July 30th, 2020 by
Whats New on Civics360? Good evening, friends in civics! We have been spending this summer updating our Civics360 platform in a number of ways and wanted to take a few minutes and share that with you. New Embed Platform: Schooltube One thing you may notice is that is that all...
June 29th, 2020 by
Without a doubt, it is the people that make an organization what it is. And we here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute would not be what we are today without the hard work of the staff here. It is with that note that...
June 29th, 2020 by
Good morning, friends in Civics! Have you been keeping up with our Civics in Real Life materials? The most recent two CRL readings concern natural law and the social contract and consent of the governed. We have posted two more Civics in Real Life readings this week! The first looks...
June 29th, 2020 by
Good morning friends. This post is a reminder that the Florida K-12 Civics Standards are open for review (and the memo on this is available here: Civics Review dps-2020-48 (1)). If you want to have input on what kids should do and should know throughout the grade levels, please please...
June 16th, 2020 by
Good evening, friends. You are likely aware of our recent re-launch of the first three courses in our The Civics Classroom series. Well, we just couldn't wait until July 1st, so are excited to announce that A Constitutional Classroom is now open! This fourth course in the series, developed in...
May 28th, 2020 by
We have posted two more Civics in Real Life readings this week! The first looks at the National Institutes of Health. How is support for the general welfare reflected in the work of the National Institutes of Health? The second reading explores Government Task Forces. How do these reflect Article...
May 28th, 2020 by
Good afternoon, friends in Civics. You may recall that we had previously offered a free online course series for civics teachers. While we remain proud of that initial iteration and are pleased with the outcomes, our most important goal is to always respond to the needs and desires of our...
May 22nd, 2020 by
Well, it's time for the Census! And today, we bring you a new Civics in Real Life reading on the 2020 Census and why it matters. How is it an obligation of government and a responsibility of citizens? Why should we complete it? We hope that you find this, and...
May 19th, 2020 by
With the new day comes a new Civics in Real Life reading ! Many of our kids, and maybe many of us, are dealing with the reality of family members who have lost jobs over the past couple of months. So today's CRL looks at this question: What is the origin...
May 14th, 2020 by
Well hello there and good evening! Another new Civics in Real Life reading is now available! What do you know about the Defense Production Act? Did you know it was used over 300,000 times last year? Check it out and learn how the DPA helps our nation meet...
May 13th, 2020 by
Today's post is from Amy Livingston, a middle school teacher here in Florida. She discusses a recent appearance by Mary Beth Tinker in her class, how it happened, and how it went. I can imagine just how exciting that must have been for the kids to virtually meet someone who...
May 12th, 2020 by
Good evening, friends in civics! We have for you today a new Civics in Real Life reading. This one is on Essential Workers, and discussing what an essential worker is and exploring the concept of civic obligations. Check out the new series here. As a reminder, our topics so...
May 11th, 2020 by
Good afternoon, friends. Today's post is the last set of videos developed by Palm Beach District Schools and the wonderful Lori Dool, as we approach the end of what has been quite a school year here in Florida. Today's videos address the Amendment Process, Structure, Powers, and Processes of State...
May 7th, 2020 by
Good afternoon, friends in civics! Today, we bring you a new Civics in Real Life reading. This one is on the First Amendment, and asks students to think about how First Amendment rights might be exercised during a crisis. Check out the new series here. As a reminder, our...
May 5th, 2020 by
a href="https://floridacitizen.org/civics-in-real-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The new Civics in Real Life is now available! Who has the power to make decisions that impact us? How are our lives affected by the decisions of government at all levels? Let's reflect on what government power...
April 30th, 2020 by
The new Civics in Real Life is now available! COVID-19 has been an international crisis, and in this crisis, non-governmental organizations have had to step up and support efforts across a variety of areas and nations. How do NGOs support the common good? Check out the new series here....
April 27th, 2020 by
Good morning, friend in civics! The wonderful Lori Dool of Palm Beach District Schools sends along the newest video lessons for the week. These cover influencing the government; bias, symbolism, and propaganda (which will have a Civics in Real Life resource this week as well!); public policy problem solving;...
April 27th, 2020 by
The new Civics in Real Life is now available! We have seen a great many ads and images advocating for certain actions (or, I suppose, non-actions) in relation to the COVID-19/Novel coronavirus pandemic. Today's resource looks at symbolism and propaganda. How does propaganda use symbolism to persuade, motivate,...
April 23rd, 2020 by
The new Civics in Real Life is now available! Your students may have seen reports of the National Guard deployed in their or neighboring states for a variety of support purposes in the battle against the pandemic. What IS the National Guard, and how does it connect to the purposes...
April 21st, 2020 by
Our Civics in Real Life series continues this week with our newest one on The Cares Act. This resource is intended to inform students about Congressional spending power while also asking them to think about how the exercise of this power during a crisis impacts their life today. You can...
April 13th, 2020 by
Good morning, friends in civics! Our Civics in Real Life series continues. We bring you today the second (of two) of this week's Civics in Real Life one pagers! Today's resource addresses Federalism in Action, and asks the question "How does federalism impact the national response to significant events?" You...
