, including voting rights, habeas corpus, rights of the accused, and the Patriot Act.

 

D.    Citizenship

 1.         Discuss the rights and responsibilities of American citizens, including obeying laws, paying taxes, serving on juries, and voting in local, state, and national elections.

 2.         Discuss how the rights of American citizens may be in conflict with each other (e.g., right to privacy vs. free press).

 3.         Describe major conflicts that have arisen from diversity (e.g., land and suffrage for Native Americans, civil rights, women’s rights) and discuss how the conflicts have been addressed.

 4.         Explain the benefits, costs, and conflicts of a diverse nation.

 5.         Discuss basic contemporary issues involving the personal, political, and economic rights of American citizens (e.g., dress codes, sexual harassment, fair trial, free press, minimum wage).

 

E.     International Education: Global Challenges, Cultures, and Connections

 1.         Analyze ways in which nation-states interact with one another through trade, diplomacy, cultural exchanges, treaties or agreements, humanitarian aid, economic incentives and sanctions, and the use or threat of military force.

 2.         Discuss factors that lead to a breakdown of order among nation-states (e.g., conflicts about national interests, ethnicity, and religion; competition for territory or resources; absence of effective means to enforce international law) and describe the consequences of the breakdown of order.

 3.         Compare and contrast the powers the Constitution gives to Congress, the President, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the federal judiciary regarding foreign affairs.

 4.         Evaluate current United States foreign policy issues and strategies and their impact on the nation and the rest of the world.

 5.         Discuss the purposes and functions of major international organizations (e.g., United Nations, World Health Organization, International Red Cross, Amnesty International) and the role of the United States within each.

 6.         Describe how one’s heritage includes personal history and experiences, culture, customs, and family background.

 7.         Analyze how the life, culture, economics, politics, and the media of the United States impact the rest of the world.

 8.         Discuss how global challenges are interrelated, complex, and changing and that even local issues may have a global dimension (e.g., environmental issues, transportation).

 9.         Discuss how cultures may change and that individuals may identify with more than one culture.

 10.     Engage in activities that foster understanding of various cultures (e.g., clubs, dance groups, sports, travel, community celebrations).

 11.     Discuss the impact of the Internet and technology on global communication.

 12.     Discuss the impact of stereotyping on relationships, achievement, and life goals.

 13.     Analyze how prejudice and discrimination may lead to genocide as well as other acts of hatred and violence for the purposes of subjugation and exploitation.