Civics, Standards &News Literacy: Providing a Pathway Forstudentengagement

Civics, Standards &News Literacy: Providing a Pathway forStudentEngagement

The new Illinois Social Studies Standards provide a clear pathway for students to engage in public policy work. Collaborate with experts in the field and like-minded professionals as you learn how to implement the Illinois civic education requirements to design and assess informed action in your classroom. Walk away with news literacy strategies to help your students become wise consumers AND producers of information as they investigate and conduct inquiry into compelling questions that shape our republic. Explicit connections will be made to the Danielson Framework for Effective Teaching; the Common Core State Standards as well is the Illinois Social Studies Standards for Civics. CPDU’s and graduate credit will be available to participants.

Registration is free and attendees will receive a complimentary breakfast and lunch both days. A laptop would be helpful, but not required.

Regional Training Course Syllabus

Pre & Post Conference Readings

●The Illinois Civic Blueprint, 2nd Edition. published by the McCormick Foundation, 2013.

●The Illinois Social Studies Standards. available at

●The Danielson Framework for Effective Teaching available at

●National Youth Leadership Conference. Semester of Service Toolkit available at

Recommended Reading: Graham, Bob and Hand, Chris. America, the Owner’s Manual: You Can Fight City Hall- and Win(2016) 2nd editionWashington D.C.: CQ Press.

Berger Kaye, Catherine. Complete Guide to Service Learning. (2010) 2ndedition: Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

Course Outcomes.

Participants will:

●understand the benefits of civic learning from the perspective of multiple community stakeholders.

●review the components of the new civic course requirement

●review civic learning components via the Illinois School Code.

●use pedagogy that empowers students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions of effective civic engagement.

●evaluate lessons using the new Illinois Social Studies Standards and Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Effective Teaching.

●evaluate curriculum related to civic education; with an emphasis on resources related to public policy

●examine best practices in news literacy to prepare students to be wise consumers and producers of information.

●assess best practices using current and controversial issues in the classroom

●examine best practices in service-learning

●connect with professional development providers to access resources and networks to support effective civic education.

●create a lesson/unit using the new IL social studies standards and Danielson’s Framework for Effective teaching.

Course Agenda

Day One

8:00- 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Check-in

8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome & Community Building (Daneels)

8:45-9:15 a.m. Overview of IL Civic Education Requirements (Healy)

9:15- 10:00 a.m. Sample Lesson & Analysis (Daneels) OR What Every Administrator Needs to Know About the New Civic Education Requirement & Standards (Healy)

10:00 -10:10 a.m. Break

10:10-11:30 Making Connections between Danielson, Standards and the New Civic Education Law (Daneels)

11:30-12:15 p.m. Lunch (highlight local resources to support civic course implementation)

12:15:-1:15 p.m. America: the Owner’s Manual Making a Case for Public Policy in the classroom (Healy)

1:15-2:00 p.m. Shaping Civic Inquiry with Compelling Questions (Daneels)

2:00-2:10 p.m. Break

2:10- 3:10 p.m. Regional Mentor Lesson Showcase

3:10-3:30 p.m. Debriefing

3:30 p.m Dismissal for non-credit participants/ Graduate Credit Reflection Activity

4:00 p.m. Dismissal for graduate credit participants

Day Two

7:45- 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Check-in

8:30- 9:15 a.m. Community Building and Day One Application (Daneels & Mentors)

9:15- 10:15a.m. Defining Issues for Public Policy(Healy)

10:15-10:25 a.m. Break

10:25-11:30 a.m. Students as Consumers of Information- News Literacy in the Classroom (Daneels)

11:30-12:15 a.m. Lunch

12:15-1:00 p.m. News Literacy in the Digital Age (Healy)

1:00 -2:00 p.m. Students as Producers of Information- News Literacy & Service Learning (Daneels)

2:00-2:45 p.m. Team Collaboration & planning (Regional Mentors)

2:45-3:30 p.m. Reflection, evaluation & next steps (Daneels & Healy)

3:30 p.m. Dismissal