iCivics resources have proved invaluable to every one of my social studies classes, from Civics to African American Studies, to my dual enrollment courses in American Government. Supporting students in their learning about the Constitution is no easy task, as there is so much to cover in a semester course regarding all things civics (as I’m sure many other educators can empathize with—especially those who teach AP Government in a semester, you’re rockstars!). One resource that I would highly recommend to support students in their learning is the Constitution EXPLAINED video series. The videos provide a solid foundation in teaching the big ideas of complex constitutional thinking.
The Constitution EXPLAINED videos that teach the three branches of government are required content resources in my classes because they effectively summarize and condense the big ideas in just a small handful of minutes. For example, when teaching the Legislative Branch, there are numerous videos to select from to support students, one of my favorites being The Do’s and Don’ts of Congress. This is because it provides a solid understanding of the powers and limitations of Congress, while also giving students an opportunity to critically think for themselves about how they think Congress should act by asking, “Do you think the Elastic Clause has been stretched so far that it gives Congress too much power?” Without even having to ask, my first hour automatically launched into their own small group discussions, and it was wonderful to watch.
Whether they were making connections to what they’ve learned so far in class, in other classes, or with current events, the students all seemed very ecstatic to share what they believe. It’s also a conversation I know I can easily revisit, as they really enjoyed their time processing ideas or concepts they would like to see in their lives regarding the ‘dos and don’ts’ of Congress, which is impressive for their age. I love seeing this type of learning come from a resource that is less than 3 minutes long because it turned into a 10-minute conversation, and I’m sure it could have gone on for the rest of the period as well. Each class responded a little bit differently, had different suggestions on what implied powers Congress should or shouldn’t have in a modern society, and had questions on how to create changes within Congress’s power, as well as the other branches of government.
From the educator point of view, the supports that come with each video are also fantastic. The transcripts for each video allow me to provide supports for students with different learning abilities and students who are multilingual learners. The Teacher’s Guide explains how to create a lesson from the video, including vocabulary supports, guiding questions, and learning supports, which are also written in Spanish. There’s even a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning prompt that I plan to use when I teach with these resources next semester, where “students work in pairs to find examples of when the Elastic Clause was used in history. Students should find evidence to support the claim that the use of the Elastic Clause increased Congress´s power. Students can then prepare a one-minute speech explaining their reasoning. They can record their speeches (video or audio) and use visuals for support.” This is a great example of how iCivics provides scaffolds for both new and seasoned educators alike, and offers educators a way to think about teaching differently in the future while also increasing the rigor of their students’ constitutional thinking within our current reality.
Written by Sam Westerdale
Sam Westerdale is in her 14th year of teaching high school social studies in Aurora, Colorado, with classes in Civics and African American Studies. With the support of a James Madison Fellowship awarded in 2018, she earned a master’s in Political Science and also teaches dual enrollment classes in American Government, State & Local Government, and Introduction to Political Science. Sam is a member of the iCivics Ednet Teacher Network, the National Constitution Center’s Advisory Council, and is a Retro Report Teacher Ambassador. She is also a Board Director for the Colorado Council of the Social Studies, a member of the Civics for Colorado Coalition, and supports and trains student teachers through a local university. Sam has a strong passion for creating connections for her students on how to be involved in their community through a rigorous and culturally responsive civics background, along with what it means to support and care for others in an ever-changing world.
Through the iCivics Educator Network, the perspectives of teachers across the country contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this plurality of perspectives.