Election Update
Got your attention didn’t it? Thanks to Linda Malcolm for this reflection along with a few suggestions.
ELECTIONS: A CIVICS LESSON
It used to be that every school system offered a required course in US Government or “Civics,” usually in the sophomore or junior year of high school. For me, it was the sophomore year and Mr. Holman guided us through the mechanics of governance at the federal, state and local levels, enumerating not only the rights and powers of the government but also the rights and responsibilities of the governed in a democratic republic. It could have been a very cut and dried course, but Mr. Holman brought it to life by making it a participatory class. We divided into teams (“parties” if you will), drafted resolutions, conferred on them, and learned about compromise. We mounted campaigns (I forget what “exalted” office we were filling!), developed platform statements, voted for electors who in turn cast the final votes. We learned the names of the major federal, state, and local officials and the why, when, and how to contact them (including the correct form of address for those officials.) Those lessons have stayed with me and served me well over the years.
Today, Civics or US Government classes are rarely offered as full courses, the content instead being offered as units in US or local history courses or other social studies curricula. In my opinion, it is a lost early opportunity to create the informed electorate that is the strong foundation for our government. We are in the midst of election season and Indigo Books has gathered a selection of books that can fill in some of that “civic” information. While our focus was primarily on books for children and youth, there are a couple of titles that can also serve adults well.
For the youngest children:
- Voting with a Porpoise
- If You Go with Your Goat to Vote
- Duck for President
Elementary and Middle School:
- If I Ran for President
- What Is a Presidential Election?
- The Kids’ Complete Guide to Elections
- The Electoral College: A Kid’s Guide
- What’s the Big Deal about Elections?
Young Adults (and older adults, too!)
- The Everything American Government Book
- For Which We Stand