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Constitutional Rights Foundation: Civil Action Project
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Activity Description
Civic Action Project (CAP) is a project-based learning model for civics and government courses. It offers a practicum for high school students in effective and engaged citizenship and uses blended learning to engage students in civic activities both in and out of the traditional U.S. government classroom. By using Web-based technology and civics-based instruction and activities, students exercise important 21st-century skills in digital literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, self-direction, and learning to be an engaged and effective citizen in a democracy.
Students also see how the content of a government course can apply to the real world. By taking civic actions, they practice what real citizens do when they go about trying to solve a real policy-related problem. CAP fulfills best practices in service learning with an emphasis on public policy.
Preparation
The CAP curriculum consists of lessons connected to the civic action process. (Summary of Lessons PDF) Review the CAP Lessons [www] in the following order:
- Lessons 1-5 are key to helping students identify an issue, problem, or policy and to begin taking civic actions.
- Lessons 6-14 provide specific examples of ways citizens impact public policy and help students develop civic skills such as persuasion, presenting to audiences, and deeper policy analysis.
How-To
How Do I Get Started? You can create your CAP classroom in three easy steps:
- Register yourself for the CAP Web site.
- Enroll your students. To enroll your class, download and complete the Excel spreadsheet and send it to crf@crf-usa.org. They will need an e-mail address for each student. (Some teachers arrange g-mail addresses for students.) As soon as your class is registered, they will send you a confirmation e-mail. Your CAP program is now in session! NOTE: Students’ information will not be shared by CAP or Constitutional Rights Foundation. They encourage students not to use their full name on the Blog or Discuss features.
- Engage your students in the CAP process and its many resources.
- Teach Lessons 1–3. At the end of Lesson 3, your students are ready to choose their issue and complete their CAP Proposal form; post on the Web site; and share their ideas and civic actions with other CAP students on the Web site on the Discuss and Blog forums.
-Teach Lessons 4 and 5. These lessons will prepare them to pursue their civic actions; critically examine their policy issues; and submit their Thinking It Through and Civic Action forms.
- CAP lessons 6–14 anticipate some of the challenges students may encounter as they work on their CAPs. You can pick and choose from these lessons that include:
-Law & Policy
-Persuasive Speaking
-Building Constituencies
-Using the Media
Teacher Tips
Tips from CAP teachers:
- For best results, plan to teach Lesson 3: Problems, Policy, and Civic Actions early since it is the lesson that assigns students to select and start addressing their issues. I think my students could have actually impacted public policy had I given them more time.
- Make sure students are focusing on the POLICY part of CAP to ensure curriculum connections.
- Groups of 2-6 students worked well.
- Facilitate rather than direct.
Program Areas
- ASE: High School Diploma