Resources to aid you through the CAP process and provide information to help students understand the connections between their CAP issue, civic actions, and public policy.

Teacher-Created Resources

CAP Enhancements

CAP Research Log (pdf) – This log helps guide students through the research process. – Hayley Lotspeich
Sample Thinking it Through (pdf) – sample Thinking it Through – Jessica Price and Angela Olthoff

Assessment/Organization

Group Information Form (pdf) – Form for students to keep track of their group’s CAP progress. – Patricia Vasquez
Project Folder Checklist (pdf) – Form for teacher to keep track of a group’s progress. – Patricia Vasquez
Peer Group Evaluation Form (pdf) – Form for students to evaluate their own group’s participation and contributions. – Patricia Vasquez
Group Evaluation Form (pdf) – Rubric to evaluate a group CAP presentation. – Patricia Vasquez
Written Report Rubric (pdf) – Rubric to evaluate a written report. – Patricia Vasquez
CAPFolio Presentation Rubric – Scott Marsden, American Canyon High School

CAP Essentials for Students


Toolkit

A step-by-step guide through the civic action process for students.


Student Action

Take a look at what other CAP students are up to.


Contest

The CAP Multimedia Contest gives students a chance to showcase their work and win prizes.

Youth Board 

Passionate alumni who have successfully completed projects and found CAP to be an excellent way to get youth civically engaged.

Are you looking for professional development for Civic Action Project (CAP)?

Here are several ways teachers new to CAP can be provided with professional development:

1. DIY

We continuously adds resources to the website focused on how to implement CAP in the classroom. If you want to learn how to implement CAP on your own, here are some links to help you “do it yourself”!

Take a look at each of the tabs. This will help you get started, gain an understanding about the rationale of CAP and its intended outcomes.

Cost: FREE

2. Get in the Loop

Register yourself on the CAP website and you will start getting email updates like Now Engaging, a newsletter specifically for CAP teachers that provides updates, tips, and showcases CAP teachers and students. You will also receive special announcements about professional development webinars and other online and face-to-face professional development events.

Contact Gregorio or Laura to see if we can hook you up with a CAP teacher in your region who can provide you with some one-on-one coaching. Gregorio and Laura may also know of some face-to-face CAP sessions in your locale being conducted by CAP teachers or other non-profits we work with.

Cost: FREE


Please know that CRF is continuously seeking funding to provide all CAP resources and professional development free of charge. If we are not currently resourced to serve you, we can provide the “fee for service” as described below.

3. CAP PD Lite

Contact Gregorio or Laura to schedule an after-school professional development session with CRF.

Option A: Live Webinar for up to 30 teachers.
We can design a webinar event tailored to your needs and schedule the session at a time convenient for your teachers.

Option B: Face-to-face Introduction to CAP (2-3 hours) for up to 30 teachers.
Many CAP teachers have learned to implement CAP by starting with a 2-3 hour session to get the basics. Please give Gregorio or Laura a call if you are interested.

Option A
Cost: $750 covers the cost of CRF staff to plan and deliver one webinar session.


Option B
Cost: (First, check with us because we may have you covered!)

Fee varies depending on location. $1,000 covers CRF staff time. You would need to cover any travel, site costs, and teacher stipends.

4. The Gold Standard CAP PD Package

Ideally, teachers are provided with a full-day of face to face professional development, followed by live, interactive webinars focused on key aspects of CAP implementation and ongoing direct or remote follow-up support depending on location of school-site.

Cost: (First, check with us because we may have you covered!)

Costs vary depending on location, but on average, run approximately $1,500 per teacher over the course of *two semesters of implementation of CAP. The need for CRF staff travel may increase the cost.


*We know that in many places, the Government/Civics course is one semester. Teachers may be teaching Government one semester and Economics another, thus it is possible that using CAP for two semesters will stretch over a two-year period.

Assessmentcheckbox

Assessment should focus on the amount and quality of independent critical thinking; policy analysis; and students’ abilities to identify, seek out, and communicate effectively with people who can help them impact the issue they are working on. Assessment should not be based on whether the students actually solved the problem, but rather on their abilities to use strategic thinking, analysis, and organization to approach the problem. Rubrics and other resources for assessment are provided, and teachers are invited to share assessment ideas and tools they create.

CAP Planner Rubrics

CAP Sample Rubric Items

 

Culminating Activities

Oral Presentations
CAP Showcase
Publish
Multimedia Contest
Teacher Created Assessment Tools

Presentation Guidelines & Evaluation (instructions for students) – Developed by Quinn Riddle-Ortiz of Alliance Environmental Science and Technology High School in Los Angeles

Peer Evaluation (for students to use during classmates’ presentations) –  Developed by Quinn Riddle-Ortiz of Alliance Environmental Science and Technology High School in Los Angeles

Group Information Form (pdf) – Form for students to keep track of their group’s

Project Folder Checklist (pdf) – Form for teacher to keep track of a group’s progress. – Patricia Vasquez

Peer Group Evaluation Form (pdf) – Form for students to evaluate their own group’s participation and contributions. – Patricia Vasquez

Group Evaluation Form (pdf) – Rubric to evaluate a group CAP presentation. – Patricia Vasquez

Written Report Rubric (pdf) – Rubric to evaluate a written report. – Patricia Vasquez

CAPFolio Presentation Rubric – Scott Marsden

© Teach Democracy. Last modified: Saturday, 4 November 2023, 6:59 PM