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Remarks to the Student What did you think when you saw that your schedule for your senior year of high school included civics? Did you consider what the class was about? Did you question what you will be studying this year? Some people think that civics is only the study of the government. Is this what you thought? The authors of this curriculum agree with the National Council for Social Studies that civic education is the development of knowledge, skills and actions related to the position of being a citizen. We believe that civic education is more than the study of government. We believe that it is the study of your role and responsibility as a citizen of your town, state, nation and world. In West Virginia, our teachers put a strong emphasis on providing knowledge of the government to you, the student, in many different ways. The full understanding of the way government works in this country and the ideals upon which it was founded are only one piece of the puzzle that is civic education. We feel that for you to be truly equipped for your future in civic life, you must be effectively educated in the ideals and behaviors of community, and what it means to be a part of that community. There is a need for you to be exposed to all the conditions that surround the idea of citizenship. It is much more than voting and paying taxes. Finally, we feel that civic education needs to allow you to explore “human dignity.” In an increasingly globalized world, it is evident that we are all, in fact, “in this together.” It is an essential piece of civic education to prepare all of you for your interactions and endeavors with various other communities throughout the globe, which will, in turn, affect the futures of generations to come. At this point in your lives, we know that all of this may sound trivial on one end of the spectrum, or incredibly overwhelming on the other end. Nevertheless, a prime objective of civic education is to empower you as a citizen of this country, and ultimately, of this planet. For many of us, all we have in life are our voices, and the choices that we make. One goal of civic education is to maximize your voice as a contributing member of your community. This is why we would like to take the opportunity to provide your teachers, your peers, and you with a program that engages you with Remarks to the Student continued those essential aspects of a full civic education through the possibilities of this digital curriculum. This program centers around four themes that define civic education as Rights of the Individual, Freedoms of the Individual, Responsibilities of the Individual, and Beliefs Concerning Societal Conditions and Government Responsibilities. Within these four, we address media literacy, becoming effective citizens, the global community, civic virtue, and service learning. We have also included lessons in Financial Literacy to help prepare you for financial independence. The digital toolbox provided in this program allows for these lesson plans to convey important information through new and various means of twenty-first century technology, which will allow for a more in-depth, engaging , and ultimately, more enjoyable interaction with the subject matter. For you, we want to point out the great opportunities that this program can provide for you to make choices about your curriculum. How often have we all wished to have a little more say in what we are learning and working with in our school experiences? With this approach to civic education, we are finally providing that opportunity to you and your teachers. In a country that is as unique as ours, from state to state, and from city to city, it is important to remember how different our communities and cultures can be from each other. What may be a pressing issue in one, may not be as important in another. By providing your teachers and you with several different options for lesson plans, resources, and tools, we hope that it will help your teacher, your peers and you create the most effective civic experience for your classroom, your community, and your future. We also hope that you will enjoy our heavy emphasis on technology and the development of skills. These skills will encourage you to create artistic and thoughtful projects that can be shared with others via the Internet and presentations. ...

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