Florida students in kindergarten to 12th grade
study American civics and government in all public schools across the state.
This short video will talk a little about what students will be learning
and inform families on how we can all support
Florida's K through 12 civics and government education initiative.
What are civics and government, exactly?
Government may be defined as the laws, rules,
and principles by which a nation,
state, or locality is governed.
Civics may be defined as the study of the rights and duties of citizenship.
What should someone know about their country to be an informed citizen?
How could someone be prepared to be an engaged citizen?
These are some of the questions addressed by the study of civics.
Civics isn't just a curriculum in school.
It's a lifelong process of developing people into responsible members of their communities.
This includes individuals being members of their families,
their schools, their neighborhoods, their towns, their states, their nation,
even the entire world.
Florida's academic standards
detail what public school students are expected
to learn in a variety of subjects, including social studies.
The original Sunshine State Standards date to 1996
when they were first approved by the State Board of Education.
The next generation Sunshine State Standards were approved in 2008.
Civics and government is just one of several strands
or areas of social studies that are included in the current state academic standards.
The other strands include American history, world history, geography,
economics, humanities, psychology, sociology, and financial literacy.
In 2021, the civics and government standards were revised and updated,
and a brand new social study strand was added Holocaust education.
In the school year beginning in 2023,
the new Holocaust and revised civic standards were implemented.
The specific standards and benchmarks for each grade level can be found@cpalms.org.
Florida's revised standards for civics and government will assist students
in developing an understanding of their shared rights and responsibilities as citizens.
In the broadest sense,
Florida's students will develop an understanding of the history and content of America's founding documents,
as well as learn about the influences
that guided America's founders in the formation of the United States government.
Students will recognize how the United States government,
founded on the fundamental principles of liberty and democracy,
has uniquely secured for modern Americans the blessings of Liberty
promised in the US Constitution.
In order to fully appreciate this,
Florida students are required by law to learn about other government ideologies,
like communism and totalitarianism,
that have historically oppressed individual's freedoms.
This will allow students to engage in a comparative analysis
of the advantages of the United States Constitutional Republic.
From kindergarten to 12th grade,
Florida students will learn about American civics and government
in a way that evolves and builds as students progress through their education.
For example, in early grades like kindergarten through second grade,
students learn to describe and explain the characteristics of citizenship in their school community.
Then in grades three through five,
students expand their idea of citizenship to explain the importance of voting,
public service, and volunteerism to the state and the nation.
In grades six through eight
students will find themselves differentiating
between the obligations and responsibilities of American citizenship,
and when they reach high school,
students will expand their conception of citizenship
to explain the importance of political and civic participation
to the success of their constitutional republic.
Florida's Civics Literacy Excellence Initiative aims
to forge strong connections
by integrating civics with other subject areas.
When we look at the progression of skills from elementary to high school,
we can see how the concepts deepen as students move into higher grade levels.
For instance,
when learning about citizenship in kindergarten through second grade English language arts,
students may read a book about citizenship during circle time
and discuss ways to be a responsible citizen.
And, when expanding their idea of citizenship in grades three through five math,
students may solve real world math problems like voting or collecting donations and graphing data.
In middle school science,
students may need to explain the role of citizens in addressing local environmental problems
using research to propose public policy solutions.
And, in high school history,
students approaching the legal age to vote
may research the background behind various constitutional amendments
that have expanded the right to vote throughout American history.
reinforcing civics and other subject areas will foster strong connections for
students that will extend beyond the classroom and into the community.
The state of Florida considers that the right of parents and guardians
to support the upbringing, education, and care of their children.
As parents and guardians,
feel empowered to support civics education at home,
by discussing and reinforcing the concepts and skills learned in school.
Please explore the additional family resources for civics and government
that offer families ideas to do together
and provide information for each standard at each grade level.
Together we can ensure civics education extends beyond the classroom and into our daily lives.
Talk with our young Americans about what values Americans share,
how we can best become informed and engage citizens of this great nation,
and how we can all play a role in maintaining our constitutional republic for generations to come.
Thank you for doing your part.