Tag Archives: civics education

Two #Resources for #Teachers Regarding #Civics #Education

Published January 18, 2022 / by Latia Ward

Two resources of interest for teachers of civics and social studies are the 60-Second Civics podcast from the Center for Civic Education and lesson plans from the ABA Division for Public Education.

The podcast 60-Second Civics is sponsored by the Center for Civic Education which aims to help students “develop an increased understanding of the institutions of constitutional democracy”. Each podcast lasts about one minute and may be accessed via the Center for Civic Education’s website, iTunes, or Stitcher. The podcast covers both historical and current topics such as the Declaration of Independence and recent U.S. Supreme Court cases. The website also includes a searchable database of podcasts.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Division for Public Education provides free lesson plans for use in K-12 classrooms at its website. The ABA Division for Public Education’s mission is “to advance public understanding of law and society.” Here is a sample of the lesson plans available: “What Makes a Good Judge,” “Modern Day Human Trafficking,” “Music Distribution and Copyright,” and “Introduction to the First Amendment.”

The 60-Second Civics podcast from the Center for Civic Education and lesson plans from the ABA Division for Public Education are only two of the myriad civics resources available for educators. Review social media hashtags such as #civics, #civcsed, #civicseducation, #socialstudies, and #lawrelatededucation for additional ideas and resources.

#FlashbackFriday #LawDay Celebrating Law Day Past, Present, and Future

Published November 29, 2019 / by Latia Ward

Each year, the American Bar Association (ABA) chooses a different theme pertaining to democracy and civics for the annual commemoration of Law Day.

 

Law Day 2020

Law Day 2020

The theme for Law Day 2020 is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy:  The 19th Amendment at 100.”  A message from current ABA President Judy Perry Martinez, more information about this year’s theme, Law Day Artwork, and a sign-up option to receive Law Day updates are available at the ABA’s Law Day Website.  As we look forward to the upcoming Law Day on May 1, 2020, I thought it would be beneficial to look back to previous Law Days.

The theme for this year’s (2019) Law Day was “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society.”  During my first term as Chair of the ABA YLD Public Education Committee, the theme for Law Day was “The Fourteenth Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.”   Part of my work as Chair included being the YLD Law Day Team Leader for 2017 and publicizing the 2017 Law Day Art Contest.  In 2018, I provided a short summary of the origin of Law Day and a list of Law Day resources for that year’s Law Day Theme “Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom” in a blog post.  

The ABA maintains a list of past Law Day Themes dating back to 1969.  Bar associations often plan Law Day events.  Contact your local bar association to see if it has Law Day events planned.  The ABA maintains a list of Bar Directories and Lawyer Finders.  Consult this list if you are seeking contact information for a bar association in your area.  Law Day will soon be here and let’s stay tuned for upcoming events.

 

#ThrowbackThursday Civics Education

Published June 20, 2019 / by Latia Ward
Title Slide for How to Be Safe on Social Media Presentation available on the SlideShare website.
Here is the title slide for How to Be Safe on Social Media. All five lessons or activities are available on SlideShare.

Regarding #ThrowbackThursday reminiscences, I choose to reflect upon Practical Life Lessons. From my teaching experience and participation in activities of my local bar association, I saw a need for civics education resources that are both practical and accessible. For a service-learning project, I taught lessons on civics and digital citizenship to high school students in the spring of 2015. Each lesson included a short lecture, time for questions and answers, as well as time for students to provide written feedback in the form of exit tickets. I included a lesson on rights and responsibilities for those turning 18 and directed students to the North Carolina Bar Association publication, Life & Laws 101: Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Over 18. During that lesson, the students were quiet and listening so attentively that one could hear a pin drop.

I prepared lessons on the following topics:

How to Be Safe on Social Media

Never Leave Your Luggage Alone at the Airport

Rights and Responsibilities Upon Turning 18

The Right to Remain Silent

A Diamond Is Forever and So Is Email

During the last four years, I have continued working in the field of civics education and found that people need resources for civics education even beyond high school. I have served as Chair of the Young Lawyers Division Public Education Committee of the American Bar Association (2016-2018) and spoken about what librarians can do to facilitate access to justice at CALIcon19. I may do a blog post on librarians and access to justice in the future, but for now, it’s nice to remember the origins of my interest in civics education.