April 10th, 2020 by
Friends in civics, passing along this notice from the Florida Department of Education. If you are interested in helping to review the state of Florida's K-12 Civics Standards, please consider getting yourself nominated by your district to do so. On June 26, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill...
April 8th, 2020 by
Good morning, friends in civics! Our Civics in Real Life series continues. We bring you today the second (of two) of this week's Civics in Real Life one pagers! Today's resource addresses the Constitution's Preamble, and asks the question "How do current events show the way in which the government...
April 6th, 2020 by
For the past two weeks, we shared with you a collection of video lessons for learning civics from home, put together by the excellent folks in Palm Beach using some resources from Civics360. Today, we are happy and grateful to share five more. Each video runs about ten minutes long,...
April 6th, 2020 by
Good afternoon, friends in Civics! Recently, we share with you our new 'Civics in Real Life' resource. This new resource, updated twice a week, provides you with a one page reading and activity connecting current events to civics concepts, ideas, or skills. Last week, we addressed Executive Orders and the...
April 3rd, 2020 by
Friends, I know we are all seeking ways to ensure that our students, even 'trapped' at home, get a high quality civics education. Our good friends at the Constitutional Rights Foundation know this as well. They are offering free student driven webinars for elementary, middle, and high school kids that...
April 2nd, 2020 by
Last week, we shared with you a collection of video lessons for learning civics from home, put together by the excellent folks in Palm Beach using some resources from Civics360. Today, we are happy and grateful to share four more. Each video runs about ten minutes long, give or take...
March 31st, 2020 by
Good afternoon, friends in Civics! We are excited to share a new just-in-time resource for teachers, students, parents, and anyone else looking for ways to connect current events to civics concepts and ideas. You are likely already familiar with our Civics360 resource, and we hope that you find it useful...
March 26th, 2020 by
Friends, in this difficult time, I know that we are all seeking resources, so I am so very happy to share with you some resources that Palm Beach schools put together for broadcast over their cable system. They used our Civics360 scripts and materials for these four videos. Each video...
March 26th, 2020 by
John Burkowski, Jr., a board member of the Florida Council for the Social Studies and an excellent Advanced Placement Teacher down in the Dade County area, shares these resources for helping your kids prep for the APUSH Exam through distance education! Check out the excellent resources below. Suggested Plan of...
September 17th, 2019 by
Check out the National Constitution Center's biographies of the Founding Fathers! https://constitutioncenter.org/learn/educational-resources/founding-fathers[/caption] It's Founders Month here in Florida! According to the Florida Department of Education, Section (s.) 683.1455, Florida Statutes (F.S.), designates the month of September as American&...
September 17th, 2019 by
Good morning, friends! It's Constitution Day today! September 17th celebrates that day back in 1787 when the Framers and Founders gave us our Constitution. It is, to this day, the oldest written and codified national constitution still in force. Yes, it has flaws and weaknesses, but it has also given...
September 13th, 2019 by
UPDATE: THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED! Good morning friends and colleagues. If you use Civics360, you likely noticed the following when you try to load a video: Basically, TeacherTube is now down. We have reached out to them to get an ETA on when it will be back up and...
September 13th, 2019 by
Check out the National Constitution Center's biographies of the Founding Fathers! https://constitutioncenter.org/learn/educational-resources/founding-fathers[/caption] It's Founders Month here in Florida! According to the Florida Department of Education, Section (s.) 683.1455, Florida Statutes (F.S.), designates the month of September as American&...
September 9th, 2019 by
Check out the National Constitution Center's biographies of the Founding Fathers! https://constitutioncenter.org/learn/educational-resources/founding-fathers It's Founders Month here in Florida! According to the Florida Department of Education, Section (s.) 683.1455, Florida Statutes (F.S.), designates the month of September as American ...
July 3rd, 2019 by
So as most civic educators here in Florida are likely aware (judging by the obsessive reloading of the FLDOE website during workshops I attended last week ;-) ), the scores for the state End of Course Assessment in Civics have been released. And the news overall is positive! Scores remained remarkably...
June 19th, 2019 by
On June 19, 1865, slavery in Texas was officially abolished, ending slavery throughout the former Confederacy (reinforced through the adoption of the 13th Amendment). Today, we recognize this day as Juneteenth, a celebration and recognition of emancipation and the fragile next step in extirpating the United States of America's darkest...
May 31st, 2019 by
In 2010, the Florida Legislature unanimously adopted the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act, which created a new statewide emphasis on civic learning. It required (1) that all middle school students complete a required course in civics; (2) that all middle school students (approximately 200,000 per year...
May 9th, 2019 by
Friends and colleagues, The Florida Legislature has had busy session! This post is intended to just loop you in on where legislation that could impact social studies stands after the most recent session. Please note that we here at FJCC/LFI take no political position on any of this. This...
April 16th, 2019 by
Recently, our friends at the Civics Renewal Network announced the finalists and winner of a 200,000 dollar Annenberg Institute for Civics grant. While we here at FJCC/LFI did not make the cut (but were honored being able to apply!), we are excited to see such success for the...
