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America Volunteers
National Constitution Center
http://www.constitutioncenter.org
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The America Volunteers curriculum was developed by the National Constitution Center to help teachers provide meaningful civics experiences to middle school students. It addresses the need identified by a number of educational researchers for programs of study that not only provide important information about our system of government, but that also provide opportunities for students to develop the habits and dispositions necessary for effective citizenship in a constitutional democracy.
This one-week course of study, with options for extension, focuses on the role of volunteerism in America. It emphasizes the stories of individuals who have identified important community needs, then formulated and implemented programs to meet those needs. Often, those efforts have required firsthand knowledge of government and public policy. The curriculum provides opportunities for students to think critically about their rights, responsibilities and duties as citizens of a constitutional democracy.
The lessons are designed for maximum flexibility in order to accommodate a range of school and classroom schedules. At a minimum, the curriculum contains materials and lesson plans for five separate forty-five minute class periods. Materials and lesson plans are also provided for longer class periods. Supplemental activities that deepen or expand each lesson are included as well. Finally, the classroom lessons can serve as the basis of individual, group or class service-learning projects. A pre- and post-assessment tool provides a foundation for student knowledge, skills and attitudes about volunteerism and citizenship, along with any changes that may be attributed to participation in the lessons and activities of the America Volunteers project.
The America Volunteers curriculum incorporates a number of accepted best practices in the areas of civics and government education, service-learning, and character education. In addition to a focus on traditional content knowledge, the lessons promote the development of citizenship skills and civic commitment. When implemented at a maximum level, including a service project, it contributes to the important task of building essential civic dispositions, such as support for the common good, inclusion, and liberty.
For Volunteer America Curriculum please click here.
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