WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.070 --> 00:00:02.882 Florida students in kindergarten to 12th grade 00:00:02.883 --> 00:00:07.102 study American civics and government in all public schools across the state. 00:00:07.103 --> 00:00:10.886 This short video will talk a little about what students will be learning 00:00:10.887 --> 00:00:13.392 and inform families on how we can all support 00:00:13.393 --> 00:00:17.075 Florida's K through 12 civics and government education initiative. 00:00:18.130 --> 00:00:19.780 What are civics and government, exactly? 00:00:21.250 --> 00:00:24.433 Government may be defined as the laws, rules, 00:00:24.435 --> 00:00:26.417 and principles by which a nation, 00:00:26.490 --> 00:00:28.728 state, or locality is governed. 00:00:29.610 --> 00:00:33.530 Civics may be defined as the study of the rights and duties of citizenship. 00:00:34.120 --> 00:00:37.646 What should someone know about their country to be an informed citizen? 00:00:38.010 --> 00:00:41.109 How could someone be prepared to be an engaged citizen? 00:00:42.010 --> 00:00:45.368 These are some of the questions addressed by the study of civics. 00:00:45.998 --> 00:00:48.434 Civics isn't just a curriculum in school. 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:53.681 It's a lifelong process of developing people into responsible members of their communities. 00:00:53.802 --> 00:00:56.971 This includes individuals being members of their families, 00:00:56.972 --> 00:01:01.795 their schools, their neighborhoods, their towns, their states, their nation, 00:01:01.796 --> 00:01:03.218 even the entire world. 00:01:05.041 --> 00:01:06.918 Florida's academic standards 00:01:06.968 --> 00:01:09.564 detail what public school students are expected 00:01:09.565 --> 00:01:13.002 to learn in a variety of subjects, including social studies. 00:01:13.003 --> 00:01:16.887 The original Sunshine State Standards date to 1996 00:01:16.888 --> 00:01:20.011 when they were first approved by the State Board of Education. 00:01:20.123 --> 00:01:24.403 The next generation Sunshine State Standards were approved in 2008. 00:01:24.655 --> 00:01:27.531 Civics and government is just one of several strands 00:01:27.532 --> 00:01:31.926 or areas of social studies that are included in the current state academic standards. 00:01:32.163 --> 00:01:36.631 The other strands include American history, world history, geography, 00:01:36.632 --> 00:01:42.291 economics, humanities, psychology, sociology, and financial literacy. 00:01:42.323 --> 00:01:47.002 In 2021, the civics and government standards were revised and updated, 00:01:47.003 --> 00:01:51.319 and a brand new social study strand was added Holocaust education. 00:01:51.704 --> 00:01:54.402 In the school year beginning in 2023, 00:01:54.403 --> 00:01:57.943 the new Holocaust and revised civic standards were implemented. 00:01:58.083 --> 00:02:03.559 The specific standards and benchmarks for each grade level can be found@cpalms.org. 00:02:05.073 --> 00:02:08.963 Florida's revised standards for civics and government will assist students 00:02:08.964 --> 00:02:13.182 in developing an understanding of their shared rights and responsibilities as citizens. 00:02:13.339 --> 00:02:14.699 In the broadest sense, 00:02:14.713 --> 00:02:19.942 Florida's students will develop an understanding of the history and content of America's founding documents, 00:02:19.943 --> 00:02:22.019 as well as learn about the influences 00:02:22.020 --> 00:02:25.791 that guided America's founders in the formation of the United States government. 00:02:26.067 --> 00:02:28.999 Students will recognize how the United States government, 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:32.407 founded on the fundamental principles of liberty and democracy, 00:02:32.408 --> 00:02:36.150 has uniquely secured for modern Americans the blessings of Liberty 00:02:36.151 --> 00:02:38.248 promised in the US Constitution. 00:02:38.443 --> 00:02:40.456 In order to fully appreciate this, 00:02:40.457 --> 00:02:44.752 Florida students are required by law to learn about other government ideologies, 00:02:44.753 --> 00:02:47.187 like communism and totalitarianism, 00:02:47.188 --> 00:02:49.907 that have historically oppressed individual's freedoms. 00:02:50.113 --> 00:02:53.486 This will allow students to engage in a comparative analysis 00:02:53.487 --> 00:02:56.931 of the advantages of the United States Constitutional Republic. 