March 29th, 2019 by
Good afternoon, dear friends in civics. Today's post is response to this positive and supportive piece published in recently in Florida Politics. As you are most likely aware, the Lou Frey Institute/FJCC has faced a continual budget issue for the past few years. The linked Florida Politics post argues...
November 19th, 2018 by
We know that we have issues in this country with social studies instruction, and it is especially challenging at the elementary level. Whether we are talking about the impact of assessment on instruction, the weakness of the content-based resources, or simply the loss of time devoted to and disappearance of...
November 14th, 2018 by
Civics360 is a resource for civics education that we at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship are excited to provide to the civics education community in Florida and beyond. It contains readings in multiple languages, more than 60 animated and narrated videos across a variety of topic areas, practice assessments,...
November 1st, 2018 by
You are, we hope, familiar with Civics360, a resource dedicated to providing content and literacy tools for civics instruction. If you aren't familiar with Civics360, it has narrated 5 to 10 minute videos, readings in three languages, vocabulary tools, and assessment resources across a wide variety of civics and government...
October 29th, 2018 by
Good morning, friends. Today's post comes to us from Dr. Michael Berson of the University of South Florida. Dr. Berson has long worked in educating pre-service teachers, and is a long time advocate for Holocaust education in Florida and beyond. We hope, in this time after such a horrible event,...
October 26th, 2018 by
We at FJCC have worked hard to implement a version of CRF's Civic Action Project into middle schools, and it has, happily, gone very well! We are always looking to support the needs of civic teachers not only in Florida but elsewhere, so we are happy to share with you...
October 24th, 2018 by
It was with sad hearts that we here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship and especially our parent organization the Lou Frey Institute learned of the need for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to step away from public life. Justice O'Connor, famous for being the first woman on the U....
October 22nd, 2018 by
Good morning friends. This past weekend was the 61st annual Florida Council for the Social Studies state conference, and it featured a keynote (sponsored by the Lou Frey Institute) from National Council for the Social Studies President-Elect Dr. Tina Heafner of UNC-Charlotte. The keynote was well-received, and we are grateful...
September 27th, 2018 by
Good morning, dear friends in social studies and civics. Today, let's highlight the keynotes and special events. We have referred to these in prior posts about the conference (here and here and here, for example), but let's talk about them a bit more today. And of course be sure to...
September 26th, 2018 by
American Founders’ Month continues in Florida. Today, we look at an actual Founder of Florida, William Dunn Moseley. Governor Moseley was the first elected of governor of the new state of Florida, from 1845-1849. Before Moseley, Florida had the legendary Andrew Jackson as military governor and a series of territorial...
September 26th, 2018 by
About this time last year, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, as part of the Lou Frey Institute, was honored to be invited to attend and participate in the CivXNow discussion in Washington, DC with leading figures in Civics education. This Thursday, throughout the day, we will be participating in...
September 25th, 2018 by
It's that time again, dear friends! Time to check out Florida Council for the Social Studies conference sessions, scheduled for late October. Today, let's take a look at some more early Saturday sessions. And of course, don't forget to dress up for the Friday night reception! Saturday, October 20, 2018...
September 21st, 2018 by
So over the last month, we have been doing posts on various Founders, and I thought it might be nice to feature a post written by a middle school student about someone important to the founding of this country. So today, I ask that you please read this post about...
September 20th, 2018 by
The other day we shared some upcoming FCSS conference sessions that caught our attention. But oh my goodness there are so many more that are worth a look! Let's pick up with a look at sessions later in the afternoon! Oh, and register for the conference here. October 20th, 2018...
September 17th, 2018 by
Here in Florida, we are required by state statute to teach about the important documents of this country during Freedom Week at the end of September. This is in addition to what is expected for Constitution Day. The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute has a...
September 14th, 2018 by
It's Founders Month here in Florida, and of course we will continue to recognize those men and women who played a role in the establishment of this country of ours, but this state of Florida ALSO has Founders, and let's take a few minutes and recognize perhaps one of the...
September 13th, 2018 by
American Founders' Month (and Freedom Week!) continues in Florida. Today, let's take a look at one of the earliest advocates for women's rights in our young nation's history, especially relevant as we approach the anniversary of the 19th Amendment: Judith Sargent Murray. Judith Sargent Murray was born in pre-Revolutionary Boston,...
September 12th, 2018 by
Friends, some exciting news from the National Archives! To celebrate the approaching anniversary of the 19th Amendment (passed by Congress in June of 1919 and ratified in August of 1920, NARA is offering a free pop up display explaining and celebrating that historic expansion of the franchise! You can reserve...
September 6th, 2018 by
It's American Founders' Month in Florida. Today, on the last day of Freedom Week, we have one of the most important, but perhaps least remembered, Founders: George Mason. Why does George Mason matter? After all, he was one of only three delegates to the Convention of 1787 who refused to...
September 4th, 2018 by
Click here to download the above image as a powerpoint slide with an active link to share with your students and friends! Friends, as you may or may not be aware, the Florida Legislature has designated September as ‘American Founders’ Month’. While covering material related to Founders’ Month is, at...
August 24th, 2018 by
Friends in Civics, we have some exciting news. The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute is now offering a free online Canvas course targeting primarily new and beginning civics teachers in Florida, though it is open to any and all civics educators who are interested. This...
