November/December 2001
Teaching Civics after September 11
By David T. Gordon
Will the resurgence of American patriotism following the tragic events of September 11 spark a renewed interest in civics education? Many educators hope so and see the reappearance of the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance in K-12 schools as a first step toward teaching more about citizenship, social issues, and geography. However, others caution that patriotic expression can undermine good citizenship training if it is presented in a superficial way. Editor David T. Gordon examines the current state of civics education and the characteristics of good citizenship education.
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Patriotism or Peer Pressure?
by Michael Sadowski
Since September 11, more students in more schools are reciting the Pledge of Allegiance daily than at any time in recent memory. While much of the renewed enthusiasm has been generated by students themselves, state and local laws requiring schools to lead the Pledge have also become more common since the terrorist attacks. In this kind of climate, what happens to the student or teacher who chooses not to say the Pledge for personal, religious, or philosophical reasons? Will she or he feel supported-or safe-in choosing to opt out? HEL assistant editor Michael Sadowski reviews the relevant laws and some of the dilemmas they present for educators.
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Making Global Connections
In recent weeks, numerous education commentators have called on schools to provide more instruction in world history, geography, and languages, especially Arabic. That's something social studies teacher Michele Forman, the 2001 National Teacher of the Year, began doing years ago at Middlebury Union High in Vermont, where she started an extracurricular Arabic program and tried fresh approaches to teaching world history. In an interview with HEL, Forman discusses her efforts to help students better understand the complex global society they live in.
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