Real Time U.S. Civics-Let’s Talk Politics- Middle School Edition 12-14

Want to talk politics? Want to sound smart when you talk about politics? Of course you do! 
Kids care about civics, but they may not be well informed.  Let's fix that.

The United States depends on well-informed citizens to hold it’s elected and appointed office holders accountable. Civics can be complicated, so young people should start understanding and engaging in civic conversations early. After all, the youth have as much of a stake in the governing of this nation as any voting adult and most will be voting before you know it.  This class is a great supplement to any schedule.

This class is for learners who want to learn more about civics by following the work of various branches of the Federal Government in real time. We carefully monitor the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches and discuss issues that matter most to young people. We also consider State and Local issues that are noteworthy.

>>This weekly class works well with a daily Civics class, but does not replace it.<<

Our learners learn how to discern high-quality information in the complex media landscape that we now have. As we consider the source of information, we also talk about what makes a source credible and what does not. Our class is built on primary sources as well as secondary sources which are introduced in class and then provided for further study.

Most importantly, our learners  learn how to have their voices heard by the people who make decisions about the issues that matter most to them. Knowledge is power- knowing how government works is the key to making it work on your behalf.

As always, our conversations will be informed by the questions and concerns of our learners. Learners will learn about one office or role each week and see how these public servants work in the greater government for all Americans. Our themes repeat every 6 weeks but the subject and focus never repeats; I generally send information to all enrolled learners before our class and provide links to resources after every class so that learners can continue engaging the topics until we meet again.

* First Week of the Month
The Office of the Executive
We take a look at the jobs of the President and others,  what they have done and how, and what they are working on. 

Second Week of the Month
The Upper Chamber of the Legislature
The U.S. Senate 
We take a look at the U.S Senate and consider the work done by individual Senators or, more commonly, Senate Committees.

Third Week of the Month
The Lower Chamber of the Legislature
The House of Representatives 
We take a look at the U.S. House of Representatives and consider the work done by individual Reps or, more commonly, House Committees.

Fourth Week of the Month
The Judicial
The Supreme Court
We take a look at cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the decisions that they make and what individual Justices decide. 

Fifth Week of the Month
All Politics is Local
State/Local Governments
We highlight a particular state or local government to consider what the people are doing on a local level for the people of their community. 

Sixth Week of the Month :)
Special Topics
This week we focus on a topic that does not fit neatly into the categories above. It may be a concept or relevant history topic (The Wayback Machine!) 

*This schedule is subject to change based on learner topic request, events in the news or teacher discretion. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.

>>A Clarifying Note<<
This class is focused on teaching what government officials do in their jobs. While it is expected that learners have opinions and that conversations may reflect these, this class is designed to be non-partisan. As such, we discuss majority and minority positions on many issues. All facts are fact checked.