August 10th, 2018 by
Hello dear friends in Civics, and welcome back to a new school year! How about some resources shared through our friends at the Civics Renewal Network to start us off and get us ready for the rapidly approaching Constitution Day! Of course, we need to begin with the Preamble Challenge!...
August 10th, 2018 by
So we got some excellent news from the civic education community recently. The Executive Director of the Lou Frey Institute, Dr. Doug Dobson, was named as one of the 23 finalists for an American Civic Collaboration Award! Check out the press release, and the list of honorees, below. Dr. Dobson...
August 10th, 2018 by
Well, it's happening soon, and registration is open, so please come join your friends and colleagues in sunny Orlando at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center from October 19 through October 21, 2018 for the 61st Annual Florida Council for the Social Studies Conference! You can expect a great many...
May 25th, 2018 by
Friends, on behalf of Lisa Matthews and our other wonderful colleagues at the National Conference on Citizenship, we would be incredibly grateful if you would take a few minutes to complete a survey about civic education in the United States. Below, Ms. Matthews describes the purpose of and instructions for...
May 21st, 2018 by
The Florida Council for the Social Studies annual conference is coming soon, and we are excited to announce the upcoming Sunday session and keynote! Addressing Bias and Bullying: Creating Safe Classrooms for All Students Don’t miss Sunday’s Breakfast Keynote, "Addressing Bias and Bullying: Creating Safe Classrooms for All...
May 1st, 2018 by
It's that time of year again, where we start preparing our kids for the upcoming Civics End of Course Assessment here in Florida. So here are some decent resources from across the internet that you might find useful. Of course, we must always keep in mind that any review should...
April 17th, 2018 by
Free speech, in this era of ongoing partisan rancor, has never been more important. The theme of this year's National Law Related Education Conference (a project of the American Bar Association) is, in fact, that idea of free speech. What is it, and why does it matter? As educators, especially...
April 4th, 2018 by
Friends, we are sure that you are familiar with the wonderful website 'Teachers Pay Teachers'. We here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute are big fans of teachers offering to share their skills and creativity to a broader audience, and making some well-deserved money...
April 3rd, 2018 by
Friends, it is with great pleasure that we invite you to join educators, politicians, students, and community leaders from across Florida and beyond at the upcoming 2018 Urban Education Leadership Summit here at UCF on April 12th, 2018. The featured keynote, Dr. Pedro Noguera, was recently featured on MSNBC, discussing...
March 30th, 2018 by
The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute has spent more than a year working on the current iteration of Civics360. While less than ten benchmarks still need a video resource, we have completed and shared on Civics360 more than 60 videos across the other benchmarks (with...
March 19th, 2018 by
You may have noticed a new logo, similiar to what is above this post, appearing on the FJCC homepage. That is a sign of some exciting news! The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is excited to announce that our parent organization, the Lou Frey Institute, was recently welcomed as a...
March 19th, 2018 by
What does it mean to be involved? How can we make a difference in the lives of those who depend on us, and in the lives of those who seek only to have a voice? Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress, asked these questions. In addition to...
March 15th, 2018 by
The Florida Council for the Social Studies, a Gold Star Council, is pleased to announce that proposals are now requested for the 61st annual conference, to be held at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center, October 19-21, 2018. The theme of this years conference centers around the importance of diversity...
March 14th, 2018 by
Today, around the country, students from Kindergarten through higher education are engaged in protests concerning gun violence. However one feels about the issues being debated, students assuming the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship in their communities is something to celebrate. What students are doing today is consistent with our...
March 14th, 2018 by
Elizabeth McCullough Johnson is an important figure in Florida civics, government, and history. She was the second woman elected to the Florida House, and the first women ever elected to the Florida State Senate. For those of us who live and work in the central Florida area, she is also...
February 26th, 2018 by
We here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship are strong advocates of the C3 Framework. The emphasis on inquiry, and actually doing something with that inquiry, is civic learning at it finest, and we believe that the C3 Framework would be an excellent model to build standards and curriculum...
February 1st, 2018 by
Many of the folks that read this blog and work in secondary civic and social studies education have considered ways in which they might incorporate the C3 Framework into the work that they do. This is no doubt just as true for elementary social studies educators (they, like Santa, DO...
February 1st, 2018 by
Our Curriculum Director, Val McVey, based out of our Connecticut office, passes along these upcoming webinars which may be of interest to folks in the field! The History and Memory webinar seems especially promising! “Technology and Digital Media in the Social Studies Classroom”: Thursday, February 8, 3:30-4:30. Experts...
February 1st, 2018 by
An interesting competition has come out, offered by the Library of Congress, and folks with a creative, analytical, and/or technological bent might find it fun and worth a shot. The Library of Congress is looking for some interesting and unique ways to use and analyze Congressional data. Take a...
January 30th, 2018 by
It is at this point in the year when the President of the United States provides Congress with a mandatory State of the Union report. While it is now delivered as a speech, it was not always the case. In the long tradition of the State of the Union, delivering...
January 5th, 2018 by
Friends, we have talked about this effort before, but we are sharing this again because we believe it is an incredible opportunity for learning, collaboration, and cohort building. This is a way in which your students can develop their own civic skills and dispositions, and for teachers to consider new...
