老师表示学生比自己更了解美国宪法

Teacher: Students Know More About US Constitution Than I Do 老师表示学生比自己更了解美国宪法

Civics and citizenship² education is practiced around the world with at least one common goal: educators in each country want young people to understand their country's political system.

But an international survey in 2009 reported that civics education does not always have the goal of encouraging students to take an active part in their communities. The International Civic¹ and Citizenship Education Study is sponsored by an independent group, the International Association for the Evaluation³ of Educational Achievement (IEA).

The study also found that, internationally, students had the highest levels of trust for schools, but the lowest levels of trust for political parties. A large majority of students planned to vote in national elections. Fewer planned to be more politically active as adults by joining a political party or running for office.

According to the IEA survey, an important result of increased knowledge about government was that students with this knowledge do not accept authoritarian⁴ government. They do not accept corruption⁵ or breaking the law, either.

In the United States, active participation⁶ in civic life is one of the main goals of civic education. The Center for Civic Education, based in California, is one of the nonprofit organizations helping⁷ teachers and students meet that goal.

The Center works with a network of 50 state programs to promote teaching and learning about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. It also shows students how they can take an active role in their government.

Using a textbook and e-book series called “We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution,” high school students all over the country learn about the U.S. government. Then, highly motivated students compete with students at other schools in simulated congressional hearings.

During the hearings groups of students talk as experts on the Constitution. Real-life lawyers and judges volunteer to act as congressional committees in the competition. The judges ask questions about the Constitution and its history. They give the group a score on how well the students answer.

Near the end of the school year, the best group in each state is invited to Washington, D.C. for a final competition. This spring, the 28th Annual We the People National Finals were held in the same hearing rooms that members of Congress use to debate national issues.

Students know more than their teacher

Teacher Robert Peck, from Douglas S. Freeman High School in Richmond, Virginia, brought his class to the "We the People" competition. His goal is to let students discover how to be better citizens. Mr. Peck says his students learn a great deal as they prepare for the hearings.

"The important thing about the program is that the students have to exceed what I know. I couldn’t do the testimony⁸ that they’re doing. You have to put the resources in front of them and get them excited about finding it out for themselves."

Applying knowledge to current events

In the hearings, the students make connections between the U.S. Constitution and recent history.

After the hearing, judges have time to comment. Judge Marcia Holland praises the students.

"I liked your conversations in response to my question about snap elections … and the fact that you disagreed and the fact that there was a more nuanced second part of the answer."

Debates on the U.S. Constitution

In another hearing room, students from Vestavia Hills High School in Alabama competed.

Law Professor Henry L. Chambers⁹, Jr., of the University of Richmond School of Law, asks a question about famous debates in American history. Vestavia Hills student Sophia Warner gives the team's answer.

"Thus we assert, the ratification¹⁰ debates are not one of, but the greatest and most probing debates in American history, because they paved the way for all future political discourse¹¹."

Later, Sue Leeson, Senior Justice of the Oregon Supreme¹² Court, gives her comments.

"I was just looking at Federalist 84. Publius is just attacking the most intemperate¹³ partisans¹⁴ of the bill of rights, that's kind of like, 'in your face' in the time. So these were not dispassionate debates… this was a debate in some sense among the elites¹⁵."

The Vestavia Hills High School team earned the award for fifth place nationally.

Citizenship test

In a recent story, "Will Citizenship Test Make Better Citizens," we told about efforts to require U.S. high school students to pass a citizenship test. Teacher Robert Peck said simply giving students the test is not enough.

"I wish we did more for civics education in this country. I think that we ignore it. If there’s one kind of education the government should support, it would be civics education - it only makes sense - so I hope that they find a way to do that in the future. I don't think a test necessarily is what we need; a citizenship test hardly shows that you're an active citizen. It's getting out and getting involved. It’s up to us, the teachers, it's up to the schools, it's up to the curriculum to try to get the kids excited about it, a test isn't what’s required, it’s the excitement."

Greg Akerman is a student in Mr. Peck's class. He says experiencing the American dream is more important than just answering test questions.

"My parents are immigrants. We came to this country with very little. And now we have the opportunity to fulfill¹⁶ the American dream. No one asked us any questions in the beginning. And that’s how it should be. You should be able to experience the American dream, and not have to prove through a recitation of facts or certain documents, that you are American because that’s not what it’s about."

Improving civics education through teacher education

"We the People" is one of several programs to encourage civic learning in the United States. Another is CIRCLE, the Center for Information on Civic Learning & Engagement. CIRCLE has studied trends in youth voting and on how civics is taught in the U.S. Based on a 2013 survey of government and civics teachers, CIRCLE recommends giving more resources and professional development to these teachers.

Robert Peck agrees. He says the teacher education the Center for Civic Education provides is an important benefit of the “We the People” program. 

" Our professional development as teacher is really important -- it allows us to get excited about our curriculum again. Take advantage of what's out there. This program

is available to everybody. It’s supported across the country. To me, ‘We the People’ is the one that gets people excited about civics."

Georgetown University professor Diana Owen studied the students of teachers who received “We the People” professional development. A report on the research published in May 2015 shows that students in those classes have significantly greater knowledge than students in other civics classes of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, political parties and elections, and the relation between race and politics.

The students in Robert Peck's class from Douglas S. Freeman High School took home an award that proves that knowledge. They placed third in the nation.

Words in This Story

simulated - adj. made to look, feel, or behave like something : not real

hearing - n. a meeting or session at which evidence and arguments about a crime or complaint are presented to a person or group who will have to decide on what action should be taken

exceed - v. to be better than (something)

testimony - n. something that someone says, especially in a court of law, while formally promising¹⁷ to tell the truth

recite - v. to read (something) out loud or say (something) from memory, usually for an audience

professional development - n. training given to workers in a specific profession

1 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

2 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

3 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

4 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

10 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

11 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

12 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

13 intemperate   

adj.无节制的，放纵的

参考例句：

• Many people felt threatened by Arther's forceful,sometimes intemperate style.很多人都觉得阿瑟的强硬的、有时过激的作风咄咄逼人。
• The style was hurried,the tone intemperate.匆促的笔调，放纵的语气。

14 partisans   

游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙

参考例句：

• Every movement has its partisans. 每一运动都有热情的支持者。
• He was rescued by some Italian partisans. 他被几名意大利游击队员所救。

15 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

16 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

17 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。