The goal of social studies education is to develop responsible, informed, and engaged citizens to foster civic, global, historical, geographic, and economic literacy. The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, released by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2013 was purposefully designed to meet this goal by providing guidance to states and local school districts to enhance the rigor of K-12 civics, economics, geography, and history.

Civic Action Project (CAP) provides a real-world project-based learning component for the high school government/civics course. CAP lessons provide essential concepts students need to make connections between issues/problems + public policy/government + citizens, as well as tools they need to be able to identify and address an issue that matters to them. CAP lessons make content relevant to students by using real case studies and examples of issues that other students have worked on through CAP.

The project-based learning component of CAP has students apply civics concepts and tools as they identify an issue that matters to them and make connections to public policy, develop and implement civic actions to address their chosen issue, and evaluate the impact they made through their CAP projects.

CAP is aligned to Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects and supports the C3 Framework’s four dimensions.

Download: CAP and College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards (pdf)

C3 Framework: Implications for Civic Learning

This webcast features a lively discussion about the importance of preparing students for civic life - how the story of Mary Beth Tinker, the landmark 1969 Supreme Court Case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District and the C3 Framework provide the inspiration and tools to prepare all students for effective citizenship in the 21st century.

Host: Michelle M. Herczog, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Panelists:

• Mary Beth Tinker, First Amendment Activist, Tinker Tour USA
• Marshall Croddy, President, Constitutional Rights Foundation
• Peter Levine, Ph.D., Citizenship and Public Affairs Professor, Director of CIRCLE at Tufts

Download: The C3 Framework: A Powerful Tool for Preparing Future Generations for Informed and Engaged Civic Life

(Croddy, Marshall; Levine, Peter | Social Education, v78 n6 p282-285, Nov-Dec 2014)