December 15th, 2017 by
Good afternoon, civics friends. As you know, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship has a great many resources for elementary civics, including our Civics in a Snap lessons. There are, of course, other great resources available for elementary civic education as well, and I am excited to share with you...
December 5th, 2017 by
Friends, for the past couple of years, FJCC has partnered with the Constitutional Rights Foundation USA on a variety of projects. This includes a Gates-funded effort around peer-lead professional development concerning academic discussion models. These models offer a great deal of opportunity for rich and engaging discussion among students. Apparently,...
December 1st, 2017 by
Friends in Civics, we have some exciting news. The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute is now offering a free online Canvas course targeting primarily new and beginning civics teachers, though it is open to any and all civics educators who are interested. This program will...
November 28th, 2017 by
Thanks for clicking! Well, if you are reading this post, you are interested in the work of the Lou Frey Institute and wondering how you might be able to help. On this #GivingTuesday, please consider donating to the Lou Frey Institute so that we can continue our work in civic...
November 2nd, 2017 by
The benchmark pages on the Escambia Civics Review Site will be redirected to Civics360. This changeover will occur around the Thanksgiving break. This will impact your favorites and bookmarks if you have saved Escambia Civics Review Site benchmark pages in your browser. Good afternoon, friends. As you are likely aware,...
October 23rd, 2017 by
Friends, we have been asked by the Constitutional Rights Foundation USA to share the following webinar announcement, and we are quite excited to do so. This looks to be an excellent pedagogically oriented webinar around civil conversations! You can register for the webinar here, but be sure to review the...
October 9th, 2017 by
At the end of October, the Lou Frey Institute's Dr. Terri Susan Fine will be discussing voting and voting rights at Ferrell Commons on the UCF campus. This is an important discussion, especially if you consider that for many, voting is one of the most important (though far from only!...
October 6th, 2017 by
Our friends from the Florida Council for the Social Studies want to remind you of the upcoming conference! We are eagerly anticipating the exciting events planned for the 60th Annual Florida Council for the Social Studies Conference in Palm Harbor October 20 -22! If you have already registered, you can...
September 29th, 2017 by
It's American Founders' Month (and Freedom Week!) in Florida. Today, on the last day of Freedom Week, we have one of the most important, but perhaps least remembered, Founders: George Mason. Why does George Mason matter? After all, he was one of only three delegates to the Convention of 1787...
September 29th, 2017 by
Last week, at the Newseum in Washington, DC, the Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida, in collaboration with our friends at iCivics, Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, hosted the Democracy at a Crossroads:...
September 29th, 2017 by
Recently, we wrote about the CivX Summit in Washington, DC, where the Lou Frey Institute was recognized for the work it has done to build a quality civic education program in Florida. The summit closed with a call to arms, a recognition of the need that there needs to be...
September 28th, 2017 by
American Founders' Month (and Freedom Week!) continues in Florida. Today, let's take a look at one of the earliest advocates for women's rights in our young nation's history: Judith Sargent Murray. Judith Sargent Murray was born in pre-Revolutionary Boston, the daughter of a well-to-do merchant family. It as fortunate for...
September 27th, 2017 by
American Founders' Month (and Freedom Week) continues in Florida. Today, we look at an early voice of patriotism, liberty and hope: Phillis Wheatley. Wheatley was born in Africa and enslaved as a young girl, sold to a wealthy Boston merchant family. There, she was educated, in the classics and in...
September 26th, 2017 by
American Founders' Month (and Freedom Week) continues in Florida. Today, we look at Thomas Jefferson. Out of all of the Founders', it may be Thomas Jefferson that most schoolchildren are most familiar with. They know him, of course, as the author of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration, of course,...
September 25th, 2017 by
American Founders' Month continues in Florida, and it coincides with Freedom Week. There may be no quote more famous in our nation's history than Patrick Henry's "...give me liberty or give me death!" It is perhaps an appropriate way to start off our celebration of Freedom Week as we wrap...
September 23rd, 2017 by
American Founders' Month in Florida continues! Today, we will meet George Middleton. Colonel Middleton was one of the leaders of the African-American community in Revolutionary-era Boston, and helped established a predominately African-American militia during the war. This militia, known as 'The Protectors', helped defend property and people in Massachusetts throughout...
September 20th, 2017 by
It's American Founders' Month in Florida, and today we look at Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, one of the youngest of those men and women so significant in the early life of the United States, has certainly experienced something of a renaissance lately. This is due in no small part to the...
September 20th, 2017 by
American Founders' Month continues here in Florida. Today, we take a look at one of the most influential of those women who played a role in the establishment and early days of the United States: Mercy Otis Warren. Mercy Otis Warren was one of the most well-read and literate residents...
September 18th, 2017 by
American Founders' Month in Florida continues today with a look at the Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty were a sometimes controversial secret society devoted to combating what it perceived as British oppression by any means necessary. While they may be most famous for organizing boycotts of British goods...