00:02:58.200 --> 00:03:00.137 From kindergarten to 12th grade, 00:03:00.138 --> 00:03:03.347 Florida students will learn about American civics and government 00:03:03.348 --> 00:03:07.236 in a way that evolves and builds as students progress through their education. 00:03:07.237 --> 00:03:11.444 For example, in early grades like kindergarten through second grade, 00:03:11.472 --> 00:03:16.540 students learn to describe and explain the characteristics of citizenship in their school community. 00:03:16.745 --> 00:03:19.280 Then in grades three through five, 00:03:19.281 --> 00:03:23.619 students expand their idea of citizenship to explain the importance of voting, 00:03:23.620 --> 00:03:27.304 public service, and volunteerism to the state and the nation. 00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:29.078 In grades six through eight 00:03:29.079 --> 00:03:31.280 students will find themselves differentiating 00:03:31.281 --> 00:03:35.084 between the obligations and responsibilities of American citizenship, 00:03:35.156 --> 00:03:36.576 and when they reach high school, 00:03:36.577 --> 00:03:39.185 students will expand their conception of citizenship 00:03:39.186 --> 00:03:42.254 to explain the importance of political and civic participation 00:03:42.255 --> 00:03:44.961 to the success of their constitutional republic. 00:03:45.374 --> 00:03:48.088 Florida's Civics Literacy Excellence Initiative aims 00:03:48.089 --> 00:03:49.550 to forge strong connections 00:03:49.551 --> 00:03:52.140 by integrating civics with other subject areas. 00:03:52.414 --> 00:03:55.908 When we look at the progression of skills from elementary to high school, 00:03:55.923 --> 00:04:00.184 we can see how the concepts deepen as students move into higher grade levels. 00:04:00.284 --> 00:04:01.358 For instance, 00:04:01.359 --> 00:04:05.959 when learning about citizenship in kindergarten through second grade English language arts, 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:09.197 students may read a book about citizenship during circle time 00:04:09.198 --> 00:04:11.920 and discuss ways to be a responsible citizen. 00:04:11.970 --> 00:04:16.652 And, when expanding their idea of citizenship in grades three through five math, 00:04:16.678 --> 00:04:22.392 students may solve real world math problems like voting or collecting donations and graphing data. 00:04:22.393 --> 00:04:24.008 In middle school science, 00:04:24.009 --> 00:04:28.888 students may need to explain the role of citizens in addressing local environmental problems 00:04:28.889 --> 00:04:32.144 using research to propose public policy solutions. 00:04:32.444 --> 00:04:34.376 And, in high school history, 00:04:34.377 --> 00:04:36.756 students approaching the legal age to vote 00:04:36.757 --> 00:04:40.448 may research the background behind various constitutional amendments 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:43.520 that have expanded the right to vote throughout American history. 00:04:43.640 --> 00:04:47.944 reinforcing civics and other subject areas will foster strong connections for 00:04:47.945 --> 00:04:51.332 students that will extend beyond the classroom and into the community. 00:04:52.336 --> 00:04:55.620 The state of Florida considers that the right of parents and guardians 00:04:55.621 --> 00:04:59.568 to support the upbringing, education, and care of their children. 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:01.302 As parents and guardians, 00:05:01.303 --> 00:05:04.077 feel empowered to support civics education at home, 00:05:04.078 --> 00:05:07.840 by discussing and reinforcing the concepts and skills learned in school. 00:05:08.144 --> 00:05:12.144 Please explore the additional family resources for civics and government 00:05:12.145 --> 00:05:14.471 that offer families ideas to do together 00:05:14.472 --> 00:05:17.273 and provide information for each standard at each grade level. 00:05:17.732 --> 00:05:23.244 Together we can ensure civics education extends beyond the classroom and into our daily lives. 00:05:23.750 --> 00:05:27.259 Talk with our young Americans about what values Americans share, 00:05:27.260 --> 00:05:31.139 how we can best become informed and engage citizens of this great nation, 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:36.544 and how we can all play a role in maintaining our constitutional republic for generations to come. 00:05:36.785 --> 00:05:38.570 Thank you for doing your part.