What does it mean to belong to a community? Why do we celebrate July 4th, and does it mean the same to all Americans? Does Freedom of Speech mean I can say what I want?
These questions are core to civic life –– being part of something larger than oneself. It should be taught early: rigorously, in non-partisan ways, and engaging children’s natural curiosity.
iCivics –– the nation’s largest provider of civic education –– is finalizing a unique curriculum, “Private i: History Detectives,” that tackles these goals. It covers rich topics: history and geography, economics and civic philosophy.
Importantly, “Private i” fuses Social Studies with major themes:
• Building Inquiry skills
• Strengthening content-based literacy
• Character and civic formation
This last one is notable. Virtue education is at the heart of what civics SHOULD be: moral, performance, civic and intellectual virtues. Our curriculum explores these in detail –– humility, self-discipline, and compassion.
“Private i” is for young students, from Kindergarten to Grade 5. For decades, most have gotten no Social Studies content. The causes are many: poor teacher-training; few high-quality instructional materials; barely any accountability measures. And yet, for years, K–5 teachers have pleaded for help. “Private i” is a direct response to their needs.
In just two years, the curriculum already serves 312,500 students each year. It is a scaled and stand-alone innovation.
iCivics will achieve these goals:
1. Finalize 10 "classic" lesson units, adapted for English learners and meeting accessibility standards.
2. Produce 3 “Innovative Design” lesson units, on civic virtues as well. They will grant teachers more flexibility for a range of classroom settings; and for students, better collaboration, self-learning and ties to literacy.
3. Conduct an impact study on how the curriculum affects students’ virtue dispositions.
4. Disseminate “Private i” as part of a nationwide campaign to scale teacher-use.
