CIVICS. In the glorious days of Greece it was the custom among the youths of Athens to subscribe to the Ephebic oath when first admitted to the duties of citizenship. It was a sacred vow, and the "city" meant the nation: We will never bring disgrace to this, our city, by any act of dishonesty or cowardice, nor ever desert our suffering comrades in the ranks; we will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city, both alone and with many; we will revere and obey the city's laws and do our best to incite a like respect and reverence to those above us who are prone to annul and set them at naught; we will strive unceasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty; that thus in all these laws we will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better, and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us. Success in teaching civics is peculiarly dependent upon the inspirational personality of the instructor and the atmosphere of imagination, enthusiasm, and patriotism with which he surrounds the subject. Civics is often a dead subject-one dreaded by instructors but little less than by students-and here is the problem, to make of it a live subject. A desire for it must be created, and the first step is to vitalize the subject. The chief texts should be the adjacent municipalities, supplemented by local newspapers and appropriate magazine articles. After all, the personality and preparedness of the teacher count for everything; a reluctant teacher will never succeed in really teaching it, much less in truly inspiring his embryonic citizens. In all grades above the second there should be provision for practical civics or laboratory practice in civics. This should take the form of play at civics; in this form it has a strong appeal even to young children. The school can be organized into two miniature municipalities, one for the boys and one for the girls. These should be modeled, in organization at least, after the nearest and simplest actual municipal unit. In these organizations the pupils exercise an initiative (mildly and tactfully supervised) in minor discipline. Practice should be supplemented by some simple form of instruction. This, however, should be done not mechanically but inspirationally, applying it to local conditions actually existent. The teacher will be expected to articulate the subject matter with civic conditions in the community, county, State, United States. In this field the teacher has rare opportunity to broaden the experience and enrich the capacity of the pupils. An excellent opportunity is afforded for stimulating the pupil to make investigations on his own account and obtain through his own exertions and correspondence much information concerning neighboring municipal life and organization. The course should be intensely practical and concrete rather than philosophical. In the latter part of the course short talks can be given by both teachers and pupils on topics and questions of the day-suffrage, parties, party organizations, party principles, bosses and rings, primaries, nominations, conventions, the elective franchise, votes and voting, civil service, the ballot, the tariff question, the currency question, monometallism, bimetallism, taxes and taxation, initiative, referendum and recall, direct government, representative government, various other forms of government. The course, properly carried out, should greatly inspire patriotism. THIRD GRADE. I. Why we have laws: (a) Should a teacher keep order in school? Why? (b) Why we have rules and referees in games. (c) What would happen if we did not have them? (d) Why we have laws. (e) Laws are made to protect persons-how and why? (h) Some of our laws are new. (i) Many of our laws are old-where did they come from? (j) How are laws made and who make them? 1. In the city? 2. In the country? (k) Can you name any law? Give a reason for it. II. How laws are made and enforced: (a) Who possess the right to make laws? (b) Whence comes that right? (c) How do the "people" make the laws in this country? (d) Will the law enforce itself? (e) How are laws enforced, and by whom? (f) What good is a law unenforced? (g) Do policemen make laws? Do judges? Do mayors? (h) What happens to those who break laws? (i) Who make the arrests? (j) Who dispose of the culprits? (k) What is done if one is innocent? (7) What is done if one is guilty? How? By whom? (m) Can a policeman punish a prisoner? Who can? (n) Is every prisoner entitled to trial before punishment? (0) In every city, village, town, county, State, and in the Nation at large we find three kinds or classes of public officers: 1. Those who make the laws-council, legislature, Congress. 2. Those who say what the laws mean-judges and courts. (p) These are the three branches of government: 1. The legislative or law-making department. 2. The judicial or law-interpreting department. (2) Name any members of any city council. Are they chosen by all or only a part of the voters of the city? (r) Do you know of any bridge over which it is an offense to drive faster than a walk? What is the penalty? Who made the law? (8) Name an officer of the legislative department; of the judicial department; of the executive department. III. Voters and citizens: (a) Who may vote in your neighborhood? (b) Where do they vote, and how? What is a ballot? (e) What is an alien? How may he become a citizen? (f) Why do some places require voters to register? "Repeating." (g) Describe the ballot in your State. Is it the Australian? (h) How are public officers chosen in your neighborhood? (i) What is an election district? (j) Who make the best citizens? Name some. IV. Taxes: (a) What are taxes? Why do we have them? On what? (b) Who pay the salaries of public officers? (c) Who pay taxes? (d) Who pay taxes directly? (e) Who pay taxes indirectly? (f) How are taxes laid? How are taxes collected? By whom? (g) Are the tax officials elected or appointed? (h) Is it necessary for them to be honest and competent? Why? (i) Should one who owns no property be required to pay taxes? Why? Give reasons. (j) Is it a duty to pay taxes? (k) What happens to those who do not pay the taxes which have been laid or assessed against them? (7) Name all the different taxes you can think of. (m) Do you pay taxes? Why? (n) Do your parents pay taxes? Why? FOURTH GRADE. I. Government in the town: (a) What is a town or township? (b) What is a county? (c) Why does a town need laws? (d) How are town meetings held and officers chosen? (e) What is done when there are no town meetings? (f) What is direct government? (g) What is representative government? (h) What is democratic government? (i) Name some town officers and their duties. (j) Who has charge of schools in your neighborhood? (k) Who hires the teachers? (7) How are their salaries raised and paid? (m) How is the money gotten? II. Government in the village: (a) What is a village? How does it come to exist? (b) Does a village have its own government? Is it governed by the township or county? Why not? (c) How does a village obtain its own government? (d) What is a charter? Who grants it? How may it be obtained? (e) What does a charter contain? (f) Describe the village. 1. Lawmakers. Name some. 2. Executive officers. Name some. 3. Court. Name a judge. (g) How are improvements made? (h) What are some differences between good and bad municipal government? III. City government; some things it does: (a) When a village or town grows into a city, how does it secure a change in government? (b) Why does a city need clean and well-paved streets? (d) How is it secured in your neighborhood, and who owns the water system? (e) How are garbage and refuse disposed of in your neighborhood? (f) How is your town lighted? (g) Have you a street car system? (h) What is a franchise? Who grants it? (i) Have franchises any value? Should they be granted for nothing? Give your reasons. (j) Why does a city need a department of health and health officers? What are some of its officers and their duties? (k) Why are police protection and fire protection necessary in the city? Why does the city provide for them? (1) Departments of public buildings, parks, schools, and playgrounds, and give some of their duties. Name some of the officers of this nature in your nearest town or city. IV. City government; how it is carried on: (a) What is a city charter? How is it obtained and who grants it? (b) What are some of the duties of a board of aldermen or the city council? (c) What officers lay taxes in a city for public improvements? (d) What limitation of law is there on the amount of taxes that may be thus laid? (e) What is a city franchise? Who grants it? For what return? (f) What are the duties and powers of a mayor? (g) What is the mayor's veto and how may it be ignored by the city council? (h) Tell what you can of city courts and judges in your nearest city. (i) What is "home rule"? FIFTH GRADE. I. State government; how it came about; what it does for the people: (a) What is the name of your State? (b) Give its boundaries and its capital? (c) Who is the governor? (d) What is the State? Why do we have a State government? (e) How are States now formed, and how are they admitted to the Union? (f) Is your State one of the original thirteen? (g) Was your State formed from territory that once belonged to the United States? (h) Name the Thirteen Colonies. (i) How did they become States? (j) What is the State constitution? (k) How was it formed; how accepted by the people? (2) What does the State constitution contain? |