The New York State Department of Education currently has a curriculum designed to teach the fundamentals of government to high school students. The curriculum gives suggestions of what teachers should teach, but it allows the individual teachers/ schools to decide which aspects of the curriculum the y would like to emphasize in the classrooms. There are three basic teaching methods the DOE suggests:
- Issue-Based Approach
- Community-Based Approach
- Knowledge for Effective Citizenship Approach
The Issue-Based Approach focuses on research and problem analysis. Students identify an issue, research its background and history and the current scope of the issue then compare solutions for dealing with the specific public need. Ultimately, the students select the most feasible solution or combination of solutions.
The Community-Based Approach focuses on introducing real-world politics into the everyday lives of students. In this approach, the students may visit government offices, interview political figures and learn about the resources provided to them in their communities by government agencies. This approach includes:
- Getting to know multiple communities.
- Acquiring habits of participation.
- Meeting role models.
- Acquiring research skills.
- Appreciating different perspectives.
- Acquiring skills of negotiation.
- Learning how to interact with people in public settings.
- Reflecting on what counts.
- Learning the ethics of research.
The Knowledge of Effective Citizenship Approach focuses on equipping students to be “Informed and Involved” citizens. Students work to answer questions concerning:
- How to register to vote
- How to vote
- How to serve on a jury
- When to pay taxes
- When to register with the Selective Services System
- How to protect one’s rights and exercise one’s responsibilities
- How to learn more about issues facing the local and global communities
In my opinion, the government curriculum is designed to work the same way as our year-long Teagle Program. During the summer, we focused on theories, ideas and issues in politics. We discussed why certain ideas and theories would be conducive or detrimental to the efficacy of a community. Our program included all of the teaching approaches. We visited City Hall (city politics), the United Nations (global politics) and the Dwyer Cultural Center (local politics). These trips allowed us to observe and experience the everyday effects of these institutions. Through our project, we learned about the positions that politicians can be elected for as well as the importance of active citizenship. We also learned how to effectively communicate with public officials. In my opinion, the Teagle curriculum is the quintessential government curriculum.
Authored by Lorraine Njoki