September 15th, 2017 by
John Adams remains one of the most fascinating of the Founders. A passionate patriot and one of the earliest supporters of American independence from Great Britain, he nevertheless felt it important to provide legal defense to those British soldiers accused of crimes as a result of the Boston Massacre. “The...
September 15th, 2017 by
Next week, the Lou Frey Institute, in collaboration with our friends at iCivics, the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, and the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts, is excited to host the upcoming 'Democracy at a Crossroads' Civic Education Summit in Washington, DC. With generous support from...
September 15th, 2017 by
Sunday is Constitution Day, so it is perhaps a good time now to share the Founder perhaps most associated with the Constitution: James Madison. Madison is sometimes referred to as the father of the Bill of Rights, and was an influential voice in the effort to replace the Articles of...
September 8th, 2017 by
Our celebration of American Founders' Month here in Florida continues with a look at Benjamin Franklin. Mr. Franklin may be one of the most fascinating of the people who contributed to this country during the Founding Era. He was known for his wit, his charm, his brilliance, and yes, even...
September 6th, 2017 by
Abigail Adams is perhaps one of the most well known of what we might call the Founding Mothers, the women who participated, in one form or another, in the establishment of the United States of America. Indeed, she was more than simply the wife of of one president (John Adams)...
September 4th, 2017 by
George Washington is perhaps the one Founding Father that most people, both here and abroad, may recognize by both name and image. From his placement on the one dollar bill and the quarter, to his name on numerous cities throughout the United States as well as our architecturally rich capital,...
September 1st, 2017 by
Click here to download the above image as a powerpoint slide with an active link to share with your students and friends! Friends, as you may or may not be aware, the Florida Legislature recently designated September as 'American Founders' Month'. While covering material related to Founders' Month is, at...
August 16th, 2017 by
September 13, 2017, 7-8 p.m. ET Register today Anyone Home? Cartoon by Clifford Berryman, 2/24/1920 Join the Center for Legislative Archives to discover how to use political cartoons to teach about the United States Constitution. This webinar will draw from the collection of Clifford K. Berryman cartoons...
August 15th, 2017 by
Well, it is another school year, and we here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the Lou Frey Institute wish teachers everywhere a great start to the year. In this post, you will find a compilation of the resources that we have to offer as you start the...
August 15th, 2017 by
The Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS) would like to invite you and your colleagues and friends to attend the 60th Annual FCSS Conference at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida on October 20 – 22, 2017. You can register for the conference here. This is going to be an...
August 15th, 2017 by
Good morning, friends in Civics. Over the past few years, teachers here in Florida and elsewhere in the United States have made heavy use of the Escambia Civics Review Site. We do believe that the partnership with Escambia County and the willingness of that district to host and share resources...
May 1st, 2017 by
Good morning, friends. Our recent webinar is now available! It discussed some resources and tools that you can use for reteaching, remediation, and review. You can view it at the link below. https://youtu.be/cV6cDgeZTnE All resources and tools discussed in the webinar are available at http://bit.ly/...
January 16th, 2017 by
FJCC's recent webinar that provides an overview of the Civics EOCA is now available. This was intended for new teachers, and covers the content accordingly. Our next webinar, on review and remediation for the Civics EOCA, will be on March 29th. https://floridacitizens.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/fjcc-new-civics-teacher-webinar-what-to-expect-when-you-are-expecting-the-civics-eoca-now-available/
January 16th, 2017 by
Good morning, friends of civics. We have come across an interesting opportunity and thought it might be of interest for your students! iCivics and the Aspen Institute are cosponsoring the National O’Connor Scholars Program. 11th or 12th grade students interested in the work of the Supreme Court, the life...
January 14th, 2017 by
So, good news everyone! The recent webinar we co-hosted with the National Archives is now available. You can access the webinar at this link. In this well-attended discussion, Kathleen Munn of NARA discusses primary source tools and resources that can be used to approach the Civil Rights within classroom discussion....
January 14th, 2017 by
The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is excited to announce the first in a series of webinars targeting those who may be new to be teaching Civics here in Florida. In this ongoing series, we will be addressing issues of concern around content, pedagogy, assessment, and related areas as requested...
January 12th, 2017 by
A few months ago, we were very happy to host for our friends at the National Archives a webinar around the cartoons of Clifford Berryman. Happily, we are excited to host the next one as well! On Wednesday, February 08, 2017, the National Archives will be providing a webinar that...
January 7th, 2017 by
I am happy to pass this along, as the Teaching for Democracy Alliance is simply fantastic. WEBINAR: Teaching the Presidency in the Digital Age Wednesday, January 11th 4pm ET/1pm PT The Teaching for Democracy Alliance is pleased to announce its first webinar of 2017 on the timely and important...
January 2nd, 2017 by
SOURCES Annual Conference University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Saturday, January 14, 2017 The Teaching with Primary Sources Program at the University of Central Florida (TPS-UCF) will be hosting the third annual SOURCES Annual Conference at the University of Central Florida on Saturday, January 14, 2017. The SOURCES Annual Conference...
January 2nd, 2017 by
I apologize for the delay in posting. Here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, we have been swamped with work, and finding the time to write a few words has been tough, but I hope to get back on track! Let's start with some excellent news. As you are...
