How do I teach Civics to my children-leading them to believe in Checks and Balances

[demtenjeep]

when nothing is the way it is supposed to be.

I am just teaching from the book, I can't get excited like I used to.

For the last 20 years the Government/Civics unit was my absolute favorite, now I don't even want to teach it.

[Fullduplexxx]

1. You teach them checks and balances and remind them that trump is what happens when you dont vote

It's a teaching moment.

How's that saying go .. dont let the bastards wear you down... or something like that

[BigmanPigman]

2. Oh, I like that.

That could work and I was a teacher. This is a teachable moment!

[TygrBright]

3. Teach it as failure analysis.

"This is how democracy was designed/supposed to work."

"These are the promises that a working democracy is supposed to deliver."

"Is our democracy delivering those promises?"

"What about the way it's supposed to work isn't happening?"

"Why and how?"

"What would fix it?"

You have a GOLDEN opportunity.

helpfully,
Bright

[TomSlick]

9. Perfect.

We learn how things are supposed to work when they go wrong.

[madinmaryland]

4. I can't suggest anything...

This country has gone very close to the edge. If nothing changes in the upcoming mid-term elections we are all fucked.

[2naSalit]

6. We will be Brazil on steroids...nt

[madinmaryland]

7. Yes. With 20,000 nuclear warheads. I don't see this ending well.

With all of those warheads aimed at each other. M.A.D.

[2naSalit]

5. Introduce them to

Howard Zinn.

[marylandblue]

8. Teach them the Founders' view on virtue

"Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government."
George Washington

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
Benjamin Franklin


I only learned about it recently. They never talked about it in school. I was taught that the idea of checks and balances was all about assuming people in power were bad and corruptable. But that's only half the story. The system only works if the people themselves are committed to being good citizens and to holding their leaders to account.

Teach them about the Alien and Sedition Act that Samuel Adams put in. It was widely viewed as a betrayal of the Constitution. Journalists were arrested under the law. Madison and Jefferson were outraged. Adams was voted out of office and the Federalists never recovered. The Constitution survived one of it's first tests. Today, the Constitution is being tested again. Shouldn't we hold our leaders to account as we did before?