Author: Brian

Professional Development

Free Workshop on Solutions Civics Curriculum at the NJEA Convention

Teachers learning together at a session during the NJEA Convention

On Friday, November 10, I’ll be facilitating a professional development workshop on C-SPAN’s Classroom Deliberations at the NJEA Convention. But that won’t be the only presentation in Atlantic City that should appeal to civic educators. The Citizen’s Campaign is a non profit in New Jersey whose mission is to empower citizens to take a greater […]

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Methods

How to Use a Mock Congressional Hearing In Your Social Studies Class

Video still of a Congressional hearing on North Korean nuclear weapons, a good example of a culminating activity for a Classroom Deliberations

A mock Congressional hearing is a form of experiential learning. It is a great summative activity for a social studies class that has learned about a controversial issue in public policy. This could be used in conjunction with current events, and it could also be used to assess student understanding of controversial issues in history. […]

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Professional Development

Free Workshop on C-SPAN Classroom Deliberations at the NJEA Convention

Electoral college map of 2016 and previous elections by C-SPAN's Education Department

Interested in learning more about using C-SPAN’s Classroom Deliberations in your class? Then you’re in luck. I’m presenting a session on C-SPAN and Classroom Deliberations at the NJEA Convention this year. This is the third time we’ve offered this PD workshop at the convention, and the participants always seem to enjoy it. What Are C-SPAN […]

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General

How Illinois Revised Its Civics Ed Requirements

Throughout the country, legislators are struggling to figure out how to improve civics education. Many people agree on the goal. They just don’t agree on the methods. In some cases, legislators have pursued misguided attempts to implement the citizenship test as a graduation requirement. This won’t do much, other than adding another barrier to graduation […]

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