December 12th, 2016 by
Good afternoon friends. Recently, we hosted our friends from the National Archives for a webinar involving the use of political cartoons in the classroom. It is now available! You can access the webinar here! Thank you to those that attended and we look forward to hosting another one soon.
April 4th, 2016 by
The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is quite proud to be a member of Florida's Partnership for Civic Learning. One of the most promising research projects that the Partnership has undertaken is to explore the role of classroom experience in student civic participation. In other words, are students...
March 1st, 2016 by
One of the most exciting things for a social studies teacher is when they get to meet the people that they are teaching about. Recently, our friends in Leon County had this very opportunity. Guest Post by Peggy Renihan, FJCC Regional Programs Coordinator: The Leon County Schools Civics Teachers were...
March 1st, 2016 by
Data is, of course, what we in education are now obsessed with. Everything comes back to data. How are we doing? Let's look at the data. How have our kids grown? Lets look at the data. How effective are our teachers? Let's look at the data....
February 24th, 2016 by
In this height of the election season, we are all looking for ways in which we can approach instruction concerning the sometimes confusing primary and caucus process. Recognizing this, our own Dr. Terri Fine has crafted a 4 day lesson plan that provides students an opportunity to engage students in...
February 18th, 2016 by
The Middle School Civics EOCA is just around the corner, and we have been asked about resources that might be useful in reviewing for the exam. So without further ado, here are some possibilities that could serve you well! I have personally reviewed each of these resources, and am comfortable...
February 17th, 2016 by
As educators, we are always looking for new ways to approach our content and engage our students. A few weeks ago, the FJCC had the pleasure of providing professional development to teachers in Highlands County, a small rural county here in Florida very similar to where your humble blog host...
February 3rd, 2016 by
Our content specialist, Dr. Terri Fine, is a wonderful resource for teachers in this state and beyond on issues concerning civic education. However, Dr. Fine has also made it a priority to provide content-oriented professional development connected to history and foreign policy, particularly on modern Israel. She recommends the Institute...
February 3rd, 2016 by
So, we recently had a Lou Frey Institute/Florida Joint Center for Citizenship staff meeting here at our office. It was two days of planning for the future, led by our inestimable director, Dr. Doug Dobson, and it was refreshing to sit down with the entire Lou Frey Institute/FJCC...
January 7th, 2016 by
Recently, the National Council for the Social Studies released its National Standards for the Preparation of Social Studies Teachers guidance document for public review. If you are a parent, pre-service social studies teacher or teacher educator, current or former teacher, or, honestly, simply an engaged citizen with a concern for...
January 6th, 2016 by
The National Council for the Social Studies 2016 Conference is in Washington, DC this year. And this being an election season, with the Conference just after the election, you KNOW it will be FUN! Last year's conference in New Orleans was fantastic, and I have no doubt there...
January 6th, 2016 by
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) invite proposals for scholarship to be presented at its Annual Meeting, which will be held on November 30-December 2, 2016 in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year's conference is “Civic Learning and...
January 5th, 2016 by
Friends, I regret that this is late notice, but I hope that you will consider applying for the Lastinger Center's new Teacher Leader program. We need good, strong, engaged social studies and civics teachers to be heavily involved with this program. You can complete the interest survey by...
December 14th, 2015 by
"I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."--Thomas Jefferson So today I have the distinct pleasure of sitting for jury duty. I say this without any snark whatsoever....
December 7th, 2015 by
Being a good citizen is about more than simply knowing some memorized facts that you can pull off of the Internet. It is, in many ways, also about being involved with your community and learning how to make a difference in your own life and in the lives of your...
November 30th, 2015 by
Well, we here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship got some great news recently. Last year, I told you about our effort to create a civics certificate program for pre-service social studies teachers. Well, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the program here at UCF has been...
November 24th, 2015 by
Our good friend Dr. Scott Waring, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor for the Social Science Education Program at the University of Central Florida, is the new editor for the National Council for the Social Studies' journal focusing on the teaching of social studies in the Pre-K-6 classroom, Social Studies...
November 24th, 2015 by
Good morning, civics friends. This post is just a reminder that the SOURCES Annual Conference, put on by Dr. Scott Waring here at UCF, is coming soon, and it is worth your time and energy to attend. I went last year, and it was simply fantastic. If you are looking...
November 23rd, 2015 by
As you will recall from my last post, I was headed down to Broward County to see the great work being done there by the ESOL department within the district and by the Close Up Foundation. I am happy to say that it was a wonderful experience to see so...
November 18th, 2015 by
So this past week, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Council of State Social Studies Specialists (CS4) meeting and the National Council for the Social Studies conference in New Orleans. While there, I had a great conversation with the good people from the Close Up Foundation. Close Up...
October 28th, 2015 by
Our colleague in Escambia, Cherie Arnette, sent this my way, and it fits so perfectly with the civic mission of schools and the work we do as a community in helping students grow into an engaged citizenship. The Center for Effective Government is sponsoring an 'Advocacy in Action'...
October 28th, 2015 by
So, as you can see from the flyer above, the Florida Commission on the Status of Women is sponsoring an essay contest for all Florida students in grades 6-9. It's a great opportunity for students to reflect on the role of women in the 21st century and what...
October 22nd, 2015 by
It's always exciting when we can share ideas for teaching about important stuff, and today's suggestion was inspired by Cherie Arnette, the social studies supervisor for Escambia County (check out their civics review site!). She emailed us asking if we could come up with a bellringer...
October 21st, 2015 by
Friends, we need your help so that we may in turn provide YOU with what you desire. One of the goals here at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is to provide teachers and the community with the professional development and resources they desire. In pursuit of this goal, we...
October 21st, 2015 by
Friends, it is time once again to alert you to a fantastic primary source driven conference that is held here at UCF. Dr. Scott Waring, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor for the Social Science Education Program at the University of Central Florida, is organizing his SOURCES conference, and I encourage...
October 21st, 2015 by
Well, good morning, friends in civics. It has been awhile, and we have some post backlog built up. I apologize for the delay in posting, but I have been on the road a great deal the past few weeks, including on civics item review (which will be a post of...
September 30th, 2015 by
One of the pleasures of working at the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is that we are housed in the environs of the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government. Because the LFI is a part of the broader University of Central Florida community, it is available to students as...
September 21st, 2015 by
Recently, Peter Levine and Eric Liu issued a report on the Civic Renewal Movement, which seeks to re-energize and re-engage the public in participation within the civic life of this country. The report discusses the leadership of the movement, the perspective of citizens, and ways in which the movement can...
September 17th, 2015 by
Congressman Gutknecht (R-Minn), Congressman Stallings (D-Idaho), Dr. Knuckey, Dr. Fine await the first question Today is, of course, Constitution Day. As part of the Lou Frey Institute's Constitution Day recognition, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a discussion involving two retired representatives: Congressman Richard Stallings (D-Idaho) and...
September 15th, 2015 by
Not that you necessarily need reminding, but don't forget that Thursday the 17th of September is Constitution Day! I will admit that I preferred when it was known as 'Citizenship Day', because we really do not, I think, do enough to recognize the importance of good...
September 8th, 2015 by
One of the important relationships that the Lou Frey Institute and the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship have developed is with the Florida State Association of Supervisor of Elections. Recently, our own Dr. Terri Fine sat down with Bill Cowles, the Supervisor of Elections of Orange County, and Dr. Aubrey...
September 8th, 2015 by
Today's post is a guest post from Audrey Mazzota, the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the Joe Foss Institute. She joins us this morning to discuss how the Joe Foss Institute can help you and your students grow in your understanding of American history and civics through the programs...
September 3rd, 2015 by
Jennifer Auriemma of Liza Jackson Prep School in Fort Walton Beach Florida sends us this resource that you may find useful! I have taken a look myself and there is some good stuff here! Take a look! Constitution Day and Citizenship Day September 17, 2015 The U.S. Constitution has...
September 3rd, 2015 by
Friends in Civics, it gives me great pleasure this morning to turn over this platform to Dr. Shawn Healy. Dr. Healy is the Chair of the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition, and he was a key player on the citizen-driven team that worked hard to pass legislation concerning civic education in...
September 1st, 2015 by
It's that time of year again! The Florida Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference is approaching, and now is the time to register for the event held from Oct 2-4 here in Orlando. As always, there will no doubt be sessions dedicated to areas across the social...
September 1st, 2015 by
Putting aside how one feels about the role of the federal government in public education, I think that we can agree that social studies must remain a priority in our schools. It is the first step students take down the path towards good citizenship, and it is vital to our...
August 26th, 2015 by
As we celebrate the relaunch of the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship website (seriously; we had balloons), I want to make sure that you are aware of brand new civics lessons that we have posted on the site. These lessons, which we are calling 'Civics in a Snap'...
August 26th, 2015 by
Friends in Civics here and Florida and across the country, I just want to take a moment and let you know that the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship has just relaunched its website! We have attempted to make it easier to navigate, more user friendly, and more flexible on the...
August 26th, 2015 by
This came across my desk recently from the NCSS Smartbrief. It seems that Manatee County has established a new course they are calling 'Know the Law'. This course will be for 7th grade (and some 9th grade) students, and as such, it will overlap with the Civics course...
August 24th, 2015 by
Good afternoon, friends in Civics. I have been asked by our own colleagues Dr. Elizabeth Washington and Dr. Michael Berson to share the following conference opportunity with you. The Social Science Education Consortium is sponsoring an international conference in Berlin, and it may be an opportunity for you next summer...
August 24th, 2015 by
Good morning, friends in Civics and Social Studies. Dr. Scott Waring, who leads the new College and University Faculty Assembly branch of the Florida Council for the Social Studies, has asked me to share a call for proposals for the upcoming October conference. Please take the time to review the...
August 24th, 2015 by
As we go into the new school year, I just want to take a few minutes and welcome folks back, and to welcome those that might be new to teaching civics here in Florida. This post will share with you some of the resources that are available for teaching civics...
August 20th, 2015 by
Our own Dr. Terri Fine has shared her first column for the UCF Forum. In it, she raises an interesting question: have we in Florida actually learned citizenship, and what it means to live together, and to pursue justice, as citizens? Using the horrific Groveland Four case as a starting...
